New Frontier gunsmithing..

[Hillbilly]

Well my hammer spring showed up. Friday evening past, we spent a couple of hours figuring out how to drift the anchor -grip pin out and get the leaf spring back into the grip frame and under the hammer ledge.

(I really don't know how they did that on a timed production line... Colt must have had a "jig" ,fixture or idiot savant working that work station )

So...Saturday, I test fire it. 3 bangs-3 clicks. I turn the duds in the chamber and whack em again... they go off. Run off about 100 shots using some Winchester HV bulk pack... and get about 2 duds per chamber full.

Figuring that the spring needed a tweak to increase the hammer fall... we tweaked it a bit and re installed it. Still getting a few mis fires... most would fire after a second strike.

The new spring seems to feel about like the old one did... this revolver has always been easy to cock...

I guess maybe I need to see if the firing pin is stuck in it's channel a bit. Could be a little stiff oil ...or a broken pin or spring in there.

I tried a couple of other brands of 22 LR... got a misfire out of every lot I tried... and tried it all in a SW 18 to see if the bad ammo fairy struck... all of it wass 100% out of the SW.

Anything I am missing? Suggestions or plain ole moral support always appreciated!
~J

[kimwcook]

It might help if you tell us what you're working on.

[J Miller]

Hose the firing pin from both sides with aerosol break cleaner. If there is gummed up oil or some debris that will most likely clean it out.
You can also check the firing pin protrusion and head space. Those can contribute to miss fires as well.

Joe

[Hillbilly]

It might help if you tell us what you're working on.

Sorry Kim... it's a Colt New Frontier 22... a "g" sn version with the alloy grip frame and the active firing pin block

Joe... I will give that a try when I get in. This revolver would mis fire now and then before the spring broke (I've put about 1500 rounds through it the last 4 or 5 years)

[kimwcook]

Is this a Colt New Frontier Scout?

[Hillbilly]

Kim... yep... but mine is the longer barreled "Buntline" version from a later production run.

From what I understand the mechanicals are all the same.

The cylinder is clean... I dont get any noticable "endshake" (can you get that on a basepin?) and when it fires off... it fires off good.

[CEMENTHEAD]

Crapped up firing pin, broken/worn firing pin, or headspace. All of which are correctable.

Great little guns, wish I had kept mine. It had both cylinders too........

Thanks, Tom

[kimwcook]

Crapped up firing pin, broken/worn firing pin, or headspace. All of which are correctable.

Yep.

How long have you had the piece and has it done this all along. Like the professor said, how far does the firing pin protrude from the breech face when you put the hammer down and push it forward. Is the end of the firing pin smooth.

[Hillbilly]

When I got home... I shot the firing pin hole full of Kroil and let it sit a little while.. ran out back and got "12 for 12"

I'll stand it up in a corner and let some more Kroil work on it over night. The pin moves freely... I don't feel any binding or crunchies that would indicate a broken spring (but it could be anyway). Next time I get home before dark... we will ring it out and see what happens...

Kim.. this gun would probably miss fire one of 100 rounds or so since I've owned it. A very good 'smith and SASS shooter slicked it up for side match shooting ... but he did not thin the hammer spring. I always figured it was an oddness particular to this gun.

This little wanna- be Peacemaker will shoot one ragged hole rested over sandbags all day. I like it alot.

Joe Miller... right as usual... thanks for the imput.

[J Miller]

Hillbilly,

Glad my idea was good. I've had two of the little steel Colt's, a Peacemaker and a New Frontier. Plus one of the earlier aluminum framed ones. Loved 'em all but I was too stupid and young to keep them. They all went for something new and different . All I have left is memories and traders remorse now.

Enjoy your little shooter.

Joe

[Hillbilly]

So... I guess I should order a new spring, pin and the retaining pin for this gun. I still get a mis fire every now and then. Even if I decide to "live" with the problem spares are a nice thing to have around.

I can push the pin out by hand... and by eye it looks like I get about .030" protrusion of the pin... but i cannot get that every time I poke the pin from the hammer side.

From some other interwebs research I've done...it seems that the rebound spring can eat a coil or two and thats enough to cause reliability problems.

Any of you gents know the basics for fitting a magnum cylinder to the exstiing frame? I may get ambitious and order a cylinder too. I'd assume most of the work would happen on the cylinder (as far as fitting would go) and the hand would be left alone as it's in time with the current LR cylinder.

If I was really ambitious and had a lathe I'd fit a short barrel up... having a shorter barrel set back for this pistol would be really cool.

[kimwcook]

I wouldn't try fitting a cylinder if you haven't done one before. I'd spend the money and have Nate fit it up for you. The firing pin, probably not that big a deal so long as you check the firing pin is functioning correctly.