Six shooter works great shooting slow Butt

[Ace Lungger]

if you go to speed shooting about 1 out of 6 won't lock in battery. I am building these to Old Hawes 45 that I bought in a box. Lots and lots of parts gone. I have work on semi auto for years, but never worked on a revolver, these 2 old guns I bought were in a box in pieces, so for the last 4 months I have been getting parts (won't do that again) got the first one all toghter, and if you cock and shot slow it is super, but if you throw the speeed to it, about 1 out of 6  won't make it to the notch to lock up! I have hand fitted every piece. The only thing I can think of is that the hand spring is weak and bonces off when you go to shoot to fast!

I will be great full for any and all help!!please!!
Ace

[Wild Ben Raymond]

Howdy! IMHO it just sounds to me that the timing is to close, meaning the bolt is rising into the cylinder notch at the very last moment. If you cock the revolver slow it will work but go a little to fast and the cylinder slips by. I like to have the bolt rise when its leading edge is at the trailing edge of the notch of the cylinder. Don't confuse the cylinder notch with the lead cut to the notch as you don't want the bolt to rise before it's even in the lead cut, other wise you will start to get those cylinder ring marks. Hope you understand what I'm trying to say here. Now it could be something else another thing you may want to try is to mark the cylinder to see if it's the same chamber thats getting skipped over every time. If thats happening its possable that the ratchet cut that matches to that chamber may have a problem with it, causing the hand to miss or not completely engage it. Good Luck, WBR 

[St. George]

WBR's observations are pretty much on the mark.

I will point out that the design was never envisioned to be a 'racing' design - but to index the cylinder and barrel for safe detonation of the round.

'Throwing the speed to it' causes undue premature wear - especially on a revolver that was never top-of-the-line in the first place, so your parts quest is likely to be ongoing.

Another thing - as the cylinder unloads, the balance changes - and it's possible to 'throw' a chamber out of sequence due to the weight of the loaded round.

Get a copy of Chicoine's 'Gunsmithing the Guns of the Old West' - it'll give you a step-by-step guide in fitting your piece.

Good Luck.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Travis Morgan]

    If you want to shoot fast, you'll do well to NOT start out with an ill-fit "parts" gun. You wouldn't drag race a salvaged car without tuning it first, would ya?

[Fox Creek Kid]

You wouldn't drag race a salvaged car without tuning it first, would ya?

You mean I can't race my Yugo in the Daytona 500?