Well, not really day one, but the first chance I had to spend a little time with it. The first thing needed was a close inspection, then a teardown, and cleaning and lube. She really feels rough!
Looking at it when it was in layaway, I noticed that while the backstrap and trigger guard were polished on the flats, there was not polishing to be seen on the sides. This led me to believe that they had been replaced so I removed the grips to get a better look. The 'ivory look' grips went into my spare box. While inspecting the grip frame, I found it to be serial numbered the same as the frame and so was the trigger guard. Apparently this was an 'off day' at Colt, or quiting time on friday. The ears of the backstrap also do not quite match the conour of the frame and need to be taken down some. This will have to be addressed before refinishing.
Of course you have to have some basic tools, not much but screwdrivers that fit the screws which I have owned for years. I also needed a 'soft' hammer also for stuck parts, and a pair of pliers for 'adjusting' springs.
Ok now I wanted to replace the hammer spring. Colt puts on one that would work well as an covered wagon axle spring! I unscrewed it and looked at it. A common fix is to put a small spacer under the screw and that will often lighten it. That didn't help. Another thing you can do is to put a screwdriver under the spring and cock the gun. This will often put enough 'bend' into the spring that it will lighten it nicely. That didn't work either. So looking in my parts drawer for a Wolff reduced power, I find that I don't have one right now. So I take out a lighter one I do have and try that but that feels too light. So I took it back off and placed it with the two ends on the counter top and be bend 'up', and whacked it with the soft hammer, twice. This seems to have bent it up just enough for about the correct amount of tension. I have to remember to get another Wolff mainspring.
The next thing I wanted to do was dissemble the gun and also to change out the bolt/trigger spring with an unbreakable 'wire' type. I did have one of those on hand but when I installed it, it would slip off thr trigger. That arm was too short. So time to get out the pliers! I bent it on that side and took a little out of the curve that hugs the screw and that was just enough to reach and stay on the trigger.
I'm happy to say that the gun was very dry and dirty. Happy because that meant it was 'rough' because of lack of lube, not because the parts needed replacing. When all cleaned up and lubed properly, it worked just as it should. While I had the parts out, I smoothed up the sharp edges on the bolt. This seems to have been just enough that I really don't think I will have to have the gun tuned at all. It is very smooth now. I don't even have to change the bolt! Everything is working well except the timing of the hammer on half-cock. I'll get to that next and also fit a decent pair of grips. 44 Man
