I think the Colt�s DA revolver actions have been and remain highly mis-understood. Everyone seems to be an expert on Colt�s timing when in fact I think "everyone" is getting it wrong. In military tests the Colt�s DA revolvers consistently out did the S&W action, and contrary to popular lore, Colt�s are far from fragile; in fact, I consider the .41 frame (�I�) to be every bit as durable as the S&W N frame .357�s.
Here�s where the common mis-conception comes from. It�s the finger drag timing test. You slow down the cylinder with your thumb as you thumb cock your Colt�s DA revolver. The test goes that if one or more chambers don�t drop into the cylinder bolt, then it�s out of time. The problem is, it just isn�t so. True PERFECT timing would be that way, but you have to understand that the Colt�s DA revolver were never built at the factory to where they would pass that test in the first place. So it makes you wonder if the test is the correct test; I say it�s not. Certainly a gunsmith who is going to replace the hand on a Colt�s DA revolver would install it in such a way that it passes that test. He does so because he has the luxury of time that the factory fitters just didn�t have. But Colt�s was quite content to send out even Pythons that don�t� pass that test; why? Well it�s because the test really isn�t relevant. The second notch on the pawl ensures that when the trigger is fully pulled, the cylinder will lock up perfectly even if your gun doesn�t pass the thumb drag test. For a Colt�s DA revolver to not lock up with either pawl hook is exceedingly rare (even more rare than S&W�s going out of time), and at that point the gun is truly out of time.
The PROPER way to check timing on a Colt�s DA revolver is to thumb the hammer back, pull the trigger, then check for lateral movement of the cylinder. Typically there will be none, but on a worn pawl you may find a tiny bit, about what a S&W has. If you do that test, then turn the cylinder and hear it drop into the locking bolt, then the gun REALLY is out of time, and should be repaired. The same test covers DA timing; one size fits all.
I think of it in the same light as headspace gauges for a rifle. You have go, no-go, and field. In-between the go, & no-go is perfection; but if the rifle closes on a no-go but not a field, then it�s perfectly safe and usable; this is often the case for a military rifle. So when the Colt�s DA revolver doesn�t pass the thumb drag test (and most wont), the gun is still �in time� but in more of a �field� manner. It is still working exactly the way the factory intended it to work.
