1860 .44 misfire problem.

[Atlast357]

My Colt replica 1860 made by ASM detonates most of
the shots, but does not with every pull of the trigger.
The cylinder gap measures .020 "at the forcing cone of barrel .
Some of the misfires seem to be cap related. In that I mean the hammer drops OK, and dents the cap but no detonation.
I got the pistol from the original owner claims he bought it new
some time around 1990 and never fired it, however some nipples show signs of dry fire, on the hammer striking surface that is slightly indented about the same diameter as the nipples.
The cylinder has a rolled engraving of the Navy ship battle scene, so I'm wondering if this is an original cylinder.
The large screws on either side of trigger guard stand away from body and there is a depression in base of back strap. Is that a connection point for rifle type attachment ?
When the gun functions correctly it is a joy to shoot. :grin:
Any thoughts ?

 

[pargent]

It's got the attachments for fitting a shoulder stock ,fix the nipples , strip and clean to remove possible build up of cap debris in the workings , then try firing with just caps till you get 100% reliability.

 

[George T.]

Are you using #10 caps? If you are and even if your not I would pull all 6 nipples and chuck them in a drill gently with a flat fine toothed file resting against it remove ant flair that might be keeping the cap from seating fully. TOW has nipple sets fairly priced in some are to short. You should be off and running especially if you are having caps fire on the second try! Geo. T.

 

[Zonie]

The Texas Navy Battle Scene is correct for the Colt 1860 Army revolvers with the unfluted cylinders.

Although Colt used several different roll engravings on various pistols such as the Stagecoach robbery and the Texas Ranger & Indian fight, the Texas Navy scene was the most popular.

Colt used these roll engravings on the cylinders of his guns as a easily seen feature that guaranteed the gun was indeed a genuine Colt.

The protruding screws on the sides of the frame and the notch in the butt of the grip are for attaching the removable shoulder stock.

 

[Don]

Most of the time nipples are to blame for misfires. If you were to replace them and still have problems detonating caps then you may need a new main spring.

Don

 

[Atlast357]

Seems the nipples are in question. I use #11 CCI and
need to pinch them to stay put.
How do I determine what the size of nipples to buy if I wanted to
install new ones?
Tapered or straight ?
What size nipple wrench do I need ?
I look at several suppliers and not sure what will work. The reason I use #11, is that is what is available here in my area.
#10 might fit better and another brand may fire better, here again stuck with CCI. :idunno:

 

[bpd303]

It is not a good idea to "pinch" the caps as that can cause chain fires. You need to get some #10 caps. They can be ordered online if not available locally.

 

[Billnpatti]

If the nipples are original to the gun, they are #10. If that is the case, you will need to either find some #10 caps or replace the existing nipples with #11 nipples. Either case can be handled by Track of The Wolf. There are many different #11 nipples and not all of them will fit your revolver. Track of The Wolf can help you find the exact nipples for your revolver.

 

[Don]

Track of the Wolf is a good vendor and they will say on their site which nipples will fit your brand of revolver. If it still isn't clear then call them and they will get you set up. I also pinch my #11 caps and have never had any problems with chain fires. The chain fire debate rages non stop on the internet and while there are many theories no conclusive answers emerge. Just load your revolver with care and enjoy.

Don