Need info on old 45 Colt Please

[Reklobe]

Pathfinder, what about the cylinder doesn't look safe in your opinion? Trying to learn. Thanks!

[Pathfinder45]

Maybe it's just a trick of the light, but the close-up in your second photo the cylinder looks a little bulged around one of the locking notches. Or, perhaps it was excessively re-polished around those notches so that the reflection mimics the look of a bulge. Regardless, that cylinder is likely unsafe to use with modern smokeless powder. The metalurgy of the steel used in that cylinder is not nearly as strong as modern steel. When it was new it was good enough for black-powder. Just spend the money and have a new cylinder properly fitted to it and shoot with confidence. The barrel probably has a .454" groove diameter,so the cylinder throats and bullets need to be sized appropriately. I'll bet it has left-hand rifling, yes?

[James K]

Yes, the numbers on the frame, trigger guard and backstrap are the serial number and matching, so the gun appears to have the original major parts. At first the serial number was put on the back the cylinder as well, but later that was dropped. The loading gate was hand fitted before case hardening (it couldn't be filed afterwards) and the gate and frame numbered to be sure they got back together after finishing. Assembly numbers were used because the serial number was not assigned and put on until later in the manufacturing process.

My concerns with the cylinder are that 1) the stop notches are so rounded off that I am not sure they would reliably stop the cylinder and that could lead to firing out of alignment and 2) so much metal has been polished away that the cylinder walls may have been weakened. I can't be sure going only by pictures, but I would have the gun examined by a competent gunsmith before firing it, even with low power or black powder loads.

Jim

[Reklobe]

Thanks guys