Replacement cylinders off a little

[Will52100]

I just got two new cylinders for a couple of Pieta's.  One I've been using the old cylinder from a donner gun that I had way back in junior high school.  The original cylinder was borred so far off that I couln't get better than 6" groups.  I shinned a light down the bore and found out why, way out of time.  Nothing to be done, I got it cheap at a gun show and couldn't return it so I switched cylinders from an old one that the end of the barrel was messed up on(in an early atempt to chang the front sight blade I inadvertantly caused a swell in the ID of the barrel from a pin punch.)

Well I finaly got a mill/lathe and better metal working skills, and decided that I could shorten the barrel on the old gun and make a sheriff's model, and replace inner working parts and springs that I had salvaged for other guns and get it back on the line.  I decided that since the old cylinder was a little on the rough side and had a good bit of wear I'd just order a new one for it too.

Well ever since I got the bad cylinder from the gunshow I shine a lite down the bore and check all six chambers.  Both cylinders are off the same amount.  The edge of the cylinder doesn't extend past the lands, but do extend past the grove a little, like it's over rotated a little.  I turned a range rod on my lathe about an inch long and just enough under bore diameter to slip down the barrel.  It slides down into the cylinder with out catching on the cylinder.

I have a feeling that if I send the cylinders back I'll only get ones borred the same amount off.

What are your feelings on this?  Can I get away with just putting a forcing cone in the barrel?  I want decent acuracy, I know there not match grade and are in the end only combat pistols but I don't want a shotgun sized group nor do I want to put undue stress on the guns.

I haven't fired them yet, will have a chance tomorrow.

Let me know what you think, thanks,

Will

[crossbow]

Will, if they are colts it is possible to alter the barrell to line up with the cylinder it involves filling in one of the holes that the pins from the frame enters and reboring it a little higher or lower it usually just takes a fraction,you can fill it in with a tig welder,another posible cause can be that the barell is tilted up, check the cylinder gap and see if it is v shaped with the v upside down again this can be solved by adding metal underneath the forcing cone and filing to correct size.The extra large cylinder chambers should not be a problem unless really excessive but you probably will have to enlarge the forcing cone a little and make it longer a Dremel tool could do this.As for the damaged section of barrel cut it off and radius it.Do all this kind of work slow and careful.

[HWooldridge]

If all cylinders are off the same amount, the easiest thing to move the bolt stop in the frame.  You do this by disassembling everything, then filing a bit off the near side and using a center punch to upset the off side, thereby moving the bolt sideways a little in its hole.  If you have to move it a lot, say more than .010, then you can silver braze a little piece of shim to make the offset after filing.  The hole could be so sloppy now that just tightening up in the right direction may fix your problem.

[Will52100]

Thanks, I've been thinking along the lines of moving the cylinder stop, there is not a lot of slop, but I may braze in a shim after moving to the side to remove any slack.  The bore is off about the depth of the rifling on one side like it's over rotated a little, haven't miked it yet.

The old cylinder lines up perfect, put is pretty far gone and at least 15 years old.  I think the new guns barrels are probly turned a little and make everything line up.  Or the cylinder stop in the new guns are a few thousants to one side.

Oh well, yet one more project! :-D

Thanks for the idea's everybody,

Will

[crossbow]

on rereading my post  as the work I recommend here is a bit heavy and seemingly crude,I should explain that this is the kind of work that can salvage a junk gun rather than a good one with a minor fault,I done all the above work on a junk 1851 navy that I got from a friend some years ago.It must have been one of the worst revolvers ever built,it seemed the guy who made it must have been trying for a world record for the most faults built into a revolver.It originaly shot 8 inch groups at 25 and devoloped so much pressure that the frame would stretch with repeated shooting.After spending the best part of a year working on it on and off I gradually ground, filed, and welded all of the problems out of it.It now shoots 3 inch 25 yard groups and shoots on the point of aim.Which proves that even total rubbish can be salvaged with a bit of effort.I dont know who made it my guess it was one of those small workshops that turned out cheap and awful cap and ball guns in the 1970s.It has made in Italy on the side of the barrel and underneath the barrel a circle with the letters either DG or DE .Has anybody else experiences of guns this ilk.

[Flint]

The letters DG or DE, look like reference to Dixie Gun Works.

[Will52100]

Well I got the parts in from DG, new cylinder stop and filled a little off the opisit side of the fram and the cylinder lines up on all six now.  Now just need to braze a little filler to the opisite side and file it back tight, bob the barrel, loading arm and move the catch and dovetale a new sight in.  Also considering making a birds head grip for it.

Shouldn't take more than about six months to finish at this rate!

[Flint]

If an Uberti gripframe will fit that gun, you can get the Thunderer gripframe from VTIgunparts.com.  I bought two for my 1851's, and they were $135 each.  Includes the wood and a frame screw to hold them together.

[Will52100]

Thanks Flint, did you have trouble fitting to the 51's?  The 60' army and 51 navy have the same size frame, only the cylinder recess is bigger for the larger cylinder.

[Flint]

The gripframe basically bolts right on to any other Uberti.  They are made a little wide to allow fitting, and it's up to you if you want to shave off the .010 to .015 to flush them up.  It's a trick to do without messing up the frame's color case, so I did it off the gun, carefully, but then you have to reblue the sides of the triggerguard.

[unspellable]

I have a couple of Ruger Old Army's with this sort of problem.

Just what happens if you ream the forcing cone?

Does it really help that much?

This would save hassles with the conversion cylinder which lines up perfectly.  If I move the bolt to correct the original cylinder it will throw the conversion cylinder off.

[Flint]

One solution is to fit a bolt for the offending cylinder and install it when you use that cylinder, means disassembling, but it would work.