Uberti El Patron hammer not seating properly

[half-hitch]

I purchased another Uberti El Patron last weekend as a used but never fired gun.  I don't know how I didn't notice but the hammer doesn't seat all the way down.  There's a gap like it's cocked to the first position (safe position) and when I pull the hammer back, there are only 3 distinct clicks and not the typical 4.

Anyone have any ideas?

[Abilene]

I hesitate to suggest as it is so obvious, but since you didn't mention it, the cylinder pin isn't pushed in the the "safe" position, is it?

[Coffinmaker]

That would also have been my first question.  Check the Cylinder Base Pin and insure it isn't pushed in to "Safe" position.  If your handy with tools, I also suggest, take the base pin out, put it in a padded vise, and remove the last 3/32nds and polish the end.  then you always seat the base pin all the way in.

Coffinmaker

[half-hitch]

LOL....   Sorry guys.  The village idiot here.  

I did get it figured out last night.  I didn't realize it had a safe position notch in the cylinder pin and I had noticed it was sticking out a bit so I just pushed it in further.  The confusing part is that my other El Patron with a 4.75 inch barrel has the pin pushed in what looks like as far as it will go and the hammer works fine on it.  Maybe it's already been shortened but the guy who owned both guns had never fired either one.

Thanks guys for taking the time to respond and for the suggestion on shortening the pin, Coffinmaker.

[olered]

Yep shorten that base pin. One of the first things on my to do list with a new revolver besides getting rid of that awful finish found on most factory grips. OOPS! El Patron grips have a rather nice finish on them.

[Coffinmaker]

Half Hitch,

Don't feel too bad.  At least you didn't send your significant other out to shoot a stage with both base pins pushed all the way in 

Next thing I did was cut the base pins down and dress the ends.  I haven't owned an imported SA since, nor completed a customers SA, before I cut and dressed the base pin FIRST.

By the way, the only reason for the two position base pin is to pass the "Drop Test" for import.  Gun has to survive being dropped on it's hammer from a ridiculous height, without discharging.  Stupid.

Coffinmaker

[half-hitch]

How did you shorten the pin?  Cut-off saw?  Bench grinder?  Lathe?  The only thing I have here is a bench grinder or a hand grinder with a cut off blade.  I could also give it to my brother or nephew and have them do it at work.

[Bibbyman]

Mary and I have 4 Cattleman with the "gotcha" base pins.  One time a the base pin on one of Mary's got pushed all the way in on safe by a friend that runs Rugers.  I had an incident where the pin wasn't in far enough and jumped forwarded enough to bind up the cylinder. No more!  I made pins for each that only have one notch and it's on cut so the latch can make full contact.   The big brass knob helps with pulling the pin and makes it obvious that it's in all the way.

[Pettifogger]

How did you shorten the pin?  Cut-off saw?  Bench grinder?  Lathe?  The only thing I have here is a bench grinder or a hand grinder with a cut off blade.  I could also give it to my brother or nephew and have them do it at work.

It's not rocket science and it doesn't make any difference if the end isn't all that pretty when you are done.  A bench grinder and a pot of water (to cool it so you don't burn your hands) is all you need.  If you have a Dremel with a cutoff wheel you can use that for the intial cut and the grinder to finish the job.  All you want is to shorten it so that when fully seated it doesn't stick out past the back of the frame so the hammer cannot contact it.

[Abilene]

Half-Hitch.
I have used a bench grinder.  Chuck the cylinder pin into a drill and spin it as you hold the base up to the spinning grinder.  This will make for a fairly smooth profile.  Measure often.  I shortened mine just over 1/8". Then I just held sandpaper against the newly rounded end (rough paper first, then smaller grit) with my fingers while spinning the drill to smooth it up.

[Coffinmaker]

Tag!!!  MY TURN!! 

First things first, I get a god swallow of Coffee.  Very important step.  Then I stick the pin in  a padded fixture I have and cut it off with ye olde Hacksaw.  Then I dress the end with a file.  Then I chuck it up inna drill motor and and use a very fine cut file to put a tiny bevel on the end.  Then I wrap the end with a small piece of 800 Wet/Dry and polish the end.  After taking the pin out of the drill motor, I get another really good swallow of Coffee while I admire my work 

Coffinmaker

[Broomhandle]

Years ago when prices were way lower, I would pick up a few Colt base pins at gun shows. They fit my EMF Hartfords with just a bit of polishing with crocus cloth.

[half-hitch]

Sounds simple enough except for the swallow of coffee.  i have to start with at least a pot before I can move forward.   

I get the 'not rocket science' part of it.  15 years ago I would have stuck it in a collet on a toolroom lathe, faced it to length, put a nice little .030 radius on it with a file, hit the end of it with some 400 paper and be done in a minute or 2 but, having graduated to a cheap hacksaw and bench grinder, I was just curious who was doing what and what seemed to work best.  I don't want to work too hard on this little project for fear of breaking a sweat. 

The crocus cloth is a nice touch.  I used to cut a lot of 17-4ph stainless doing defense work and I could get an 8 finish on the parts polishing them with crocus. 

Thanks to all of you for your advice. 

[Coffinmaker]

Now just hold on there a minute Bub.  Just for the record,  I'm not coherent before I empty my coffee pot.  That big swallow of coffee is just to keep the caffeine level stable.  I let my caffeine level drop much and my productivity drops to ZERO 

My "Caffeine Low Light" starts to glimmer, don't expect intellegent conversation ..... let alone meaningful accomplishment 

Coffinmaker

[half-hitch]

I can tell when my caffeine levels drop dangerously low by the fact that my brown eyes turn blue......   ahhhhh, wait.  That's being full of something else.  At any rate, there's nothin' finer in the morning than a good pot of mud, eh Coffinmaker?   

[Thumb Buster]

Shoot half-hitch, I'd be lost without at least a pot of coffee.  What gets me is when I go to my son's house and all they have is green tea.  Namaste!  Go to my brother-in-law and he has one of those fancy things that costs a couple of hundred bucks and only makes one cup at a time.  On top of that all they keep on hand is fancy yuppie stuff.  "Coffee!  Black!"  Met a couple of war buddies up at that fancy store where a cup of coffee costs an arm and a leg, ordered 'just plain ol' coffee' and they looked at me like I blasphemed.  They also have a sign on the door saying something about 'No Guns'.  Ain't been back...sit at home with my own pot.

As to those silly cylinder pins...shortened all of mine almost right out of the box.  Durn foolishness to have to meet a drop test!

[half-hitch]

Shoot half-hitch, I'd be lost without at least a pot of coffee.  What gets me is when I go to my son's house and all they have is green tea.  Namaste!  Go to my brother-in-law and he has one of those fancy things that costs a couple of hundred bucks and only makes one cup at a time.  On top of that all they keep on hand is fancy yuppie stuff.  "Coffee!  Black!"  Met a couple of war buddies up at that fancy store where a cup of coffee costs an arm and a leg, ordered 'just plain ol' coffee' and they looked at me like I blasphemed.  They also have a sign on the door saying something about 'No Guns'.  Ain't been back...sit at home with my own pot.

As to those silly cylinder pins...shortened all of mine almost right out of the box.  Durn foolishness to have to meet a drop test!

I don't think there's any better coffee than what we can brew ourselves. I still drink the same brand that my parents and grandparents drank when I was a kid and still make it in an electric percolator.  I still have my old camp stove pot too but haven't used it in a while.

I do have a Kuerig (I guess that's what you're talking about) but I don't use it often and, when I do, it's usually because I was too lazy to go to the store to buy coffee when I know I'm almost out.

I haven't decided whether I want to shorten the pins or not.  I don't shoot competitions (yet) and as long as I know what the deal is now, I guess it won't be a problem.

[Gus Walker]

   I am right there with ya on the perculator. Drip coffee just dont get it.