Recently acquired a new steel-framed Pietta 1851 Colt Navy reproduction in .36 caliber from Cabelas.

Nice looking gun but has a small problem. The hammer requires more force to get it cocked on ONE chamber only. It is the same chamber every time. It will stay cocked, but the hammer has to be pulled to the rear with a bit more effort than the other chambers, otherwise it wants to slip to the half-cocked position.

The locking recesses on the cylinder are clean and free of burrs. I've disassembled the gun and checked for burrs internally - none found. Lubed it up on reassembly.

What I suspect is that the ratchet milled into the back of the cylinder is slightly out of spec for the one chamber. There are tool marks on the ratchet, it is not particularly smooth. I'm guessing that the revolver hand has advanced the cylinder, the cylinder bolt has locked, but the distance from the hand to the ratchet is too short for this one cylinder position. The additional cocking force is basically flexing the hand before the hammer can be pulled far enough back for the sear to engage.

I'm thinking of carefully stoning the ratchet cutout the hand bears against to increase clearance. Or should I shorten the hand and hope that I'll get the clearance I need without messing up the timing for the other 5 chambers?



Thanks for any insights!

I wouldn't shorten the hand.

I hear that.

My inclination is to always file on the cheapest, most easily replaced part, but I think if I shorten the hand I'm courting trouble on the other 5 chambers.

Yes, you will foul up the timing of the whole revolver, and just end up having to fit a new hand to make it right again.

Here's some links to tuning Pietta revolvers. I fit the bolt to the locking notches on my pair of Pietta 1860 Army revolvers.

http://www.theopenrange.net/articles/Tuning_the_Pietta_Part_One.pdf
http://www.theopenrange.net/articles/Tuning_the_Pietta_Part_Two.pdf

If you don't feel like DIY check Goons Gunworks. He's the current BP guru gunsmith who I understand does great work.
For $165 he'll turn that gun into a real nice shooter.

http://www.goonsgunworks.com/services/