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Colt 1877 Lightning ---

peabo
I just received a Colt D A 38 -- isn't that referred to as the lightning? I am not familiar with them at all - I've seen many but was not interested enough to pay much attention to them. I have handled some but never disassembled one. This one has the common problem of broken hand spring and trigger strut spring (I assume that is the problem).

I did notice something strange when beginning to disassemble - the cylinder pin has a hole through it about an inch from the cylinder end and has a spring in it ????

Can someone give me a date of manufacture - s/n 147231?


100_1074.jpg

100_1077.jpg

If you don't mind - please stay tuned - I will have many more questions as I try to get this revolver in shooting order.
Yes, I do have the grips and the cylinder pin, but I forgot to take pictures before I started and didn't want to put it back together just to get a picture.


Thanks---Peabo


Thanks, knifecollector. Do any of yours have a hole through the cylinder pin with a spring in it?

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Comments

7 comments

Date Votes
  • Knifecollector
    Yours was made late 1903. The 38 caliber was the Lightning and the 41 caliber was the Thunderer. They are a bit fragile but they are not difficult to work on. I've got several 1877's in both calibers and finishes.
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  • givette
    No pin shown below, but I'll bet a dime to a jankee dolla the spring was (is?) designed to induce drag on the cylinder.

    Reason: Perhaps Lightnings were prone to 'bypassing' the cylinder notch when fired in DA mode rapidly.

    Conclusion: Someone in the distant past did you a favor! Keep the spring! Best, Joe

    Colt_LightningRevolver_schem.jpg
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  • peabo
    quote:Originally posted by givette
    No pin shown below, but I'll bet a dime to a jankee dolla the spring was (is?) designed to induce drag on the cylinder.

    Reason: Perhaps Lightnings were prone to 'bypassing' the cylinder notch when fired in DA mode rapidly.

    Conclusion: Someone in the distant past did you a favor! Keep the spring! Best, Joe

    Colt_LightningRevolver_schem.jpg




    Yes, I intend to keep the spring. That was my thoughts for the spring also. In the position it was placed, the only thing it can do is drag on the cylinder and make it harder to turn. I doubt that this revolver will be doing much fast double action firing, though.

    The guy who did me a favor also did me a disservice by leaving out the screw (#24)that holds springs #22 and #23 on the trigger. Instead of putting it back in the hole it belongs in, I guess he threw it away. Needless to say, those springs were not only not working, but were also missing.

    Can anyone tell me the size of that screw - tpi -dia. -length?
    Gunparts is sold out of the screws. Better yet, anybody got an extra lying around? I have the springs, now need a screw or the springs are of no use.


    Thanks---Peabo
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  • Knifecollector
    None of my pins has that spring, but I agree 100% with givette as to why its there. I checked a screw like you need and got these measurements.
    overall length- .205
    diameter - .088
    depth of the screw threads- .155
    screw head thickness- .050
    TPI is either 46 or 48, it was just a tiny bit finer than my 44 gauge.
    You might try Dixie Gun Works, I've bought quite a few screws for the 1877 from them.
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  • v35
    With a new combination spring, which includes the hand spring,the cylinder will probably be restrained from over rotating and bypassing the cylinder stops. The hand may also be a trifle long.
    A broken cylinder stop spring would make such a drag spring necessary albeit a halffast fix.
    That your handspring is broken or weak highlights that issue.
    The drag spring should then be unnecessary except for real rapid fire.
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  • peabo
    quote:Originally posted by Knifecollector
    None of my pins has that spring, but I agree 100% with givette as to why its there. I checked a screw like you need and got these measurements.
    overall length- .205
    diameter - .088
    depth of the screw threads- .155
    screw head thickness- .050
    TPI is either 46 or 48, it was just a tiny bit finer than my 44 gauge.
    You might try Dixie Gun Works, I've bought quite a few screws for the 1877 from them.



    This is information that I was looking for.
    Now I at least have some idea of what I need.


    Thanks---Peabo
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  • yoshmyster
    I wonder if there was a ball barring that used to sit on top of the spring?

    I would look in the cylinder to see if there is a groove from the spring or ball barring done made a groove.
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