Another Long Distance Troubleshooting Request

by Charles, Thursday, April 25, 2013, 16:20 (4175 days ago) @ Hoot
edited by Charles, Thursday, April 25, 2013, 16:29

There could be a number of reasons why you can't you can't cock the hammer and rotate the cylinder. I had had this happen a number of times. Most often it is a ammo issue. Check and make certain that a bullet has not jumped the crimp and is tying things up. If it is, work it back into the case...gently.

If it is just dirt, grit, extruded primers etc, hold the latch back and tap on the side of the cylinder with a rawhide mallet or a chunk of wood. Nothing steel or even brass thank you.

I am a bit concerned when you said, you can't hold the cylinder latch back. These old Colts have a fairly complex lockwork and sometimes if the side plate is not down tight, things can jump out of place. If you can't get the cylinder to swing open and the latch won't come back all of the way, it is time to remove the side plate and start looking at and removing internals. The handgun has a V mainspring and one leg powers the hand and the other the hammer. The leg of the spring fits into a narrow shelf in the side of the hand and if the side plate is loose, it can jump out. It is easy to nudge the leg of the spring up and back into the recess in the hand. Much past that things get a little more complex. If you don't know your way around this lockwork, best let somebody that does do the work.

Don't start beating and prying on things and create more problems that you have now.