Cam Adjustment on 1873 SAA?

[treebeard]

Going thru the checks on my new Uberti 1873 SAA clone got me to looking at several of the YouTube videos and in those
cases where the bolt was dropping too soon and creating the infamous ring on the cylinder they were filing on the hammer
cam. a number of years ago I had a actual Colt 1873 with this problem and from a source I do not now remember It
was said that the width of the two arms on the bolt could be adjusted to engage the cam and drop it at the proper time.
I tried it and it worked.
My question is this a proper procedure? Was I just lucky?

[Pettifogger]

You have asked two entirely different questions.  The cam in a Uberti is cast as part of the hammer.  There is really nothing to adjust except, perhaps. the height of the cam.  Changing the cam height certainly will not cure a bolt that is dropping to soon.  The second question is about adjusting the legs on the bolt.  Doing that can in some cases affect the timing.  If the legs are to close together and there is no tension pushing the leg that rides on the cam towards the cam that can cause some timing problems.  Spreading the legs will put more tension on the leg riding on the cam and tend to keep it on the cam for a longer period of time.  Were you just lucky?  Probably.

[45 Dragoon]

Be careful what you watch on YouTube.
The bolt arm should fall off the front of the cam and not the side of the cam (as one guy espouses in YouTube vids.) Sliding off the side will only get worse for the cam, bolt arm or both.

The Jerry Kuhnhausen book (The Colt Single Action Revolvers a shop manual Vols 1&2). explains it very well.

Pettifogger is right about the Italian offerings having an integral cam. They can be removed and the hammer drilled for a conventional cam if needed. It's best not to "adjust" the cam except for the height. I adjust that on all my customers revolvers.

Lots can be done to restore a "too soon " bolt drop  if it's not too early and you understand the procedure.

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
Follow me on Instagram @ goonsgunworks

[Coffinmaker]

Actually, you had three different questions.  In response to your LAST question.

YOU JUST GOT REALLY LUCKY.

Coffinmaker

PS:  If your going to go finger poking and attacking things with sharp tools without ADULT supervision ........... you really NEED to get
A BOOK!!

[Gabriel Law]

Youyr diagnosis was tack on.  I spread the legs of the bolt spring, re-hardened and tempered them, and now my timing is perfect.   The bolt stays with the hammer just that extra tad longer so that it snaps up right in the cylinder leads.