Open top Colt tuning explained.

[D Yager]

I am proud to be ignored by French Colonial. If he doesn't like what those of us say when we offer ways to fix these pistols ignore away.

 

[Dickydalton]

I am proud to be ignored by French Colonial. If he doesn't like what those of us say when we offer ways to fix these pistols ignore away.

An ignoramus ignoring, what an oxymoron!

 

[GYJ]

I guess we're all too dumb to realize the advantages to professional tuning. Must just be imagining it.

 

[Smokerr]

I guess we're all too dumb to realize the advantages to professional tuning. Must just be imagining it.

Not at all. You don't feel any need and goodness knows, that is your right. Having handled an ordinal Colt Python (and shot it) man, I can see the appeal (basically those were custom hand built and fitted guns).

My need would be more get it fixed but if I had one in some tuning would go with it.

Its really not about tuning though being able to make a living doing this kind of work I suspect the tuning pays the bills. What it does is keeps expertise on tap being handed down for these guns that are obscure as to how they should work correctly. But keep in mind, its not valueless. You get a better working gun out of it. Maybe what you have works more than well enough to make you happy with it. Well and good. Just don't discount that a really slick gun makes their owners happy. And to do that, the Tuner has to understand the actions to a T.

We have all seen Double A dragsters. Now that is an engine tuned to the max. Incredible. So you need to do 250 mph in a quarter? Some sure want to.

Ok, that is an extreme example. Good running engines have long been a staple of enthusiasts. You can buy them now but you sure could not back in the day. I had a guy tune my 750 Honda (or he offered). Man that thing ran like a swiss watch and it was pretty good before. I offered him good money for what he had done though he turned me down.

Some people run around in Lear jets. Do you have to have one? No. Are they cool, oh yea. If I was rich, yea, I would for sure have a hot performance Turbo Prop or jet of some kind. I have an aviation background, first DC-8 ride was a thrill I will never forget. Go from a DC-3 to one of those, ohhh yea, tune her up baby!

 

[Sorry Dude]

or having a boat.

For sure, the cheapest part of owning a boat is what you paid for it.

 

[CyrusP]

Here are all the things that are wrong with the (insert whatever) that you has been (working fine) for a couple of years now.

I can fix all of this for you for only (How much I want to stiff you for) a small price to pay for peace of mind.

I love it when these guys try to drum up business.

Shouldn't this be an advertisement?

What a truly ignorant post. Reading the OP, he’s showing what needs to be done. Feel free to do it yourself, have someone do it, or leave it alone. Me, I’ve had Mike do all three of mine for me. I shot the Walker today. His work is a bargain and I’m sure DYager is the same.

 

[CyrusP]

Your right of course....

But I will say I have been extremely lucky when it comes to firearm purchases, I bought a Uberti High Wall when I first started shooting BPCR, in a very short amount of time I was out shooting guys with Shiloh Sharps (never a fan of Sharps anyway). I did graduate to custom guns later in pursuit of excellence however. Out of all the purchases I have made I have only been disappointed less than six times.

I bought a Uberti 1851 and it is a very nice gun, trigger is crisp and if the arbor is short I cannot detect it. My biggest complaint is the sights, but that is what is supposed to be on a Colt open top. It shoots very well with round ball all things considered, I cannot get conicals to shoot worth a darn however.

So I will let you guys continue, I hope the money you spend gives you some satisfaction.

So you admit you graduated to custom guns and yet you continued to spout your moronic nonsense about THESE custom guns? You contradicted yourself

 

[bpd303]

You can't take your money with you.

WHAT.... then I'm not going.

 

[CyrusP]

Ignore me too, French Colonial.

 

[French Colonial]

Ok, here is the deal

I started on this "moronic" rant against getting "improvements" done when one of these fixers made the assertions that an open top design was stronger than a Remington closed top design....now that is moronic. And I have been questioning because if someone will believe that what else are they wrong about.

I bought a 1851 Uberti Navy, and it shoots really well, only because my great grandfather carried one in the civil war and I have collected the things he was issued (Some of them, no horse). Mine has needed NONE of the improvements to shoot well, it may shoot loose at some point in time but I will deal with that if and when it happens.

So, I have never name called anyone (not that I remember) and find it interesting that rather than just posting what good luck you have had, an example would be, this gun shot groups like this, and fixer fixed it and now it shoots like this., you have went down this personal attack path.

I know I am but what are you...............by the way, did you notice Meriweather posting about no name calling in the last day or so. And by the way saying something is moronic is different than saying someone IS a moron.

Anyway, I had not posted on this subject for awhile and do not plan to again so have fun and enjoy this beautiful day!

EDIT........Oh and you get your wish, ignore box it is.

 

[Juice Jaws]

So why bother tuning a new in the box open top? Simple answer is most need work to be reliable shooters. Uberti suffers from the short arbor which has been beat on pretty hard in other threads. There is a certain individual on this forum that has been absolutely against what tuners do to improve these pistols. So in spite of this fellow I am gonna give a rundown on what is done during a typical tuning job.
First and foremost correct the arbor. It's a big deal on the large horse pistols as they can and do beat themselves into a paperweight. Arbor correction has been discussed in detail elsewhere.
Timing and install a bolt guide, a bolt guide is a piece if hardened steel that goes between the frame and the bolt/cylinder stop. It keeps the bolt head traveling in the same plane. In spite of another guys opinion you cannot get precision timing without a bolt guide.
Make and install music wire torsion springs for the bolt and trigger. These replace the flat combination spring which is prone to breakage.
Install a Ruger type plunger and spring for hand tension. Gets rid of the flat spring on the hand. I use a stainless steel plunger and spring. This setup is much more reliable and not prone to breakage.
Install an action shield and stop. Action shield prevents cap fragments from entering the revolver's innards and jamming the works. There are several ways to attach the shield to the hammer. The action stop is installed to prevent damage by limiting how far the hammer can travel at cylinder lockup. It's an important addition for the CAS and fast draw guys. It helps limit wear and over travel and breakage of internal parts
Cap post, This is a small finger that is installed in the hammer slot to prevent cap fragments from getting into the slot under the hammer. A lot of cap and ball revolvers will pull spent caps off the nipples on the cylinder and drop those pieces into the hammer slot. Cap post also deflects blow back gasses from the nipple. Case in point a pocket pistol that would blow the hammer back to the half cock notch. After the cap post was installed that issue was gone.
One of the optional things I offer is to chamfer the cylinder throats so the ball doesn't shave lead when loaded. I set up my revolvers with a.002 barrel to cylinder gap, those lead rings can and do lock up the cylinder. I prefer the ball to be swaged into place with no shaving of lead. I have yet to see any thing documented from Colt or Remington about shaving lead from a ball during loading. Again this is an option.
So there it is in a nutshell. For those of you that are interested this a brief rundown of things that can be done to improve these pistols. My major recommendation is fix the short arbor on the Ubertis. Pietta fixed it on their stuff but occasionally one slips through. For those of you that are new to this please take that fellow who is gonna be commenting on this in a negative way with a huge grain of salt, he does not understand the single action platform.
Let the discussion begin.

If you want to go to the trouble or cost fine. I been shooting Colt Open Top pistols since the 70's and never have done any of that. Of course I am just a back yard shooter and my pistols have shot fine for me.

 

[Juice Jaws]

Ignore me too, French Colonial. You’re a moron and now people on this forum are aware. I love when someone opens their yap to confirm their stupidity. Make sure you continue to contradict yourself. It’s a good look.

Don't understand why some people have to called other people names to get their point across

 

[45D]

Don't understand why some people have to called other people names to get their point across

Well JJ, it's funny how FC can whine and cry about it after HE called anybody that did tuning for an occupation a THIEF!! That's ok but a "moron"? ooooooh that's really bad!!!
Many times it's been implied by MDL that I'm dumb, spreading BS, a lier . . . that gets no attention from the mods . . . so, the appearance of a "protected class" is probably just imagination . . .

Mike

 

[45D]

Ok, here is the deal

I started on this "moronic" rant against getting "improvements" done when one of these fixers made the assertions that an open top design was stronger than a Remington closed top design....now that is moronic. And I have been questioning because if someone will believe that what else are they wrong about.

So, you didn't JUST call me a moron SPECIFICALLY ( since I'm the one that made ( and PROVED) that claim!!!) ???
Maybe I'm just not reading right !

Mike

FC, what is it about a top strap Pietta that can't handle 45acp +p's but a pair of 60 OT's that shoot it almost exclusively that you don't understand ?