Yeah well, spoiler alert then i guess boys.
Or as some´d say.. IT`S GOOD TO BE BACK!
Anywhoo..
As many of you are well aware we boys are all about the originals when staying permit exempt, and this then being no exception.
Knowing a bit on the US scene i´d say that in general we´re "sooner" to go make the old ´uns shoot. I guess due that?
Saying that..
This dude looks me up with an original 3d model that want me to do "the Racing thang" to have the thing go shoot again - and who am i to question that?
Yeah yeah.. i know. Don´t blow the piece up, they´re not made anymore. I hear ya, then again.. not my first run down the rabbit hole is it?
So yeah. Hefty end shake, timing outta whack and what not.
History. History is important, and we´re all buffs right? Well. This one was actually US made and then shipped for "the old country" and in being that it had to get approved. Thus each and every chamber was pressure tested by the British aaaand.. stamped accordingly.
But yeah. End shake along the lines of shy of 1mm. A lot in short, and to be expected with most old Colts in all honesty...
Yep. For you replica guys to check, cause that there is what an original tells on a scale. Hefty MF´s ain´t they...
Original or not, old they are at least. Word of caution here, that applies to the "old ´uns". Don´t even give THOUGHT to removing stuck cones sans heat. I recap, do NOT.
Use the torch with an excess of acetylene (a SLIGHTLY "coal-ed" tip) and keep what´ll get orange and yellow the tip of the cones only. ALWAYS set the cylinder on the vise in longitude. NEVER across..these are cast items.. be wary.. Need be shod the vise with pieces of soft aluminium if it makes your heart pound less...
That said, by now.. hundreds and hundreds of nipples taken out of cylinders, and using appropriate heat it has NEVER failed. Force is NOT the answer, heat is.
Nope. An original is NOT 225-32 or similar. It is 1/4".. Yeah, ask me how i know..
No matter, threads of course needed to be chased. (This a cylinder for a Whitney Navy, just trying to get my point across
)
Uhu. Beefy indeed, but again.. them British proof marks. Like all over.
YES! We friggin KNOW it is!
The thing here is that.. in contrast to the later Navy n Army and what not these have rather heavy duty rifling. Due that it is rare to run into one where it´s "gone" due pitting and what not.
Yup. Needed a fresh crown though as the order was not only to get it to shoot but "get it to shoot to par all it can".
Yes Sir.
Read n understood!
Uhu. You´re correct, there was radii play beyond what is acceptable too. Handled by turning bushings out of steel that i made "disappear" with the TIG welder.
As you can gather this specific Dragoon was in rather ok nick/condition. Needed a tad of work to "re-become" all it could be but hey.. that´s why it´s on my workbench right!
Yeah. So. The barrel is stated to be out of "silver steel". Whatever, what´s imperative to me is that it´s weldable, and it is. As you weld something as rare as this up.. you´d better make googly moogly sure you´re ontop of things.
Then again.. not my first trip around the house right so, all good.
As you´ve added material, which of most will be cut off again, you basically reshape that cone on the lathe - going old school for real. Sure. You cut the gas sealing surface using modern day cutters on the lathe but the rest of it to be honest is in files and your own hands.
As i had handled the radii part of it resetting end shake to spec was a rather straight affair. Notion was for stock.. and i about trumphed that at 6/100mm
Ditto for the trigger/sear and the hammer. Worn.. welded that up using a rather "specific" TIG rod made for its wear properties and.. done deal.
Of course what to keep in mind here is that the Colts have their rear sights on the hammer why "set point" will affect how it prints on target.
Replacement nipples are NOT off the shelf items! Let me assure you!. It being approx 1/4"UNF though i made some intended for rifle use work. Again.. lathe time, and that kind of made short notice.
So. Of course a job like this is extremely hard to sum up in a few notes on a forum. Net result though was a Dragoon that was on par with new, i´d even wager better.
Thing locks up like a Swiss watch.. and hammers away.
Yep. Done deal.
