New to me Colt Baby Dragoon Gen 2

[Gino753]

Well, those aren't cracks. That "U" shaped "crack" is what you see of the arbor (no "U") which is screwed in. The round hole above it is what you see of the "staking pin" to lock the arbor. The staking pin has a staking mark across it as well. Absolutely nothing wrong there.
The hand's are cut from steel ( no "pot metal" to be found in an Uberti or Pietta. You just need to learn WHAT you're looking at.
Your 2nd Gen Colt's have ( typical) '70's action parts and Uberti's parts are closer to the originals . . . just better. I'm not knocking the 2nd Gens . . . they are what they are (complete with short arbors just like all reproductions till Pietta fixed theirs). That said, they can be made to better the originals. I'll be posting a pictorial post of that process using Dickydalton's Commemorative '51 (with a couple of it's bench buddies).

Mike

Yeah, soo I actually do know what I’m looking at…undernieth those splits or whatever…that you can’t see in the photos is an actual hairline fracture, most likely from the process,..

Ive seen a few other ones, and there was no split over the peen hole…also did you see towards the right side of that hole? There is another crack in the corner…why would that be there?

Then undernieth that all..there is a hairline fracture, that is “U” Shaped, and wavy

 

[Gino753]

I was not talking about the staking pin, there is a Crack on the right side of the frame, and undernieth that center Arbour pin…you cant see it in the pics,..but I assumed that it was an error in the hardening process, and as the pin was punched, the shock cracked the frame

 

[45D]

You mean like these cracks?

That's what a threaded arbor looks like in a threaded hole in the frame after it's contoured. The top hole is the staking pin.

Like I said . . . ya gotta know what you're looking for before you can see it.

Mike

 

[Gino753]

You mean like these cracks?



View attachment 330061

That's what a threaded arbor looks like in a threaded hole in the frame after it's contoured. The top hole is the staking pin.

Like I said . . . ya gotta know what you're looking for before you can see it.

Mike

So that’s normal? If so then I stand corrected…However the hammer still would only cock back half way, and get stuck due to burrs on the inside of the hammer slot sticking out and digging into it

Also,my Dragoon is not soo much, as obvious as that…yours , or that pic looks almost purposed…where’s the one I had , seemed out of place…i dont know…I guess I don’t know what I’m looking at with these, but I felt concearn
And the hand, felt really light, and was all ground up , as it rubbed against the arbour…the hand was jamming up against it causing the gun to not cycle

 

[45D]

So that’s normal? If so then I stand corrected…However the hammer still would only cock back half way, and get stuck due to burrs on the inside of the hammer slot sticking out and digging into it

Also,my Dragoon is not soo much, as obvious as that…yours , or that pic looks almost purposed…where’s the one I had , seemed out of place…i dont know…I guess I don’t know what I’m looking at with these, but I felt concearn
And the hand, felt really light, and was all ground up , as it rubbed against the arbour…the hand was jamming up against it causing the gun to not cycle

Yes, that's normal but not always that noticeable. That was the best for a pic of a pair I'm working on. It shows better the lines you were seeing just part of. Didn't mean to sound so "know it all" but now you can see it's a rod screwed into block with a contoured hole.

The originals had a relief cut so the hand wouldn't contact the arbor. When I have to tighten or reinstall an arbor, I'll grind a relief in it.

Mike

 

[Gino753]

Yes, that's normal but not always that noticeable. That was the best for a pic of a pair I'm working on. It shows better the lines you were seeing just part of. Didn't mean to sound so "know it all" but now you can see it's a rod screwed into block with a contoured hole.

The originals had a relief cut so the hand wouldn't contact the arbor. When I have to tighten or reinstall an arbor, I'll grind a relief in it.

Mike

Soo,..I just got my LTC, so I started buying pieces. I always wanted, and like any hobby once I go in, I go extreme

Soo, i am willing to learn anything you care to tell me.

With that said…My Second Gen Colt Dragoon, apparently has a short Arbour as well?

I read that it’s a hit or miss thing, in that some do and some don’t, and that the Arbour is just long enough to add support between the barrel and frame I assume

Cutting or grinding the Arbour shorter , seems to be a mass assembly type thing…in that , it’s much easier to make the Arbour shorter, and then the barrel can just slide on untill it stops against the front of the frame, and locks into the pins, rather that have to painstakingly, grind down the tip of the Arbour so it’s just long enough, for the barrel to slide on, and bottom out against the tip of the arbour..then against the frame

Allowing for 2 points of support, instead of just one.In the short arbour..

Im surprised that the second gen, colts would be that way..but…

 

[Gino753]

So , looking over this Uberti Whitneyville Dragoon, that im sending back, I decided to check the Arbour length, and it is actually on the long side…With the barrel slid all the way down, there is still a small gap between the barrel…Would this be considerd a positive? Since I assume the tip of the Arbour could be machined-Filed down to fit like it’s supposed too?

 

[45D]

So , looking over this Uberti Whitneyville Dragoon, that im sending back, I decided to check the Arbour length, and it is actually on the long side…With the barrel slid all the way down, there is still a small gap between the barrel…Would this be considerd a positive? Since I assume the tip of the Arbour could be machined-Filed down to fit like it’s supposed too?

No, the arbor (a-r-b-o-r) is short. Drive the wedge in further and it will lock up the cylinder. I'm sure there was no gap between the frame and barrel lug when you bought it.
If you're trying to do the "90° and swing the barrel down" test forget it, it doesn't work. That's the most ignorant thing anyone has ever said about deciphering whether the arbor is short or not. The broaching process "keys" (distorts) the material and the result is installation only happens with correct orientation of the parts. Of course, you can dress the arbor enough to allow the test to be done . . . what you'll find is the arbor is still short, and NOW the arbor is smaller in diameter!!! . . . just to satisfy a stupid test!!!! I'd rather retain as much arbor material as I can than perform a silly test.
Unless you just need the money, I'd suggest keeping the Whitneyville. The Dragoon series is definitely a favorite of mine . . . heck, that's where "Goon" comes from!!

Mike

 

[Gino753]

Exactly,..growing up with a Master machinist showed me that.My dad would get half finished parts from other machinists that might not have had a certain tool to finish the project, that my dad invested in,…even being a small business, and the other way around.

In this situation, an Italian company started making these Pieces, before Colt decided to due there special Rerun, so it makes sense

Also..Uberti does make Beautiful parts…im just upset that my Whitneyville Dragoon, arrived absolutely beautiful on the outside, however when I went to cock the hammer, it felt really rough and was being caught by a Burr that dug a groove on the side of the hammer.Then i found these cracks behind the hammer on the frame.There is a Hairline “U” Shaped crack undernieth as well that you have to look up close to see.The internal parts were all mashed up as well.The hand seemed to be made from Pot metal and was all ground up, and mashed , from rubbing against the Arbour …

Anyway,..it’s going back and i add another $500 and grab another Second Gen Colt Dragoon, im sure im overpaying but …not by much

I wanted to update this post.As i have just started Buying these pieces, and getting heavily into them,

I did not realize that this is apparently normal…these crack marks behind the trigger on the frame, are apparently the Arbour Showing through? And this frame is normal.

I just don’t want to project false information, although , this Dragoon does have other issues, like the Hand being chewed up as it rubs against the Arbour..etc…There we’re Burrs in the trigger slot, witch have scraped the left side of the hammer pretty heavily.

Otherwise the overall build, on the outside, is very good

I did, Go and buy a Second Gen “F” Series Colt 3rd Dragoon however, soo it’s hard letting this go, as well as keeping it, since I have the F series coming, and could use this return to buy a Walker??

 

[dickydalton]

This Uberti Whitneyville had a short arbor before Mike fixed it and other things!

 

[Gino753]

This Uberti Whitneyville had a short arbor before Mike fixed it and other things!
View attachment 330203

Yes, i didnt take into account that the Arbor is taperd, so when I tried fitting the barrel on without a cylinder, and it stopped, prematurely,..I got excited for a second.

It was late, and I work from 2pm, to 1AM is when I attempted this