Nickel plated Pietta 1851 Navy - timing issues

[Flinch Morningwood]

I had a 1851 Navy conversion nickel plated a while ago.  The nickel plating was done by Mahovsky's Metalife in Pennsylvania.

This is one of two I did the conversion on with the C&R conversion kit many years ago.  I remember getting the hand timed to the new conversion setup was a pain...lol.

I can't tell if the nickle added enough thickness on the parts to throw off the timing...or they just got "adjusted" during the process.  I have bought a few spare hands in case I need to dial them in to fit.  The one in it currently is pretty chewed up due to my efforts to cycle it.

The pistol won't come to full cock or let the cylinder spin when it is bound up. Only solution is taking the pistol apart.

The other, un-nickel plated pistol works fine.

Any one have any ideas or run into this before?

Thanks in advance!

[Coffinmaker]

From your description, you have more than just a timing issue.  It sounds like the hand is trying to turn the cylinder before the bolt unlocked  and the bolt is rising before cylinder rotation is complete and the trigger may be too long.  I'm not familiar with a C&R conversion, but we're I still working on CAS guns (I'm retired now), and yours in particular, I'd be inclined to take the screws out of it, shake it over the trash can and start over with ALL new parts to the lockworks.  
Regardless of who did the Nickel, the plating adds a few 10 thou and can alter the entire function.
Good Luck

Coffinmaker

PS:  Forgot, also a very good chance the cylinder is binding against the barrel.

[pony express]

Maybe the extra thickness from the plating could cause the bolt to stick in the locked position??