cylinder throw-by

[Lexnol]

I have been going through all the timing checks with the old (1911) Police Positive I recently acquired. It appears to have "cylinder throw-by" in double action; in single action mode the bolt locks all 6 cylinders well. Can anyone (dfariswheel) advise if the pistol would be safe to shoot as is and how pricey this is to fix? I would like to take this gun to the range and guess I could just stick to shooting single action.
Thanks for any feedback,
Lexnol

[dfariswheel]

Depends on WHY it's got throw-by.
Without seeing it, there's no way to be sure.

The "fix" could be as simple as a quick adjustment to the bolt tail, or as complicated as a major adjustment to the action or even parts replacement.

Short of a professional repair, here's what you can try:

First, a GOOD cleaning and re-lube.
Some of these guns haven't had the action cleaned in nearly 100 years, and they're just gummed up.

Get a can of a "gun scrubber" type spray cleaner/degreaser.
Take the grips off, and spray the cleaner up into the action.
Give it a GOOD shot of this, working the spray around inside as much as possible.
Operate the action a few times and spray more.

Allow to dry COMPLETELY, then spray a good spray lube up inside, again moving the spray around to insure everything is well coated to lubricate and prevent rust.

Allow to drain thoroughly, and either shake or blow the excess out.

Next, modify the way you fire DA.
You probably won't be able to do any fast DA shooting.

Try shooting by "stroking" the trigger with a smooth, straight through pull.
No jerking or hesitation, just a smooth, even, gentle pull.

If after this, you still have throw-by, you'll need pro help.

For these older Colt's, I recommend Pittsburgh Handgun Headquarters.
The Colt factory no longer does many of the older guns, and no longer has the parts.

Pittsburgh is as good as the factory, and is fast and reasonable on price.

[This message has been edited by dfariswheel (edited 04-22-2005).]