Taylor & Co. 1872 Open-Top

[M14MSgt]

Hi, I have an 1872 Open Top from Taylor & Co. in .38. I took it to the range today and put about 48 rds. of .38 LC Goex BP rounds thru it. Towards the end of my last cylinder full, one of the screws above the trigger guard backed clear out of the frame. Not sure if this is typical of Taylor & Co. quality, but this is not the first time I have had issues with a pistol purchased from them. Any ideas what would cause this?

[Major 2]

Screws working lose is not unique to Taylor or even Uberti's... They can work loose on Colt's, USFAs and everything else.
That's why you might want to envest in some hollow groung Gun screwdrivers to check the snugness.
No screw should be over tightened.
A drop of Loctight blue (removable) on the threads, should solve your problem.

My experince with Taylor's and it goes back quite sometime ( 1980's ), was Sue and Tammy always were up front and stright.
I also have a Taylor Remington Conversion ( the tiny (and I mean TINY) screw that holds the ejector worked loose and was loss.
At the time early 07 , a call to Taylor's & VTI failed to find the tiny screw, because the Gun had just been introduced, no parts were in stock.
An email to Susan Webb at Uberti in Gardone, Italy.... had 4 tiny replacements send via First Class mail free of charge.

[Pettifogger]

+1.  Screws coming loose have nothing to do with quality and certainly nothing to do with Taylors.  They are an importer, they don't make guns.  I have some guns, regardless of brand (Colt, USFA, UBERTI, etc.)  that never loosen a screw and yet its matching serial number mate loosens every screw after three of four stages.  No big deal, put a little blue or purple loctite on the screws and the problem is solved.  I had all the backstrap screws back out on my second gen Colt at the last match.  A little further and the front half of the gun would have fallen on the ground!  I just cleaned and put a drop of loctite on all the handgun screws I am taking to EOT.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

        I have to agree ,the blue LOCK-TIGHT, is the way to go, I started using the stuff back in I believe the early 70's or when ever it first came out, I use it know on most my single actions, I've found that if you can keep the top two back strap screws tight, the rest of the gun holds up pretty well, also the shell extractor screw that holds the extractor housing on. IMHO.. Like the others have said only get the removable type, the BLUE.

                                          tEN wOLVES 

[Fox Creek Kid]

Colt has taken a different approach recently and uses a small red neoprene washer with their screws. Unobtrusive & works.

[Pettifogger]

Colt has taken a different approach recently and uses a small red neoprene washer with their screws. Unobtrusive & works.

Colt has been putting those red washers on their screws for years.  Problem with them is that once you take the screws out, the washers usually get destroyed so you still wind up needing thread locker.

[Coffinmaker]

Yup.  ALL the SAs shoot lose.  Ruger applies the thread locker at the time of assembly at the factory.

Those little red washers Colt uses are a pure nuisance.

Worked on a pair of Taylors Smoke Wagons recently.  Some clown put the trigger screws in BOTH guns with some form of thread locker that required heat.  Wasn't LocTite red either.  I thought the screw was seized so I "went after it."  After the impact driver wouldn't take it out I figured it out.  Mini torch and heat and presto, out it came.  Had to replace the screw.

So, the moral is:  If your gonna use LocTite Red or something similar, TELL SOMEONE before they work on the gun.

Coffinmaker