Frustrating combo

[guntar]

I really like the idea of having one type of ammunition for both a rifle and a handgun. I use my firearms for woods carry and/or hunting about 95% of the time, so I bought Winchester 1892 and a Colt New Frontier, both in 45 Colt.
The rifle has been a pure joy. It functions perfectly, handles well, and is very accurate (one ragged hole at 50 yds. for three shots). It is also the easiest rifle to shoot accurately offhand I have ever used.
The Colt New Frontier functions perfectly, handles well, and is one of the more inaccurate handguns I have ever used. I have tried different factory loads, different bullets, different powders, primers, casings, etc. The best I can get it to shoot is about 4 inches at 25 yds. Given the quality of the sights and the sight radius of the 7-1/2" bbl. I find that unacceptable. Am I being unrealistic, or are there things you can suggest I try?
Thanks for any help.

[Griff]

Slug the barrel, check the forcing cone and the cylinder throats. I've not had to do it to my Colts, (although since both were rebuilt by Oglesby & Oglesby & I don't know EXACTLY what he did), but if the cyl. throats are smaller than your groove diameter, they'll squeeze down the bullet to a diameter that won't get "spun" adequately by the barrels rifling. I've been told that 11º on the forcing cone is some sort of magic number... again, I don't know as I've never specifically checked mine.

It's been so long since I've put my SAAs on paper I don't recall what the results were... I just know that in my cowboy action shooting, while everyone else is trying to go as fast as they can... I routinely am aiming at, and hitting the hat brim, hand or foot, or some very small portion of a much larger target. And this is with a 4-¾" SAA that has an unrifled section in the barrel from the factory. I sent back to Colt to have the barrel replaced and they were willing the do the barrel for free, but required that they take out all the "go fast" parts in mine out, and return it to factory condition... I passed! The older of the two 3rd Gen SAAs is on its 3rd cylinder... I bulged the factory with a double charge (ooops!), and the 2nd one was found to have developed minute stress factures that were found when it went to O&O for an endshake that'd developed.

Maybe one day, I'll put a factory main, hand & trigger/bolt springs back in it and send it to Colt to get the barrel replaced... or not!

[mikld]

Griff hit it. Revolvers need to have cylinder throats larger than the groove diameter of the barrel to shoot worth a darn. I have slugged the barrel and cylinder throats of all my revolvers and have used this info to get non-leading, accurate loads...

[RustyJr]

I would agree with Griff. I have heard of this being an issue with some Ruger Blackhawks as well.

RustyJr

[earlmck]

I would agree with Griff. I have heard of this being an issue with some Ruger Blackhawks as well.

RustyJr

Yep, and it was an issue with both my 44mag Redhawks -- .429 cylinder throat, .431 barrel grooves.

[guntar]

I take it from the replies that I am not being unrealistic in my accuracy expectations. Every other handgun of near that barrel length has always yielded groups of 2'' or less with at least one load. This is my first Colt so I was not sure.
I will attempt to follow your advice and get the forcing cone/barrel relationship checked. Is this something a gunsmith needs to do or can I reasonably expect to do it myself? If it is a DIY operation, has this been covered in an earlier thread on this forum?
Thanks.

[Griff]

It IS something that can be done by the home hobby gunsmith... (read: tinkerer)... just takes a measuring tool, (dial caliper), proper reamers and basic gunsmith tools to disassemble the firearm. If you don't have the tools, they can add up, to somewhere near the amount where the job can be done by a pro. I'd pick a good gunsmith and pay... Not just the closest guy, either... someone I'd trust via other work I'd had done, recommendations from others that have had the same work done.

[guntar]

I have had Gary Reeder do some work for me. Maybe I will send it to him.

[M. M. Wright]

I have had Gary Reeder do some work for me. Maybe I will send it to him.

Excellent choice and I've had work done by Alan Harton and our own NKJ, (Steve Young).

[Les Staley]

Another big thumbs up for Gary Reeder. I sent him a Blackhawk 45 Colt that wouldn't keep them on an 8" pie plate. He re bored a used 357 cylinder that matched the somewhat worn finish on my gun to 45 Colt, held the throats to .4515, recut the forcing cone to 11degrees and sent me back a test target with the pistol that looked like a Freedom pistol had shot it! I don't remember the price, but it was reasonable.

[Thunder50]

Also look at the other end of the spectrum in that you might have a tight barrel and way oversized cylinder throats. My 44NF has a .428" barrel groove dia. and .433" cylinder throats. My regular 44special ammo shot OK, but I bought a .432" size die for the cast bullets which ended up at .4325". Groups shrunk way down, less than half of the size of the ammo with .430" bullets.