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Old August 9, 2009, 01:00 PM   #1
Doc Hoy
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Doc's Duffer's Range Report

I know that volumes have been written on the load for an ROA, but I have found that mine seems to like about 30 gr. when I am shooting GOEX. Up until this morning I had been restricting my charge to 23 to 25 gr. I really can't tell you what prompted me to increase the powder charge. But at least today, 30 grains was working pretty good.

I brought along two 1860 Army Colts which I was shooting for the first time. Got both of them on Gunbroker. A polished steel (I don't say stainless steel anymore. I don't want to start any heated conversations on the board about magnetic, nonmagnetic and so forth.) with steel frame from Armi San Paolo was first. It shot pretty well, but one of the nipples is noticably shorter than the rest. Can't depend on ignition in that chamber. I brought it home with powder and ball still in the chamber. I'll try clearing it through the muzzle a little later on. Give the neighbors something to talk about.

No accuracy data on that pistol apart from the fact that I think I can get everything within six to eight inches at 25 yards.

The other 1860 is a brass frame with a real wide cylinder gap. Credit card trick has no meaning on this pistol. You could fit you entire billfold between the cylinder and the barrel. It is an Armi San Marco. I have two Remington clones from ASM and their fit is pretty good. The wedge does not go through the barrel either. It is almost as though the barrel has been replaced.

My thought is to carefully take about eight thousandths off of the back of the barrel where the barrel mates to the frame. I have a milling machine and I think I can do it without messing it up. Any thoughts on this process would be greatly appreciated.

As it is the pistol seems to shoot about four to six inches high at 25 yards. That is very preliminary since I did not shoot it much today. The powder flash blew out between barrel and cylinder so bad that I started a grass fire next to my shooting table. ( No it didn't..That was just a joke.)

I have a new place to shoot about an hour from my house. It is on Knott's Island which is extreme northeast North Carolina. I post some photos next time I go.
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Old August 9, 2009, 01:35 PM   #2
Hawg
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With bp you want a .006-.008 cylinder gap and .012 isn't going to hurt anything. Almost all Colt clones are going to shoot high as they're pretty close copies of originals which were sighted in at 75 yds. A Colt wedge on a new gun should just barely be flush. The lip on the spring should not protrude unless the gun has a lot of wear on it.
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Old August 9, 2009, 05:06 PM   #3
Doc Hoy
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Some more information

Hawg,

The gap on this pistol is .018.

I turned the barrel 90 degrees to see if the arbor was holding the gap open. I had to do a little cleaning up to get the barrel to go on all the way when turned 90 degrees but once I got it to seat, it went onto the arebor well past where it needs to be for a good tight gap. So I don't think the arbor is the culprit.

I am back to the barrel to frame joint. Have you ever needed to shave any metal off of the bottom surface of the barrel on a pistol to close up the gap?

I am fairly certain that I can do this and get it square with a milling machine. I would not try any other method that did not involve machine precision.

I think this gap will not get better from shooting the pistol.
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Old August 9, 2009, 05:45 PM   #4
mykeal
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I presume the barrel-to-frame joint is tight so you know that it's not the locating pins being too long that's the cause of the problem.

Just be absolutely sure that you remove the material flat across the face and don't introduce any tilt.
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Old August 9, 2009, 06:18 PM   #5
Doc Hoy
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Nice and tight

Mykeal,

Yes, the mating of the surfaces is tight. (Pins do not appear to be too long or holes to shallow.)

Before I begin I will be absolutely certain that the present face angle is maintained. I don't want the angle of the barrel to change and I don't want the mating of the surfaces to look bad.
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Old August 9, 2009, 08:48 PM   #6
mykeal
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The surfaces won't look bad. There is enough play in the arbor that the surfaces will mate flush, but the forcing cone will be at an angle to the chambers. It's not repairable (well, not without shimming anyway) and will ruin the barrel assembly. Accuracy will go to hell in a handbasket.
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