Dance Wannabe #2

[Marshal Will]

Here's a minor modification that's big, in my opinion. I changed the shape of the hammer spur to remove the corners that dig into your thumb when cocking. I can cock this thing all day and not get a sore thumb. The best part? it's even more like an original Dance in shape, and I assume in feel.





I know the originals were rounded off more but I wanted to keep the general shape similar to the rest of the hammer. To really get it looking like an original would take some very serious re-shaping starting with annealing, a lot of careful contouring and finishing up with case hardening again. Here's the hammer on Dance #164.



And Dance #94



I also spent a little time taking the first bit off the recoil shields. Hopefully I can get back on this soon.

[ShotgunDave]

Excellent progress Marshal.

I like what you've done to the hammer. I have been contemplating re-contouring mine to more resemble the originals too.

[mazo kid]

Lots and lots of work to make a wanna-be, it's good you have the patience to stick with the project.

[Marshal Will]

Thanks, pards.

You know, it's interesting how each step is a success in its own right. I never take the whole thing apart and re-assemble it only after everything is done. It would sit on the bench in boxes and ziplocks for a long time and be kind of discouraging to look at. For the most part I like to go from a working condition to another working condition with each step. Between those steps I can pick it up and cycle the action and appreciate the thing. At almost any time I could quit and have it usable. One exception is the front sight which will get soldered on after all the bluing is done on the barrel but there are just a few places on that to defarb first.

[ShotgunDave]

I'm with you Marshal. I like to do a step at a time, and have a functioning gun after each step if possible. That way, even if I don't get to it for a while, the gun is still useable.

[Marshal Will]

I'm with you Marshal. I like to do a step at a time, and have a functioning gun after each step if possible. That way, even if I don't get to it for a while, the gun is still useable.

Ah, we must have the same screws loose.   

[Captainkirk]

Looking great, Marshal! You guys probably have the most true-to-detail Dances around.

[Marshal Will]

Thanks, Capt. I hope to see more people put some of them together. They are a lot of fun to do.

[Marshal Will]

Today I re-did some of the bluing on the barrel where it was a little light. Then I soldered the sight in and cleaned it up, retouching the barrel bluing where it got kind of affected by all the fiddling. The barrel is now done. W2 is one step closer to completion.



I have a new trigger guard coming toward the end of the week. After that is fitted, I'll resume my frame work.

[ShotgunDave]

Looks great Marshal. The front sight is perfect.


Look forward to the progress.

[Captainkirk]

Looks great!

[Marshal Will]

Thanks, Dave, Capt. It'll be interesting to see how much I'll need to file that sight down with the loads I have planned for it. Whether I use those loads depends on if they are accurate in it. If not, I have others and can make darn near anything if needed. If I have to go with something else, I'll probably duplicate the original .44 Rimfire cartridges as closely as possible.

[Marshal Will]

The next thing I addressed was the trigger guard. The new Pietta trigger guards are WAY too big to look correct. Here's the trigger guard I started with. I can't imagine what Pietta was thinking about when they decided that this is what an original Colt looks like.



First I cut the trigger guard so I could work it.



Then I bent both sides down and together. The overlap got cut off.





Next I clamped various pieces of steel in the vice and hammered the trigger guard into shape.



A quick test fit on the wannabe to make sure I had it right then I beveled both sides with a file and brazed it together.



I filed it down some and found a spot that needed touching up.



A bit of filing then another test fit.



After that it was file, file, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand then on to polishing. First on the polishing wheel then with the Dremel to catch what I couldn't get with the wheel.



And the final result.



Campared to Dance # [1 diamond]



I'd say I hit it fairly close to this original.

[ShotgunDave]

Fairly close? No Sir, you nailed it!

Nice work Marshal.

Wannabe #2 is coming along nicely.

[Marshal Will]

Thank you, Dave. Much appreciated.

A most curious thing is that the brazing rod is exactly the same color as the brass in the trigger guard. I remember making a square back trigger guard when I was about 30. The brass was the same color back then, too. I would not have been surprised to find that the alloy was lighter or darker than the brazing rod but when filed down and polished, there's no color variation at the weld. The stuff melts at pretty much the same temperature, too. You can't get too much heat in there or the whole thing could drop out. In fact, it did that a little one time and I had to fill it back in. It would have been easier with a TIG but I don't have one of those so the welding torch was the go-to tool.