Ratchet for an Official Police

1

1929officialpolice

New member
My name on this forum came from my first firearm, my 1929 Official Police my father bought for be around twenty years ago. It's always been very solid and had a tight lock up. The second to last time I went shooting the cylinder wouldn't rotate all the way for the next shell (in single action) so I had to push it a little to lock up. The last time I went shooting the hammer would stop half way when cocking it. It functions smoothly when the cylinder isn't locked in. I noticed tonight it only does it on 3 of the cylinders. Looking at the ratchet the pieces the hand pushes to rotate are all different sizes. I know these guns were hand fitted, is there anyway to put on another ratchet and modify that one to function properly or should I see what I can do with the original one? Is it even possible to fix? I don't live near a gun smith that will touch it or I trust.
 
As to the different ratchet teeth, no, there should not be any significant difference among them. It sounds like someone played with the ratchet in the past and softened it so it wore out. (It was intended that the hand be softer than the ratchet so the cheaper and easier to replace part (the hand) would wear out first.)

Ratchets/extractors for those guns are nearly impossible to find and are very expensive when they can be found. You might try www.cylinder-slide.com and see what they say. Colt itself, I understand, has no parts and will not work on those guns. Some folks have claimed to be able to repair those ratchets, but the only attempt I have seen to do so resulted in disaster.

Jim
 
The ejector is a critical part and is extensively hand fitted at Colt.
The ejector is what sets head space and everything else keys off that.

They have to be adjusted for proper head space by precision surface grinding the rear face, then cylinder end shake, barrel-cylinder gap, chamber alignment on all chambers, and timing on all chambers has to be adjusted.

If you can find an ejector in good shape that is "long" enough, you might get it installed and fitted by Master gunsmith Frank Glenn in Arizona.

Used ejectors are available, but getting one that is long enough to be usable is a crap shoot. If it isn't usable, you have to return it for another and hope you get one you can use:

Before buying anything I'd talk to Glenn to see if he has a source:

http://www.glenncustom.com/
 
So I can't change only the ratchet, or changing only the ratchet will change the ejector as well? Or is the ratchet and ejector the same thing.
 
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The ratchet and the ejector are the same part. On older Colts like yours, the ejector star/ratchet screws onto the ejector rod and is staked in place. (You can see the stake marks in the center of the ratchet.) Installing an ejector star will usually require some fitting, as the star can go into the cylinder in only one way. (You can also see this by looking at the end of the star "arms" for the little key cut that goes into a corresponding notch in the cylinder.

Jim
 
This is something YOU are not going to fix at home.
Probably good to understand that before you go any further.
Denis
 
Haha, I am realising this. I just don't want it to turn into a wall hanger. I did learn about a gun smith forty miles away that might be able to help me. If not, I'll just keep looking.
 
Good luck.
Just understand that part isn't a drop-in fit, a used replacement isn't likely to work, and you don't have the knowledge to make it a do-it-yourself project. :)
Denis
 
That's why I suggested you talk to Frank Glenn first.

Glenn is a nationally known Colt revolver expert.
Going with him will be a LOT less risky than some local who likely doesn't really understand the old Colt's.

With too many locals these days who weren't trained on the Colt's you often get the gun back with the original problem not corrected and new problems caused by uneducated attempts to just alter something and hope it works.

With Glenn there's no guessing and in the long run, he'll be cheaper.
It's very possible he has a source of ejectors that can be installed.
 
Listen to D.
I do, every now & then. :)

And if Glenn does have ejectors, again- don't even think of trying to fit one yourself.
Denis
 
Let us know what Glenn says. A couple of years ago I saw a Colt like that that had been "repaired" by a local "gun tinkerer". He just spread a big blob of weld over the whole thing and told the customer that it would be "no problem" to file the ratchet teeth. Sure.

Jim
 
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