Fixing misfires in a 41 mag python

[BigRich]

D.R.E.,
I suppose it shows how strange I am but I must tell you that I find your gunsmithing posts to be truly fascinating. Thank you for giving this old metal filer a glimpse into the work of some legends. Long ago I took the sideplate off one of my Pythons to clean it. I had a brief hallucination about "tuning" it. I looked at all the different pick up points and just cleaned and lubed it. I give you a lot of respect for really getting to learn these revolvers.
Rich

[D.R.E.]

D.R.E.,
I suppose it shows how strange I am but I must tell you that I find your gunsmithing posts to be truly fascinating. Thank you for giving this old metal filer a glimpse into the work of some legends. Long ago I took the sideplate off one of my Pythons to clean it. I had a brief hallucination about "tuning" it. I looked at all the different pick up points and just cleaned and lubed it. I give you a lot of respect for really getting to learn these revolvers.
Rich

Thanks! The older smiths did some pretty interesting things, so it's great when you can cheat and just take apart one of their works. Especially since most are retired or worse and that knowlege is going to be lost.

Colts are a lot of fun. It's not a wise use of time, but it is nice when it's possible to take a irreplaceable but messed up revolver and put it closer to how it should be. Sometimes of course things don't go according to plan.

If you're thinking about doing some, I strongly recommend the Jerry K shop manual and searching for dfariswheel's colt posts. Very helpful. Also working with a colt smith really sorts stuff out, including them catching things that you do that are so stupid that books don't even think to say "don't do that"

I hate mailing guns, so got forced into it. Plus most colts sold have *some* problem so either you are careful and buy nothing, or not careful and wind up potentially sending a problem child out for work.

Dfariswheel in the colt forum helpfully pointed out some things I should have done differently:

I'll add the following pointers.

1. Your trigger shows rust in the safety link hole. I'd suggest a good ultrasonic cleaning after a few days soak in Kroil to loosen the rust. This is a small point and the rust is unlikely to ever be a problem, but again, its the little details that make the difference.

2. I'd recommend using smooth jaw pliers to handle any springs. The serrated jaws may scratch the spring and can cause a spring to break from stress risers.
I used a set of parallel jaw jewelers pliers, standard needle nose work about as good. The parallel jaws grip the spring all the way across the spring for a more even grip and less chance of a uneven bend.
As another aid, I lined my pliers with thin brass plate to prevent any scratches.

3. For the same reason, I'd polish the filed areas on the sides of the main spring where you clearanced the strut seat. Again, scratches from filing can cause a leg seat to snap off at some later time.

4. Just for your own sense of craftsmanship, I'd use a medium to fine Cratex rubber abrasive wheel or bullet shape to lightly polish the end of the bolt to even it up and remove the slightly irregular surface left by the stoning.
This has no effect on operation, its just one of those things you'll see on a gun worked on by someone who cares about what he's doing.

5. I'm a little "hinky" about the amount of bevel you put on the bolt head side. I'd be afraid that that much bevel would increase the changes of cylinder throw-by. That much bevel can actually allow a bolt notch to skip over the bolt head by pushing it down.
My feel was that I just wanted to barely break the sharp edge, hardly enough to see. Personally, I used a fine Cratex to just "skim" the sharp edge.
This gave it enough sharp edge break and polished it.
The top edge of the bolt head is going to wear to a bevel, and I think that much will too quickly allow cylinder lock problems.
.

[QuarterBoreGunner]

I suppose it shows how strange I am but I must tell you that I find your gunsmithing posts to be truly fascinating. Thank you for giving this old metal filer a glimpse into the work of some legends. Long ago I took the sideplate off one of my Pythons to clean it. I had a brief hallucination about "tuning" it. I looked at all the different pick up points and just cleaned and lubed it. I give you a lot of respect for really getting to learn these revolvers.

You're not the only one; seriously I'm taking notes.

I have a question, something that just occurred to me; how do you keep your camera clean while you're working on the piece on the bench? Do you wear latex gloves and then peel them off to take pictures? Just curious.

[D.R.E.]

You're not the only one; seriously I'm taking notes.

I have a question, something that just occurred to me; how do you keep your camera clean while you're working on the piece on the bench? Do you wear latex gloves and then peel them off to take pictures? Just curious.

Gloves! That would be an idea. Nah, camera is covered w/ moly lube by the end. It makes for a buttery macro.

Or something like that.

Actually, it's a sony cybershot and it doesn't really seem to pick up grease. Maybe they designed w/ mechanics in mind?