'60 Colt repair

[Buckshotliam]

Howdy,
I while back I bought a used '60 Colt Army (from ASM).  It won't stay in full cock. It stays in half cock fine but as I pull the hammer back it won't stay there. I dissassembled it and there are file marks on the hand and bolt but no discernable filing or stoning on the trigger sear or the hammer notches.  The hammer and trigger are case hardened.  Everything goes back together easily. Whats the fix?  Do I need to buy some parts and replace?

Thanks for your help,

Buckshot Liam

[Flint]

If someone filed on some parts they may have changed the angle on the sear notch.  Make sure the trigger spring is working.  The half cock notch is deeply undercut, if it didn't hold things would be real serious.  The edges of the sear notch should be sharp and square.  The trigger sear should be sharp, not rounded, and put together outside the gun in position, you can use rhe screws to align them on thew side of the frame, check the sear engagement angles.  If someone angled the sear off to lighten the pull, they went too far.  The Italian steel is soft, so if the case hardening is cut through, it will wear very quickly, as case doesn't go very deep.  Uberti hammer and trigger will fit (actually are shaped more authentically) and you can get them off the internet from Uberti's website, www.uberti.com.  There is an exploded view and all the parts listed for all their guns.

[John Traveler]

Hi, Buckshot!

From your description, sounds like the trigger spring tension is too light.  Check that, and while you are at it, see if the filing done on the locking bolt has made it's tension too light as well.

Replacement parts for the 1860 Colt are cheap.  Try Dixie Gun works for the spare Italian repro parts.

If you plan to shoot that repro revolver extensively, you might consider spare parts as follows:

trigger, hammer, hand, hand spring, trigger/locking bolt spring, spare locking bolts, nipples, frame screws, mainspring.

As much as we love those old single-action Colts, they used to be called "the gunsmith's friend" because of the frequent (and common) repairs needed.