Open Top wear and tear

[Mule Liquor Jones]

Hi All,

I have a new Cimarron 1872 Open Top in .44 Colt. I was curious about other shooters experiences regarding wear and tear of these style shoot'in irons. Specifically:

- The screw that secures the ejector rod assignably shoots lose and I find I'm frequently tightening it during shooting.

- The blueing on the front of the cylinder where the cylinder aligns with the barrel has been blasted off. Is this typical? I shot about 500 rounds through it so far. I'm careful to ensure a proper gap between the cylinder and barrel so the blueing is not being mechanically rubbed off.

- What about lubricating the internal clockwork? What do folks use on their open tops? I had some synthetic grease I was thinking of using.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

Regards.

-Jonesie

[River City John]

Colt frames all seem to shoot loose a bit. I finally took to putting a dab of the blue Lock-tite on the threads of all the screws. (I'm sure it's the blue that is the non-permanent hold, and the red is the permanent.)

The face of the cylinder will discolor with use, that's just the nature of it. Happened on the originals, too.

Every third cleaning or so I put a minute drop of oil on either side of the trigger base while holding the revolver upside down. (The revolver is held upside down - I do not do gymnastics. ) I then work the action 4-5 times while it is inverted to get it worked into interior surfaces. I don't grease up the interiors, as it will just make a paste with the fouling and dust that do get in that will gum up the works. Then you'll have to disassemble to clean it out.
I also put a single drop on either side of the hammer at the base and then work the action again.

Worse wear for me is holster wear on those little nubbins of the rear barrel sight, and the forward edge of the ejector housing. Not too concerned with honest wear, but I do hit the rear sight with a little cold blue every once in awhile.

For what it's worth, I shoot black and use a lot of moose milk (Ballistol and water.) that probably gets into the interior a bit and helps to clean them out and leave behind a little metal protection.

RCJ

[Stillwater]

Blue locktite is the least permanent, of the two locktites.

I use blue locktite on the screws of my firearms too...

Bill

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[Coffinmaker]

The Open Tops are fine guns, but they do require a little tweeking to play this game reliably.  For lubrication, you should coat the arbor shaft with white lithium grease and then install the cylinder.  The hole in the barrel for the arbor shaft is drilled too deep and barrel/cylinder gap as well as end shake will change every time you re-assemble the gun.  That should be fixed.  There are several methods, some expensive if your not a machinist one is fairly cheap.  Stop my your local hardware store and pick up a package of 5mm split washers.  Drop one down the hole, carefully re-assemble and install the wedge tight.  insure your head space is correct and end shake is correct.

Coffinmaker

[Coffinmaker]

Forgot, put a little BLUE Loctight on the ejector housing screw.

Me again

[Major 2]

As to wear .....I have a Colt 2nd Gen. 1860 Army , I bought it NIB in 1978.

I've used it over 32 years probably 20 weekends a year ,some maybe more.
It now boasts an R&D Drop-in ( truth is, lockup tighter with the R&D Cyl over the OEM , but then it was tuned to it )
The only issue, has been 2 broken bolt/trigger springs...First one about 1year after I bought the gun, the second around 1998 or so.
# one was replaced with modified Real Colt 73 part , the second with a Uberti part from VTI.

I've used Bore Butter or Anti Seize Grease on the arbor with no real preference , the wedge is original and I blam away with 45 Colt Black Dawg or 45 Schofield.....

Not much blue left on it having turned brownish or worn bright

[Montana Slim]

I've had mine for 5-7 years (don't rightly recall)..Not hard use, but 200-300 rounds each per year..no issues yet. I check the screws a couple times per year...or when the gun feels like it's shootin' loose (its the screws to the grip gettign loose). Bore-butter on the arbor pin & they're good to go for a lot of shooting. (I only use genuine BP). A drop or two of lube to the insides every now'n then is all they need.

Rather than using locktite, I'd rather snuggly cinch the screws using a well fitting, hollow ground, driver. ..I'm careful not to over-torque.

Similar experience to Major 2 with my various Pietta, ASM & Uberti C&B's (mostly 1860s).....30+ years of use & very few issues..simple parts replacements & minor tuning.

Regards,
Slim

[Major 2]

My new favored innards juice is Gibbs Lube....But I've used EVOO and Remington Gun & Reel oil too.
I have 7 open style Colts ranging from the 3 -1860's,  2- Type 1 Richards, 2-  51 Navy's (1 is a R&M conversion )

....they are my only CAS revolvers 

[Crow Choker]

I've had one for several years(a Cimarron) chambered in 44 Special. Shoot smokeless 44 Spec loads keeping them in the low 800 fps loadings and shoot blackpowder in 44 Colt loads using around 25 grains of FF and FFF. Had been using 200 grain Lee SWC, but have recently switched to Mav-Dutch 44. Never had any problems, except when new was getting some dragging on face of rims due to small burr, a good stoning took care of that. Like all my cap an balls, I check screws from time to time. Whatever ya shoot or reload, just remember your not shootin a Ruger, Colt, or any other revolver designed to take high pressure rounds. Be nice to it and it should last ya many rounds and enjoyment.

[buckskin billy]

have any of yall open top shooters experenced  sharp firing pins that are too long and will pierce the primers. if so what was your remedy for this

[Stillwater]

have any of yall open top shooters experenced  sharp firing pins that are too long and will pierce the primers. if so what was your remedy for this

Use a hard Arkansas stone a carefully remove the sharpness...

Bill

[Badlands Beady]

have any of yall open top shooters experenced  sharp firing pins that are too long and will pierce the primers. if so what was your remedy for this

If you buy a new (~2 years old or less) OT, chances are excellent that you'll get a new, improved firing pin with it, so no worries.  Got this from a Cimarron roadie at a spring SASS shoot this year.  If you do get a bad one, check out Happy Trails' web site for a replacement; I bought one just in case, but haven't needed it.

[Major 2]

"..... Whatever ya shoot or reload, just remember your not shootin a Ruger, Colt, or any other revolver designed to take high pressure rounds. Be nice to it and it should last ya many rounds and enjoyment."

Concerning SAA's style's
Lets for the sake of "I'm just saying"

Unless your shooting an.. Old, Blackhawk or Freedom Arms....
HOT loads are too much !

COLT SAA , New Model Vaquero , USFA SAA....You will hasten them to destruction in short order, they were not designed for hot loads....

[Grizzly Adams]

I have a pair of 72 OTs in 38 spl.  They are both very early production pistols, and I have shot the heckl out of them for at least 10 years.  They where my only competition pistols.   I have completely rebuilt both twice, including new firing pins, replacing the junk handsprings with a Ruger style plunger and spring, rebuilding hammers, and bushing the firing pin hole in the frame.  They need another rebuild, but I suspect they are finally worn out and should be retired!

72s  are good pistols, and better than you might think!  That said, I think chambering this design in anything larger than a 44 is insane!

[buckskin billy]

i had to re-bushing the firing pin hole on one of my open tops after only 30 rounds. mine are 44 colts and i load 25 grains 0f 3f goex with a 200 grain rnfn bullet cast from a lee mould. along with having the arbor retighten as well.  the gun was on back order for 3 months broke after a hour of shooting, argued with cimarron for a week about getting it replaced which they wouldn't. sent it to some gun smith that they highly recommended who by the way is gone out of business and it took 2 months to get it back and it was covered in rust.

 on the other hand my 2nd open top other than having razor sharp firing pin that is way too long, has been a ok gun.


forgot to mention the first gun has a pin hole in the recoil shield which is was told it was a gas vent.  


i love this style of gun, i only wish some american company (or gunsmith) would build some that are american made, as they should be. there is a obvious market for these. hint hint

[Flint]

An earlier question about blasting off the bluing on the cylinder face at the barrel gap.  This will happen on any revolver, not just opentops.   It is more noticable on smokeless guns as the heat is higher and the gas velocity as well.  BP shooting doesn't blow off as much finish.

 Stainless guns get black circles around the chamber face, which can, if you are fastidious, be polished off, but a blue gun cannot be cleaned that way without removing the blue from the whole face....