Tightening the Colt 1877 Lock-Up

[Bent Brass]

Can anyone direct me to some gunsmithing notes or instruction on tightening up a Colt 1877 Lightning? (.38 Long Colt) I can only find disassembly/assembly instructions for this piece, but not how to tighten up the cylinder alignment.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

They are a notoriously fragile action. I know of no tutorials.

 

[ligonierbill]

Supposedly, they were known as the "gunsmith's favorite" back in the day. The other piece of lore (that I cannot confirm) is that the 1877 was likely to last longer firing double action. I sold mine a couple months ago, and it was reasonably tight and in time. Just how bad is yours? I doubt any example will lock up like a Python. Repair will mean replacing parts, which in this case means making parts. And I don't know of any smith that will take on that old smoke wagon. Given the prices I've seen, you'd probably do best rolling the dice on another example.

 

[Scorch]

Supposedly, they were known as the "gunsmith's favorite" back in the day

That's because the springs would fail and there was no one making springs for them until about 20 years ago. I have rebuilt a number of them over the past 10 years with new springs and a new barrel. They're actually a very solid revolver, they were the favorites of several well-known pistoleros. Obsolescent ammo and better alternatives led to many of them winding up in a shoebox in the garage. But as said, leave it alone, you really can't "tighten the lockup". If it's shot loose, take it to a gunsmith (a REAL gunsmith) and have the base pin bushing replaced (like the 1st generation SAAs, the 1877 base pin bushing is pressed into the cylinder). If the barrel is eroded and the barrel/cylinder gap is too large you can find a replacement barrel for it. These are not modular guns, they need real gunsmiths who have the right tools.

 

[4V50 Gary]

There is a repair manual for it but I dunno where to get it.

My article on V spring making was accepted by American Gunsmith Mag for publication. Dunno when it will be published.