I've had occasion to mention the frame blank spacer used when removing the Colt Series 80 levers...and the flanging that sometimes develops around the holes...and that it can interfere with sear reset.
Yesterday, I had occasion to see what can happen firsthand on one of mine.
I recently replaced the spacers in all my beaters, since they'd gotten pretty badly catty-wampussed over time and repeated filing to dress the flanges. The new parts had been in place for about a thousand rounds per pistol, and was only about to the halfway point for a detail-strip/cleaning/dressing.
I'd fired about 12 or 15 magazines in this particular gun...and when its turn came, I picked it up off the table, slapped a magazine in, and chambered the first round with an overhand slingshot...and the gun fired when it went to battery. Luckily, I'd only loaded one round into the mag because I intended to fire 8 rounds...or I'd probably have had a full-auto event right there.
The problem was that the flange had kept the sear from resetting correctly, and it barely had the hammer hooks. When the slide went home, it jarred off, and because it didn't reset and catch the half-cock...BANG! Had it gone full-auto, it probably would have moved up and back in an arc and shot my arm off about midway between elbow and wrist, because my arm was still above the slide when it fired.
Ladies and laddies...If you use one of these blanks to replace the levers in a Series 80 pistol...keep a close eye on it, and dress any flanging around the holes...no matter how small. I'd advise a teardown and inspection at 500 rounds on a new part...and less frequently as the holes wallow out and enlarge...but no more than every thousand rounds. I've been dressing the flanges at my usual 2,000-round detail strip and cleaning...but you can bet that I won't let it go that long again.
The spacers were never intended to permanently replace the levers in the Colts. They're too soft and too easily deformed. They were originally designed for triggersmiths who wanted to save time when working on Series 80 equipped pistols.
Yesterday, I had occasion to see what can happen firsthand on one of mine.
I recently replaced the spacers in all my beaters, since they'd gotten pretty badly catty-wampussed over time and repeated filing to dress the flanges. The new parts had been in place for about a thousand rounds per pistol, and was only about to the halfway point for a detail-strip/cleaning/dressing.
I'd fired about 12 or 15 magazines in this particular gun...and when its turn came, I picked it up off the table, slapped a magazine in, and chambered the first round with an overhand slingshot...and the gun fired when it went to battery. Luckily, I'd only loaded one round into the mag because I intended to fire 8 rounds...or I'd probably have had a full-auto event right there.
The problem was that the flange had kept the sear from resetting correctly, and it barely had the hammer hooks. When the slide went home, it jarred off, and because it didn't reset and catch the half-cock...BANG! Had it gone full-auto, it probably would have moved up and back in an arc and shot my arm off about midway between elbow and wrist, because my arm was still above the slide when it fired.
Ladies and laddies...If you use one of these blanks to replace the levers in a Series 80 pistol...keep a close eye on it, and dress any flanging around the holes...no matter how small. I'd advise a teardown and inspection at 500 rounds on a new part...and less frequently as the holes wallow out and enlarge...but no more than every thousand rounds. I've been dressing the flanges at my usual 2,000-round detail strip and cleaning...but you can bet that I won't let it go that long again.
The spacers were never intended to permanently replace the levers in the Colts. They're too soft and too easily deformed. They were originally designed for triggersmiths who wanted to save time when working on Series 80 equipped pistols.