Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Getting the Python right...

So picked this Python up last year, but really haven't shot it much; but she does shoot! Unfortunately, being an OLD factory trained gunsmith on the Python, I recognized immediately the DA action just wasn't what it ought to be; definitely not up to factory standards and probably shouldn't have left the factory like it is. Well turns out, it didn't.

Once I got inside her (yeah, she's kinda sexxy), I found the cylinder bolt was a replacement that was improperly fit, which caused a serious "hitch" in the action mid stroke (more sex talk...). Well the good news is, I don't have to try to find any parts... but cleaning it up takes some work. While I was in there, I cleaned her all up, and then re-formed the V spring to give it an OH SO SWEET double action pull that far exceeds what comes from the factory.

Now I'm happy.

A labor of love.

Yeah, it kinda is. I was a little intimidated about working on it as it's been a good decade since I worked on my last Python...But it was like riding a bike, and working on a Python makes a guy re-fall in love with a S&W. Still, although a bit overly complex, I do appreciate the genius that is the Colt DA revolver; they're really cool.

It inspired me to pull the side plate on my Officers Model Match and ease up on the mainspring a bit. I didn't lighten it anywhere near what I did on the Python as I wanted it a little stiff as it's really a match gun and optimized toward single action shooting.
You know how an old Colt stacks a bit toward the end of the stroke? Well, a rimfire that's tuned for fastest lock time stacks horrendously. I was willing to trade some lock time for an acceptable DA pull. And let's be honest...even with the slowest lock time that revolver could ever produce, it will still out shoot me.

Very nice!

Very nice, Kevin. Congrats.

While the DA pull on my new Python is good, hoping gunsmiths will be offering trigger jobs soon. Talked to two local smiths and they were both reluctant to work on mine. One said he could clean up my single action pull but he is backed up 5 months, can't be without that long, don't shoot single action anyway.

Well done. I have an Officers Model Target that, on occasion, will not fire when shooting double action. I know my way around Smith's very well but know nothing of Colt's. Suggestions?

I find that oh so many gunsmith's today just wont take the time to figure things out. The new Python is WAAAAAY easier to work on than the old ones. I'd say really no more "difficult" than a S&W at this point. Yeah, still a V spring that you'll need to re-shape (most gunsmith's today don't have a clue about spring work sadly)...But spring shaping isn't exactly hard, just take the time to experiment and you'll get it; and keep a spare spring on hand in case you completely muck it all up. As for the rest of the "action job", well, it's all the same things you'd do on any revolver. Make sure there's no catch in the action anywhere, and stone parts that need attention. It's just not rocket surgery at all.

From what little I have to go on, I'd guess you have a weak mainspring. With a Colt V spring, the best thing is to very slowly and carefully tweak it to give it more tension, then re-try. If it's only happening in DA, then the V spring makes sense as the hammer fall is shorter in DA than it is in SA. The only other thing I can think of off the top of my head is a loose, or improperly fit side plate; that happens sometimes. A grain of dirt or two gets under the side plate before reassembly and one side sticks up about .001" and on occasion that can cause a slight binding effect and cause the gun to not fire.

Mighty fine.

Nice Colt and nice posts, Kevin, Old Colts' are a bit "abstruse".

Needs a new spring.

I would also bet the current spring was "modified" in the past.

EdM,
Years ago it was talked about in the gun shop the way to lighten a V spring Colt double action pull was to wedge a rod of about 1/8" deep into the V spring and cock the gun over it several times. This would bend the spring and lighten the double action trigger pull. It was also a way to get unreliable ignition when firing double action. Just looking at the spring you couldn't really tell if someone had monkeyed with it or not. I don't know the history of your Colt but as HawkI said my guess is a new spring will fix your issue.

Yeah that's an old table top trick that works if you really know what you're doing, but tends to cause more problems than not. A "new spring" will do the job, but the existing spring can be slightly tweaked to put it back right. Unless the spring is so distorted that it doesn't look like a V spring anymore, it can always be salvaged. It's a simple V spring, just give it a little more "curve" and the hammer will hit with more authority.

Thanks gents. I have looked for a replacement spring but cannot find one. I'll try Kevin's suggestion.

Numrich has springs, or I bought two last year for two OMMs not popping every cap in DA.

Re-shaping existing springs can work as Kevin suggests, but any reforming takes out the temper that puts the springiness in the spring.
It will give light strikes over time.