Wedge Issue in "Shooting Times"

[Tommygunn]

I know there are experts here who could probably write a book on BP firearms, but in the recent issue (April 2012) issue of "Shooting Times" magazine there is an article about fitting a Colt barrel wedge in reproduction revolvers.
Some of you guys may find it interesting. Check out page 24.

 

[Fingers McGee]

Who wrote it?

I quit getting shooting times about 5 years ago cause it digresed into only articles about the latest semi-auto pistols.

 

[Tommygunn]

Reid Coffield wrote it. Atleast that's the name on the top of the page .... not where I'd expect to see it, but it's the only name mentioned.

 

[Fingers McGee]

Thanks. Never heard of him. Guess I'll have to visit the news stand.

 

[Old No7]

IMHO, Reid C knows his stuff.

I've not seen that article yet, but I've read some of his past efforts; his article on making a 22 LR Garand from a Ruger 10/22 was really well done. (My twin plans to start that conversion soon.)

Tight groups.

Old No7

 

[denster]

Not a bad write up. The author gets it mostly correct with noting how the cylinder pin need to bottom out in it's hole under the barrel and how to check for it as well as noting that the spring is only for preventing lose of the wedge and catching on the head of the wedge screw and that only finger pressure needs to be used to seat the wedge or release it. Absent were the incorrect statements that the wedge is used to adjust barrel/cylinder gap.
I doubt that the author has ever actually preformed the task as he fails to note the importance of matching the taper of the wedge to the taper in the end of the cylinder pin and he recommends that a replacement wedge be fit by stoning the edges. Since most replacement wedges will be several thousandths oversize they should be file fit and only stoned to do the final fitting and smoothing.
Overall though not a bad article.