Colt police positive help needed

9ballbilly · January 16, 2014, 08:03 AM

I have a Colt police positive .32-20 (circa 1925). Problem is that during cycling the cylinder hand appears to slip towards the outside of the ratchet binding the cylinder just before it can properly index. The gun is otherwise sound. With sideplate removed the hand can be held in place and will cycle normally. To my untrained eye this doesn't appear to be a particularly difficult repair and I'm asking for someone to share the correct method to do so.
Thank you.

PetahW · January 16, 2014, 01:21 PM

.

Your description indicates the inside of the lockplate is worn, not holding the pawl in alignment - not a simple repair.

.

James K · January 16, 2014, 01:30 PM

Petah W. may be right, but check to see if the sideplate is bent. If it is, it can be straightened but the job requires a combination of great delicacy and brute force. If you try to DIY, be very careful.

Jim

salvadore · January 17, 2014, 11:35 AM

I took the side plate off of my D frame and noted the hand did tend to walk out so it seems like it is a side plate problem like the Gents above suggest. I'm not a gunsmith, but if it turns out it is wear could a person maybe fill the worn area with something like JB Weld. If it worked you probably wouldn't want to use it as a SD shooter, but at least could use it rather have a neat paper weight.

Bill DeShivs · January 17, 2014, 02:06 PM

JB Weld IS JUST EPOXY!
Everyone seems to think it is some sort of weld. It's not. It's just glue with some aluminum dust in it.
Sorry-one of my pet peeves.

Remington74 · January 17, 2014, 02:38 PM

I'm not familiar with the colt revolvers at all and I understand it takes a master guru to do anything with them other than a good bore scrubbing.

But....from your description, would it be possible to install a very thin shim on whatever holds the hand in position to compensate for the wear in the side plate?

Just a thought.

James K · January 17, 2014, 03:04 PM

The hand is held to the trigger by a pin set into a part of the hand that the rebound lever bears on to tension the hand. There is nothing to prevent the hand from moving outward except the sideplate. It might be possible to insert a flat shim into the slot in the sideplate where the hand works, but I think a bent, not worn, sideplate is more likely.

Jim

PetahW · January 17, 2014, 04:17 PM

.

If the sideplate's bent, IMO it'd be interesting to find out how it got so, w/o damage to the frame.

BTW - to not guide the hand, the sideplate would needs be bent/bowed outward - and not inward, as from a blow.

.

James K · January 17, 2014, 10:41 PM

Those sideplates are often bent by someone trying to install the sideplate with the hand not properly in place. When the screws are tightened down, the sideplate bows outward at the thin part where it is milled away for the hand.

Jim

9ballbilly · January 18, 2014, 08:17 PM

Just a quick follow-up. The sideplate is not bent, since this revolver has been around since 1925 and also served as a PD issued service weapon, My thought is that it is sideplate wear that's caused the problem. I'm going to let a professional handle the repair, which will probably cost more than I paid for the gun, but I like the old thing. It locks up amazingly tight for it's age. Thanks for the push in the right direction.

James K · January 18, 2014, 11:17 PM

Good luck.

Jim

salvadore · January 19, 2014, 03:51 PM

Golly thank bill, if it didn't say epoxy on the resin and hardener tubes, I wouldn't have known.

James K · January 20, 2014, 07:58 PM

Seriously, some folks seem to think JB Weld is a kind of magic cure-all. One poster had a rifle with a cracked barrel due to having fired the gun with an obstruction in the barrel. He wanted to know if he could use JB Weld on it and keep shooting!

Jim

January 16, 2014, 08:03 AM	#1
9ballbilly Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2008 Location: northeast Florida Posts: 611	Colt police positive help needed I have a Colt police positive .32-20 (circa 1925). Problem is that during cycling the cylinder hand appears to slip towards the outside of the ratchet binding the cylinder just before it can properly index. The gun is otherwise sound. With sideplate removed the hand can be held in place and will cycle normally. To my untrained eye this doesn't appear to be a particularly difficult repair and I'm asking for someone to share the correct method to do so. Thank you. __________________ may God eternally bless the American Rifleman--- as long as one stands, resolute, liberty shall not perish.

January 17, 2014, 02:06 PM	#5
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,985	JB Weld IS JUST EPOXY! Everyone seems to think it is some sort of weld. It's not. It's just glue with some aluminum dust in it. Sorry-one of my pet peeves. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

January 18, 2014, 08:17 PM	#10
9ballbilly Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2008 Location: northeast Florida Posts: 611	Just a quick follow-up. The sideplate is not bent, since this revolver has been around since 1925 and also served as a PD issued service weapon, My thought is that it is sideplate wear that's caused the problem. I'm going to let a professional handle the repair, which will probably cost more than I paid for the gun, but I like the old thing. It locks up amazingly tight for it's age. Thanks for the push in the right direction. __________________ may God eternally bless the American Rifleman--- as long as one stands, resolute, liberty shall not perish.

January 16, 2014, 01:21 PM	#2
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	. Your description indicates the inside of the lockplate is worn, not holding the pawl in alignment - not a simple repair. .

January 16, 2014, 01:30 PM	#3
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Petah W. may be right, but check to see if the sideplate is bent. If it is, it can be straightened but the job requires a combination of great delicacy and brute force. If you try to DIY, be very careful. Jim

January 17, 2014, 11:35 AM	#4
salvadore Junior member Join Date: January 1, 2007 Location: Idaho Posts: 2,282	I took the side plate off of my D frame and noted the hand did tend to walk out so it seems like it is a side plate problem like the Gents above suggest. I'm not a gunsmith, but if it turns out it is wear could a person maybe fill the worn area with something like JB Weld. If it worked you probably wouldn't want to use it as a SD shooter, but at least could use it rather have a neat paper weight.

January 17, 2014, 02:38 PM	#6
Remington74 Senior Member Join Date: August 5, 2012 Location: Carthage, NY Posts: 231	I'm not familiar with the colt revolvers at all and I understand it takes a master guru to do anything with them other than a good bore scrubbing. But....from your description, would it be possible to install a very thin shim on whatever holds the hand in position to compensate for the wear in the side plate? Just a thought.

January 17, 2014, 03:04 PM	#7
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	The hand is held to the trigger by a pin set into a part of the hand that the rebound lever bears on to tension the hand. There is nothing to prevent the hand from moving outward except the sideplate. It might be possible to insert a flat shim into the slot in the sideplate where the hand works, but I think a bent, not worn, sideplate is more likely. Jim

January 17, 2014, 04:17 PM	#8
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	. If the sideplate's bent, IMO it'd be interesting to find out how it got so, w/o damage to the frame. BTW - to not guide the hand, the sideplate would needs be bent/bowed outward - and not inward, as from a blow. .

January 17, 2014, 10:41 PM	#9
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Those sideplates are often bent by someone trying to install the sideplate with the hand not properly in place. When the screws are tightened down, the sideplate bows outward at the thin part where it is milled away for the hand. Jim

January 18, 2014, 11:17 PM	#11
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Good luck. Jim

January 19, 2014, 03:51 PM	#12
salvadore Junior member Join Date: January 1, 2007 Location: Idaho Posts: 2,282	Golly thank bill, if it didn't say epoxy on the resin and hardener tubes, I wouldn't have known.

January 20, 2014, 07:58 PM	#13
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Seriously, some folks seem to think JB Weld is a kind of magic cure-all. One poster had a rifle with a cracked barrel due to having fired the gun with an obstruction in the barrel. He wanted to know if he could use JB Weld on it and keep shooting! Jim