Duration of '51 and '61 timing

[law dawg]

I read that the navies go out of time every 1200 rounds or so has anyone had problems with that?  I planned on getting a pair of '61 navies and installing the Kirst or R&D cylinder and cutting the loading port then having them finished in brushed chrome.  If the revolvers can't stary in time for any length it would be too expensive an operation to undergo.  So for now I have one Gaucho I just don't feel the love for that model as much as for the navy.

[law dawg]

I read that on this site.  There's an article on main street about getting started and it had something about their timing issues.  I'll have to reread the article to make sure I got the round count right.

[law dawg]

Well it figured I had the round count wrong it's 2500 rounds then it's off to the gunsmith.

[Fox Creek Kid]

That is just so much baloney.  I've got cap 'n balls that I've fired for YEARS & they have NEVER gome out of time. I've lost one bolt spring & one hand spring in my lifetime on cap 'n balls but that's just the nature of the beast. The ONLY revolvers (CAS) I've seen out of time were those who were used by "gamers" who use two hands and cock furiously with their left hand thumb & these were cartridge guns. These guns were simply not made to take that. It's like putting a Yugo in the Indy 500. Law Dawg, whoever told you that is full of it. 

[44caliberkid]

I've always shot cap n ball.  The GAF Muster last year was the only match I've ever shot with cartridge.  I have many Italian C&B revolvers and not one has ever been out of time.  I do get the cylinder ring on some, but it has never affected performance.  One thing I have noticed, people who have never fired more than one cylinder full thru a C&B gun, seem to have a lot of opinions about them and what thier problems are.
   One of my main match guns is even a brass framed '51, that are supposed to "shoot loose".  Many hundreds of rounds thru it with no problem, and I'm not even the original owner.  'Course it is a .36, but even the 44's won't have trouble if your shooting a mild load, like 18 -20 grains.

[Montana Slim]

I've only been shooting / tinkering with C&B revolvers for ~ 30 years.
I've definitely had to re-time several of my "Colt-type" Italian clones.....and I only shoot them one-handed. In the process of keeping them in action, I've replaced numerous: bolt/trigger springs, cams, hands, and or hand/springs and a few hammers. A couple of my pistols experienced problems around the 1500 round count you mention (estimated, I don't keep a rounds-count log  ). Generally, my repairs to timing last a long time. Course, I've screwed a few repairs up over the years, too....that's how I've learned....Weren't any books, guides or internet when I got into this stuff. Sometimes I re-work the new parts before installing, including heat-treat or surface harden.

Other long-term problems I've encounterd include:
- Frame battering. On my first Colt C&B, brass-framed .44. (bought before I had a driver's license).
  resulted in excessive end-shake, hand / timing problems. Will fix (if possible) when time permits.
- Cylinder battering. replaced cylinder.
- Hammer peened. replaced.
- Nipple flash holes enlarged. Guess they just burned out. replaced.
- peening (elongation) at the wedge (barrel key). required lots-o-rework.

Now, I am a bit particular about the timing and when the bolt statrts to rise too early, I take corrective action. Who made the pistol & when seems to have some influence on the quality, but I've seen problems with Uberti as well as Pietta right out of the box. Sometimes the quality of materials isn't as good (soft)....other times I've questioned the placement of pivot holes & other dimensional features being correct.  My old ASM (20+ yr old) is even made quite well, so I don't see any hard/fast rules as far as who manufactured.

My single example of a C&B that just seems to go on forever is my NM Remington Army (Pietta), built from kit in 1980. No problem with the timing & it's been shot A-LOT. Had to replace the pivot screw for the rammer, though...must have worn it out from loading?

Good Luck!

Slim