Timing

[Noz]

 I mess with my guns continously.
I see that on both of my 58s, during the cocking cycle, the hammer begins to come back, the cylinder rotates, the bolt rises against the side of the cylinder, the trigger sets. Only if the hammer continues to come back after the trigger has set does the cylinder turn far enough for the bolt to drop into its slot on the cylinder and thus be properly aligned with the barrel.  It is possible to fire the guns without the bolt being locked in the cylinder slot. I have burrs on the dividers between the caps that would indicate that the hammer has indeed fallen with the cylinder out of time.
Is this a normal situation or does this call for a longer hand? Both hands are exactly the same configuration as far as length and nose profile.

[hellgate]

I have (under the guidance of a gunsmith) shortened the left wing (or is it arm?) of the bolt in order to cause the bolt to come up sooner  to eliminate over travel. I suspect your hand needs to be a little longer to further rotate the cylinder or else you need to just reef the hammer all the way back each time. It sounds functional. But I am not a gunsmith and like you, I mess with my guns too. Sometimes I get into a mess. Getting all those parts to articulate like a ballet movement takes an artist. Right now I'm still using crayons.

[Noz]

Talked to a gunsmith that specializes in making blackpowder guns. He say that the timing I described is exactly like the originals. The hammer MUST be pulled back to the stop for the guns to work properly. Timing can be adjusted to the point where the bolt drops into the cylinder slot just as the trigger sets.  BUT because of the softer steel used in the old guns and the reproductions is more prone to wear, the gun would be continously wearing itself out of time. He said leave it alone.

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