Colt single action

[Leland Davis]

My next project is a 3rd generation SAA. The customer intendeds to shoot it and asked if there was a way to engrave the cylinder so the drag marks are hidden,did not know what to tell him. I looked at all the engraved SAA I could find photos of either they were pristine and never shot or they had drag marks. Is there a way to hide them? My first thought was a shallow round bottom cut as part of a border,or would that make it worse?
Thanks,Leland

 

[Dave London]

Your idea sounds good to me, with a polished cylinder. Let us know how it turns out

 

[Mike Dubber]

The answer here is to have the Colt "timed" by a competent Pistol Smith. Timing involves regulating when the pawl falls into the cylinder notch. Ideally, it is supposed to fall into the rounded entry channel just before the notch, but these guns were never timed at the factory - unless on special order. No matter what kind of channel you try to cut, if the pawl falls too soon on the flat part of the lead in, it will eventually make a drag mark.

 

[John B.]

Your idea sounds good to me, with a polished cylinder. Let us know how it turns out

That's what I do Dave. It might not be perfect but it hides most of the sins.

 

[Crazy Horse]

I have a USAFirearns Colt 45 that I've put over a thousand rounds thru and it still has no drag marks on the cylinder. The timing is everything.

 

[Leland Davis]

Thank you all. I have repaired the timing so the bolt falls just outside the notch in the taper as Mike suggested. Then I spent the rest of the day making the back strap and trigger guard fit the frame like someone who cares assembled it. The bolt was ground on a 16 grit bench grinder and left very rough. the gun was made in 1980 apparently on a Monday after the super bowl.
Thanks again,Leland