Need hand & spring for 1860 Colt
The leaf spring broke on the part that turns the cylinder. I ordered part number MP1813 from Dixie Gun works & what I got was a piece that requires a great deal of fitting to get it to work. I went to a local gunsmith & he said it would cost about $80 for him to do it.
I bought this pistol many years ago & that's more than I paid for it. Is there anyplace where I can order a part that will just drop in?
This was originally a kit gun & the internal parts all fit & worked fine without any fitting.
I bought this pistol many years ago & that's more than I paid for it. Is there anyplace where I can order a part that will just drop in?
This was originally a kit gun & the internal parts all fit & worked fine without any fitting.
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The 1873 hand and hand spring are the same as for the Colt 36 Navy and 44 Army.
Parts for repros of these guns should also work.
The hand spring is pinched in a slot in the rear of the hand.
Drive out the broken spring using the new spring and tap the notch using a punch if it isn't tight.
It's very easy but you need a vise so it doesn't fly when you're working on it.0 -
Get ahold of Dixie Gun Works, and tell them you need a part for a 2nd generation Colt Blackpowder gun of the same model you have. The parts are completely interchangable with a minor bit of hand fitting. 0 -
In years past I ordered direct from Navy Arms most of the internals for 1851 Navy and 1860 Army direct from Navy arms. They all seemed to fit with very little hand fitting. Here are the phone numbers for them. <firearms. Call 304-262-9870 and ask for our Parts department. VTI Gun Parts for Italian revolvers (860-435-8068>.
Also on their website they refer people to Dixie Gunworks. The website also shows down loadable manuals for most of their firearms.
navyarms.com0 -
Handsprings have a curve on the free end so as not to dig into the hand slot of the frame. No fitting should be required though I'd Dremel polish the curve for smoother action.
Use the original hand with broken spring. Drive out the old spring with the new spring from the side. The spring doesn't require fitting. Tighten up the slot if the spring is too loose.
It's a simple job and you wont have to fit a new hand.
Only basic skills are required plus a hammer,punch and a bench vise.
So as not to waste a reply,l'm adding to this. It sounds like suppliers are selling as-cast and not finished parts so all surfaces are oversize and need to be filed instead of just the length.
If all the work described above is beyond your ability, buy a Colt 1873 hand from Brownell but ask if it's finished or a raw casting first.Even then you'll have to file the length.
All hands for any revolver ever made, need to be fitted in length so expect you'll have to nibble at the length until you get it to lock up on all chambers.
If this is all too much for you, send the old hand and new spring to me postpaid with a fiver and I'll do it for you.
This is an Experts' Column. You've been given the benefit of a lot of good experience so far.0 -
The part I recieved requires MASSIVE fitting. Even the pin on the side is WAY oversize. When I talked to the gunsmith at Dixie he just told me to use a file to fit it.
I've had it sitting around for just over two years & was tempted to try to make it work. I have thought of trying to get the spring out & put it in the old one but I believe they are crimped in.0 -
Gruntled, I have the same problem with the same gun. But I believe mine is the 1849. I ordered the part from Dixie and had the same problem. I proceeded to try and make it fit but ruined it in the process. Really frustating process. Tom 0 -
In recent weeks I ordered 9 parts 'for Colt 1860 Army & 1851 & 1861 Navy' from Dixie and Numrich. Not one could even be installed without rework, to say nothing about fitting for function. Such things as hole location, hole size, screw diameters & in an 'essential parts kit' the hammer looked like for a Remington.
The kit I returned and got credit but was out about $12 S&H. I have tooling to do most anything and the ability to do it. The parts I kept I made work but I just wonder how poor old Joe Sixpack makes out.
Looks like sellers don't recoginze differences in the parts made by the 'Colt clone makers' and sell them as fitting actual Colts.0 -
Have you tried S&S in New York? They seem to know what they are selling and for what. 0 -
Well lets hope S&S knows what they are talking about because "Steg" sure don't! S&S is not gonna have what you need.
Check out this web site and they have both original and repro parts.
http://www.lodgewood.com/0 -
OP take up V35 on his generous offer. If you do it yourself don't draw the temper. 0
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