I have a Uberti Cattleman .45LC Revolver. Bought it years ago. I only shot maybe 100 or so rounds through it before I noticed that the bolt was leaving a drag mark around the cylinder. Also, when you drew the hammer back to half-cock the bolt did not entirely clear the cylinder notches, making it difficult to rotate the cylinder to load it. If, however, you continued to draw the hammer back past the half-cock notch you could observe the bolt dropping entirely flush with the frame and the cylinder would then turn freely. I sort of got disgusted with it at the time and put it away in the back of my safe.
Recently I discovered it again, got it out, and started fooling with it. Knowing, by now, a little more about how these SA revolvers work, I took the lock work apart and examined the parts.
First, the bolt leg that rode on the hammer cam had the texture of a hacksaw blade! Secondly, the hammer cam itself had a groove cut in the top of it where the bolt leg rides.
Obviously the bolt is improperly fitted, and the hammer cam is too soft.
I did a little digging on the web and found that this is not an unknown problem with the Uberti Cattleman (with the D-Cam hammer).
I'd like to get this revolver fixed if I can do so for a price less than a replacement revolver.
Plan A: I e-mailed a noted single-action revolver gunsmith to get a quote on the work, but have not heard back from him as of yet.
Plan B: Another alternative is to buy the parts from VTI (hammer and bolt) and fit them myself. I feel that I am capable of doing this work if it only involves filing and stoning the parts.
The only issue with Plan B is with the hardness of the parts from VTI. How can I tell if the cam on the replacement hammer is properly heat-treated? If I somehow determine that it's not, how would I harden the cam?
Recently I discovered it again, got it out, and started fooling with it. Knowing, by now, a little more about how these SA revolvers work, I took the lock work apart and examined the parts.
First, the bolt leg that rode on the hammer cam had the texture of a hacksaw blade! Secondly, the hammer cam itself had a groove cut in the top of it where the bolt leg rides.
Obviously the bolt is improperly fitted, and the hammer cam is too soft.
I did a little digging on the web and found that this is not an unknown problem with the Uberti Cattleman (with the D-Cam hammer).
I'd like to get this revolver fixed if I can do so for a price less than a replacement revolver.
Plan A: I e-mailed a noted single-action revolver gunsmith to get a quote on the work, but have not heard back from him as of yet.
Plan B: Another alternative is to buy the parts from VTI (hammer and bolt) and fit them myself. I feel that I am capable of doing this work if it only involves filing and stoning the parts.
The only issue with Plan B is with the hardness of the parts from VTI. How can I tell if the cam on the replacement hammer is properly heat-treated? If I somehow determine that it's not, how would I harden the cam?
