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Colt pocket revolver fault.

sailplane
My 1849 pocket has a fault. I am preety sure the internals are all there and in surprisingly good condition. I do not yet know the names of all the parts but consider the hammer, the trigger, the 'pusher'(with tiny spring)which turns the cylinder and the 'detent lever' which locks the cylinder.

With the barrel and cylinder removed the hammer can be half cocked and full cocked and all seems well. When re-assembled, the hammer can be half cocked, when the cylinder is free to turn clockwise looking forward. On moving towards full cock the detent clicks in to place to lock the cylinder but it seems as though the hammer cannot be moved quite far enough to engage full cock. The trigger spring seems ok and one can also assist it. The hammer and trigger are in good order at the full cock engagement surfaces.

I think the pusher is too long. But before I grind a few thou off the end I would value any comments from the experts. I purchased the gun in this state and it may be that a new pusher has been fitted without much thought.
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Comments

6 comments

Date Votes
  • perry shooter
    Because parts are hard to come by your best bet is NOT to try to fix this pistol yourself. One of the best pistols you can learn on is a 1911 type because parts can be bought from many sorces.Buy a junker and play. Remember it is a gun and if you screw up. it can blow up.If you don't know names of parts you are not ready to start grinding or fileing.Send to a gunsmith.
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  • sailplane
    The gun is an antique, literally 150 years old. I am not going to shoot it, but I do want it as perfect as it is possible to make it.
    Regards.
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  • rhmc24
    The part that pushes the cylinder to rotate it is called the 'hand'. The part that locks the cylinder from turning is the 'bolt'. As you describe the problem, I think you have it figured out. Parts for the 1849 pocket model are available. It might be wise to buy a repro hand and fit it to work properly. Then if authenticity is important to you, use that experience to rework the original hand. Question comes to mind that the one now at fault is probably not original. I doubt Colt would have sent out a piece that didn't work properly.
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  • v35
    The hand (pusher) is too long and it may be only by a smigeon. Most likely someone replaced it not knowing they all have to be fitted.
    Yours may be an old replacement part so it might be a good idea, as has been mentioned,to buy a a 31 Pocket or 36 Pocket Colt hand and play with that before fitting the hand that came with the gun.
    Some years ago I lucked out and bought a 44 Army with about 30% finish but like new inside. It had a hand, broken at the shaft and had been set aside for over 100 years. A new hand from Dixie Gun Works and some filing and stoning put the gun in business.
    The original broken hand was polished bright on all surfaces like a piece of clockwork.
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  • sailplane
    Thanks to all. I shortened the hand by 22thou last night. This in stages using a carpenters stone, keeping the angle of the end face the same, measuring overall using a micrometer, and tidying up the slight burrs formed. I now have full cock at all five positions. After tweeking the tiny spring I have indexing at four positions and on half cock clicks at all five positions. I deduce that at the one position the hand does not reach forward enough as it first pops out from its hidden position and I plan to modify its shape accordingly.
    Regards.
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  • v35
    Consider that someone may have forced the overlong hand, indenting that part of the ratchet that the hand bears on at full cock.
    You may "add" metal in that spot by judicious peening at 90 degrees to that part of the ratchet.
    Since the revolver indexes at all chambers save one, the fault is not in the hand.
    Alternatively, you can buy a new hand, fit it to the bad cylinder cog then file away at at the four other ratchet cogs. This is a bigger job.
    If it's in good condition , don't be afraid to fire it. The only down side is the need to take the revolver to pieces afterwards for a thorough cleaning and oiling. That includes removing the nipples.
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