Work done on a 3rd Model Dragoon

[Josh Wilson]

Coffin Maker made a pretty comprehensive list. I agree with his "polish everything" philosophy. Its an easy job to do in an evening. If you put on Clint Eastwood, and sit down with a piece of at least 600 wet or dry, you'll be done before ya know it. 

[Bruce W Sims]

Well Bruce.  I'm a gonna rain on your parade just a little.  Na.  I'm gonna rain on it A LOT!!

Second and Third Generation Percussion Guns attributed to be COLT, never saw the inside of a Colt plant.  The vast percentage of Second Generation guns are made up of Uberti parts, finished and assembled by a third party contractor (who now owns a gun company).  The ONLY part of those guns that is actually Colt, is the box they were shipped to the customer in.  A further small percentage of those
second generation guns were made up from parts supplied by Armi San Marco.  Same disclaimer.  Never came close to a Colt factory.

Third generation Percussion guns attribute to Colt also are not Colt.  Not even Uberti.  They are Armi San Marco parts.  Arms San Marco
quality control rivaled that of Yugo.  Nonexistent.  So .... The bottom line.

Second and Third generation Colt percussion guns have exactly the same initial build up problems as Uberti and Armi San Marco, because
they ARE Uberti and Armi San Marco.  THEY ARE NOT COLTS except for the roll marks.

Coffinmaker

Ouch...Ouch...Ouch.....
Guess that breaking sound you just heard was my illusions being shattered!

Thanks for the candor....but now that Does beg a question. I'm wondering if there is a way to have
a licensed gunsmith give my suspicious-binding Dragoon a once over. I purchased it at a GS and
figured that it had been put through its paces before selling. Now, I'm thinking maybe I was wrong. Thoughts anyone?

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[Coffinmaker]

Hi Bruce.
I gonna rain on yer Parade too.  Just a little heartwarming FYI.  There are NO LICENSED gunsmiths.  Doesn't exist.  there is NO requirement anywhere, that I am aware of, for a Gunsmith to hold any sort of "License."  The exception to that, is and FFL to
hold guns overnight or more and to be able to ship said guns.

Ralph, the guy down the street from Harold, who is related to Stan by marriage, can hang out a shingle as a gunsmith right after he
learns to sharpen lawnmower blades.  Doesn't have to "know," nor be able to "do" squat.  Those people give honest, well trained,
hard working gun plumbers a bad rap.

Now the really good part.  Fasten your seatbelt.  None of the schools teach Single Action handguns.  The schools teach machining skills,
some tuning skills, some design skills, some stock fitting skills, a lot of generally applicable "skills."  They do NOT teach the care and feeding of the Single Action Pistol.  The Single Action pistol is an acquired skill.  Learned the hard way.  Learning from your mistakes
and doing a lot of reading.  Reading a shop manual until it is dog eared and greasy everywhere.  Kunhausen (spell) was and is my friend.

Good Luck finding a reliable QUALIFIED smith who is conversant, Not only with the Single Action, but Cap Guns.  Cap Guns require an
even greater amount of learned the hard way knowledge.  Cap Guns are a real SPECIALTY.

Did I improve your day??

Coffinmaker 

[Bruce W Sims]

When I first read your post I thought you were pimping me. Then I realized you were Serious!
In all honesty I was Sure that a gunsmith needed to be licensed especially in the Great State
of Illinois where we seem to need a license for Everything. But.... I also take it as a kind of
challenge as well. Certainly learning to work on my Dragoon can't be harder than tearing a pocket
watch apart. I'd bet that knowing how to tinker with a side-arm was part of the Froniersman Rite
of Passage, wouldn't ya guess?

BTW: The Chicago School of Watchmaking published a course for watch repair back in the day. I
downloaded most of it off of the INTERNET. Might there be something similar to be found for BP/C&B
pieces?  Thoughts?

Best Wishes,

Bruce