The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - My 1860 Colt Repro Is Developing A Problem?

ARENAMAN · April 3, 2009, 09:55 PM

I've begun having a problem with my 1860 COLT REVOLVER REPRO. It started with one cylinder, but today four out of six of the cylinders failed to fire. The cap didn't fire each time. I have noticed that it seems that the cylinder has begun to have room to move a little between the frame and the barrel assembly. It slides back and forth along the arbor a very small fraction of a millimeter. I think this is the problem that is causing the caps not to ignite when the hammer falls. The cylinder has moved forward from its right place against the frame enough to keep the hammer from hitting the cap firmly. I was really having a problem with that one cylinder that was the first to begin misfiring. I finally had to get a small piece of wood and place it in from of the bottom part of the cylinder and then use the loading arm and piston to press against the wood and the cylinder which firmly pressed the cylinder back against the frame. I pressed against a tree in order to put a little pressure on the end of the loading arm so that my hand would not be forward of the cylinder as I pulled the trigger. When I used this method to hold the cylinder back against the frame the stubborn cylinder fired the first time, and with the same cap I had been trying to cause to fire before.

Does anyone know why the cylinder is now a little loose in the frame? I have checked the wedge and it seems to be all the way in and it seems to be tightly in place. I even tried to tap it in a little more and this didn't help. The place at the bottom where the barrel assembly and the frame meet is well seated together. Is there a small shim or spacer that I may have lost in the last cleaning? Any advise would be appreciated.

I also had something else interesting happen today. An older gentleman and friend of mine gave to me an old can of FFG Holy Black, and I tried it out today. My friend told me that this powder was pretty old and might not fire very well. When I tried it today it barely made a pop in my gun and lobed a little fire ball out the end of the barrel. I think the fireball was my lube pill burning. I thought I had read that black powder didn't get old. Maybe not. I don’t think it was damp. My friend said he had stored it inside, and so did I.

April 3, 2009, 09:55 PM	#1
ARENAMAN Junior Member Join Date: February 10, 2009 Location: TEXAS Posts: 6	My 1860 Colt Repro Is Developing A Problem? I've begun having a problem with my 1860 COLT REVOLVER REPRO. It started with one cylinder, but today four out of six of the cylinders failed to fire. The cap didn't fire each time. I have noticed that it seems that the cylinder has begun to have room to move a little between the frame and the barrel assembly. It slides back and forth along the arbor a very small fraction of a millimeter. I think this is the problem that is causing the caps not to ignite when the hammer falls. The cylinder has moved forward from its right place against the frame enough to keep the hammer from hitting the cap firmly. I was really having a problem with that one cylinder that was the first to begin misfiring. I finally had to get a small piece of wood and place it in from of the bottom part of the cylinder and then use the loading arm and piston to press against the wood and the cylinder which firmly pressed the cylinder back against the frame. I pressed against a tree in order to put a little pressure on the end of the loading arm so that my hand would not be forward of the cylinder as I pulled the trigger. When I used this method to hold the cylinder back against the frame the stubborn cylinder fired the first time, and with the same cap I had been trying to cause to fire before. Does anyone know why the cylinder is now a little loose in the frame? I have checked the wedge and it seems to be all the way in and it seems to be tightly in place. I even tried to tap it in a little more and this didn't help. The place at the bottom where the barrel assembly and the frame meet is well seated together. Is there a small shim or spacer that I may have lost in the last cleaning? Any advise would be appreciated. I also had something else interesting happen today. An older gentleman and friend of mine gave to me an old can of FFG Holy Black, and I tried it out today. My friend told me that this powder was pretty old and might not fire very well. When I tried it today it barely made a pop in my gun and lobed a little fire ball out the end of the barrel. I think the fireball was my lube pill burning. I thought I had read that black powder didn't get old. Maybe not. I don’t think it was damp. My friend said he had stored it inside, and so did I.