lanternlad1
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Yep. No problem there. I've cleaned as best I can without taking it apart, I have yet to shoot it again tho. I really want a GOOOD cleaning done on it first.
Colt Cobra lockup - Help!
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lanternlad1
Member
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2007
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- 770
That must be it. When I try that, the hammer can only go back a little bit. Something must have stopped the latch from engaging 100% when I fire the gun. I was able to fire a round or two, then this would happen and the cylinder would lock up. So what is the underlying cause, and how do I fix it? Thanks.
Shot in the dark here... have you messed with the cylinder crane retention screw recently? The one on the right hand side of the gun that's just below the cylinder on the frame?
If mine is too tight, I have problems with the cylinder spinning and releasing.
If mine is too tight, I have problems with the cylinder spinning and releasing.
Hawk
Member
A long shot, but you've reminded me of something from a year ago with respect to crane cups, Colts and stuffs.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=292052
Note particularly the spiffy ASCII graphics in post #6.
My first Python only a year ago? Seems longer. Clearly, I should have derived a clue from the rocky first impression and dubious previous ownership. I still have a singular Python but it isn't that stainless thing.
That thread is one of the best illustrations yet of the Fuff / Dfariswheel diagnostics operating on THR - most impressive. And it's reminded me I have yet to rename the grandchild as promised. I'm trying to work off the debt by watching for rescue mission Colts on Fuff's behalf but it's not started well - thus far the only one was overpriced by 300.00 - a difficult thing for a 200.00 gun but I found it.
It’s not too difficult… he know what he’s doing….
It is always “iffy” to diagnose a problem when the gun isn’t available for inspection; so whatever advice you get is speculative at best.
I am convinced at the moment that the cylinder latch assembly is so gunked up that the little spring & plunger (which are probably also filled with gunk), sometimes fails to move the latch pin far enough forward so that it clears the safety lever (hammer block).
To complicate matters, I have no idea if there are local gunsmiths in your area that are QUALIFIED to work on older Colt revolvers, and picking the wrong one can result in a ruined gun.
The best that I can suggest at the moment is that you remove the stocks and cylinder assembly and then soak the frame/barrel in a mineral spirits bath to hopefully dissolve and flush out some of the goo and gunk. There are better cleaners them mineral spirits, but the spirits won’t damage nickel plate.
If you know enough to do this, and have a screwdriver that fits the crane lock screw (actually a cap) you might go forward. If not, I can write better instructions, but that will take time. Ultimately the innards are going to have to be disassembled and completely cleaned and lubricated.
If it makes you feel any better, it is not unusual to find older revolvers that have been in storage and nothing within them will hardly move.
Hawk
Member
And a big old double-secret, jumping up and down, emphatic plus one (+1) from me on that one.
I would further add that looking them straight in the eye and asking if they're qualified still may not do it. You'll get a straight answer but it may well be the wrong one. One can only assume that they actually believe themselves to be qualified but will be proven wrong, using my revolver as a vehicle for doing so.
Twice.
(with different 'smiths)
Shade00
Member
I had a problem with the cylinder latch being gunked up on my Police Positive Special. Before I got it the cylinder would not spin freely; what it needed was a little oil and a bit of cleaning. Now both work flawlessly.
As an aside, I got a little adventurous not long ago and decided to take the side plate off. It was pretty simple and came off fairly easily, allowing me to take a look at the cylinder latch and determine that it didn't need replacing. However, I did not attempt any further cleaning at the time.
As an aside, I got a little adventurous not long ago and decided to take the side plate off. It was pretty simple and came off fairly easily, allowing me to take a look at the cylinder latch and determine that it didn't need replacing. However, I did not attempt any further cleaning at the time.
Hawk, thanks for the link. I'll have to check my Cobra when I get home.
ETA: Thanks Hawk!!! Upon removing the screw/cap, I was presented with... nothing???
The spring was slightly bound up in the threads in the frame. Some gentle prodding with a screwdriver got it out.
Where the heck is the cone??? I look in the frame, nothing. I pull the crane out and shine a light in there, nothing. As I look at the cap, it appears it's two pieces. NO. Some lame brain installed the cone backwards into the cap.
Crane - spring - backwards cone > cap. WRONG WAY. Just the way Hawk's was.
Fixed it so the cone contacted the crane correctly. Now I can tighten it down without affecting the feel of the cylinder.
ETA: Thanks Hawk!!! Upon removing the screw/cap, I was presented with... nothing???
The spring was slightly bound up in the threads in the frame. Some gentle prodding with a screwdriver got it out.
Where the heck is the cone??? I look in the frame, nothing. I pull the crane out and shine a light in there, nothing. As I look at the cap, it appears it's two pieces. NO. Some lame brain installed the cone backwards into the cap.
Crane - spring - backwards cone > cap. WRONG WAY. Just the way Hawk's was.
Fixed it so the cone contacted the crane correctly. Now I can tighten it down without affecting the feel of the cylinder.
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Hawk
Member
I would've bet money mine was rare. Of all the ways a previous owner could assemble a crane retainer "spring, bass-ackward cone, cap" would strike me as being the least intuitive order, were one guessing at it.
But, it's very nice indeed to learn that I'm not the only one that stumbles across such quality of previous ownership in used Colts.
My comparitively better luck with older S&Ws probably traces directly to the fact that it's impossible to scramble the reassembly order of a monolithic screw.
It says something special that, given 3 parts in a crane retainer, one of which cannot be assembled incorrectly, a previous Colt owner could scramble the order of the remaining two parts while inverting the only part that's capable of being inverted.
Once upon a time Colt had a latch & screw assembly that couldn't be assembled backwards, but it was too costly so they replaced it with the present system.
Actually I must admit that I've gotten some super buys when someone mis-assembled something and paniced. Fortunately for me some owners aren't as bright as Hawk.
Actually I must admit that I've gotten some super buys when someone mis-assembled something and paniced. Fortunately for me some owners aren't as bright as Hawk.
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