Open Top Colts - Hammer Touch

[Rich44]

Would like to know if there are any thoughts on the Colts hammer contact with the nipple on firing. Clearance? Contact and then some? Realize factory kind of has it set, but has anybody changed the setting and why? Thanks for any information.
Maybe a different way of asking - Should the hammer come to rest on the frame first with clearance, or should the hammer hit the nipple with full contact. Thanks

 

[64Springer]

Does messing with the nipple/cap clearance give you an eigth of a second drop on your good, Sheriff Brady?

 

[Rich44]

Does messing with the nipple/cap clearance give you an eigth of a second drop on your good, Sheriff Brady?

It took you 7 minutes to respond with this message. Your reaction time is very slow.

 

[64Springer]

If your gun is working, there's no reason to play around with the clearance.

If you go just a tad too far, you'll get no bang at all.

4 minute response time.

 

[Rich44]

Better reaction time, but your answer is like kindergarten type. If you have no experience on the subject why are you responding.

 

[64Springer]

Better reaction time, but your answer is like kindergarten type. If you have no experience on the subject why are you responding.

Because unlike many on here, I'll tell you it's a bad idea. Instead of telling you to go ahead with it.

What are you hoping to achieve by messing with the one thing that makes the pistol go BANG?

And the only way you'll know if you've gone too far is when the pistol no longer works as it should. Plus or minus the thickness of one hair is the difference between working and not working.

3 minute response time.

 

[Rich44]

Not messing, Trying to gain knowledge, and you simply do not have it on this subject. But thanks for your desire.

 

[64Springer]

OK.

1 minute response time.

 

[Campbell]

It took you 7 minutes to respond with this message. Your reaction time is very slow.

Rich44,
Best just to block this user.
He is one of a small handful I have blocked.

 

[Rich44]

Rich44,
Best just to block this user.
He is one of a small handful I have blocked.

Thank you, But he might be very dependent and have a strong desire to be active with answers. Will be agreeable to take response's from all. And do not post that much anyway.

 

[45D]

Would like to know if there are any thoughts on the Colts hammer contact with the nipple on firing. Clearance? Contact and then some? Realize factory kind of has it set, but has anybody changed the setting and why? Thanks for any information.
Maybe a different way of asking - Should the hammer come to rest on the frame first with clearance, or should the hammer hit the nipple with full contact. Thanks

You may not post often but they generally have excellent info!!

As for your question, if you're in to dry firing your cap gun, you can set them up for a "no contact" dry fire safe condition. For reliable ignition, it's imperative that the cylinder "endshake" be set to a minimum (.003" max) so that the cap can't move forward enough to be out of range.
That said, my competition customers HAVE to have ignition so their revolvers are setup with an "interference" fit ( hammer/ nipple contact).
As far as unmentionables go, their hammers all come to rest on the frame. Only the hammer face and the firing pin know anything is going on.

Mike

 

[Rich44]

As for your question, if you're in to dry firing your cap gun, you can set them up for a "no contact" dry fire safe condition. For reliable ignition, it's imperative that the cylinder "endshake" be set to a minimum (.003" max) so that the cap can't move forward enough to be out of range.
That said, my competition customers HAVE to have ignition so their revolvers are setup with an "interference" fit ( hammer/ nipple contact).
As far as unmentionables go, their hammers all come to rest on the frame. Only the hammer face and the firing pin know anything is going on.

Thank you very much. Was just trying to increase my knowledge on how these guns work. And this was just the info I was wanting. Should have known you would steer me correct, Thanks

 

[45D]

Thank you very much. Was just trying to increase my knowledge on how these guns work. And this was just the info I was wanting. Should have known you would steer me correct, Thanks

You are most welcome sir! Glad to help!! If your revolver has an "interference" setup already, all you'll need to do is clearance material from the hammer face. If you can't see if there's contact, check for it with for and aft movement of the cylinder. Is the cylinder moving the hammer when you push it back ? Vice-versa ? If there's any imprint of the nipple on the hammer face, level it before you start. Once you're satisfied you're at "no contact" on all of the nipples, set the cylinder "endshake" and you should be good to go!!

If you're starting with no hammer
/ nipple contact (or if you need to gain some hammer face material in the future), you can remove material on the front inside curve of the hammer.
Bolt reset should be as hammer face breaks recoil shield plane.

Mike

 

[Rich44]

45D - My only cap and ball colt revolver has the interference fit of about .015. So that is good for firing. Just had some wild thoughts about making a new design hammer and it is still in the thought stage right now. Just wanted to make sure the nipple with cap is supposed to take the full hit. Guess by accident I have disclosed I'm not a know it all. And that would be correct.

 

[Dude]

It seems most of mine don't contact the nipple. They come very close, but don't contact. I'd heard elsewhere the best condition is a thousandth or two gap between the nipple and hammer so the nipple doesn't get hammered and deformed.

 

[Rich44]

It seems most of mine don't contact the nipple. They come very close, but don't contact. I'd heard elsewhere the best condition is a thousandth or two gap between the nipple and hammer so the nipple doesn't get hammered and deformed.

Good Morning,
The only way I used to feel the contact was to have the barrel assembly off. The end shake is set between .002-.003 and that is hard to feel hammer contact when assembled. With the barrel assembly off, and apply slight pressure on the cylinder to keep the cylinder rearward it seems to move around .015 forward with the hammer in fire position. Subtracting the .003 end shake, would say the hammer has .012 more travel it could make if the nipple was not there. I have heard dry firing is not recommended without caps or other protection. But you feel yours is just shy of having hammer contact. Even a nipple change could alter that measurement as they probably have a tolerance when being made also. Have you checked that with the barrel assembly off? Thanks for your info.

 

[wiscoaster]

I know how you guys poo-poo You Tube videos but I did watch a pretty good video a couple days ago that I think answers the OP's question, so I went back in history and link it here:

The poster seems very knowledgeable in his analysis and has very detailed shots of how the internal mechanism works. The hammer contact clearance issue is not the main point of the video but is integral to the discussion.

 

[Dude]

Good morning to you too, Rich!

Ok - so I just checked three of mine and none contact the nipple. I've found that checking them as you suggest was the best way, though pushing the cylinder rearward while assembled works too. The three are a second gen Dragoon, a 50 year-old Armi San Paolo 51 Navy and a 2013 Pietta 1860 Army. When the hammer doesn't contact the nipple, it's not easy to measure by how much it misses, I can only look closely and there's not much of a gap.

 

[45D]

Good morning to you too, Rich!

Ok - so I just checked three of mine and none contact the nipple. I've found that checking them as you suggest was the best way, though pushing the cylinder rearward while assembled works too. The three are a second gen Dragoon, a 50 year-old Armi San Paolo 51 Navy and a 2013 Pietta 1860 Army. When the hammer doesn't contact the nipple, it's not easy to measure by how much it misses, I can only look closely and there's not much of a gap.

When you're "looking" for contact, you can check for it (after removing the trigger and bolt) by pushing hammer forward and with the cyl being pushed to the rear, rotate the cyl back and forth and see if the hammer trys to follow. When it does, carefully dress the face till no contact ( use marker) . Zero clearance is best so that the "endshake " is all the "take-up" needed for reliability.

Mike

 

[Rich44]

Good morning to you too, Rich!

Ok - so I just checked three of mine and none contact the nipple. I've found that checking them as you suggest was the best way, though pushing the cylinder rearward while assembled works too. The three are a second gen Dragoon, a 50 year-old Armi San Paolo 51 Navy and a 2013 Pietta 1860 Army. When the hammer doesn't contact the nipple, it's not easy to measure by how much it misses, I can only look closely and there's not much of a gap.

Very interesting, Your caps when fired do they show any problems. Mine seem to be hit fairly hard and split a lot. using treso nipples.