Issue with Anaconda 45 Colt and heavy bullets.............

[LeMat]

Noticed an odd thing shooting my 4" Anaconda in 45 Colt.

Now bear with me as it's kind of difficult to describe, but I'll do my best.

First, let's lable the chambers like a clock going around the cylinder. 12 o'clock being the topmost chamber and 6 being the bottom.

When I am shooting heavy bullets (pretty much anything over 255 up to 300) and there are only two rounds left in the cylinder, one in the 10 o'clock chamber and one in the 8 o'clock chamber, as I start to pull the trigger and just as the bolt drops free of the cylinder notch, the weight of these two rounds will actually cause the cylinder to rotate counter-clockwise about 1/4". If I keep pulling the trigger back, the hand seems to do it's job and the cylinder starts back into a normal clockwise rotation, moving the 10 o'clock round into firing position.

If I keep the trigger pulled just enough so that the bolt drops free of the cylinder notch, I can actually rotate the cylinder by hand counter-clockwise a couple of full rotations. There is a miniscule window in which this can be done, but it can be done.

Is this indicative of the Anacondas or do I have a problem?

[LeMat]

Anyone?

dfariswheel, where are ya when I need ya?

[broknaxl]

Are you saying that as you cock it, it rolls back out of time?? I've never noticed this on any of mine, but will now be watching and trying to replicate it.

[LeMat]

Yes, but only when there are two live rounds left to shoot. That is why I'm thinking it has to do with the weight of those rounds causing the cylinder to rotate on it's own.

I can replicate it at any time manually, but it will not do it on it's own unless those two rounds are present.

[JudgeColt]

Sounds like the hand is so loose in the hand window that it is losing contact with the ratchet, which allows the weight of the two loaded chambers to rotate the cylinder backward in free fall. Loose hand fit appears to be a common problem with Anacondas. It can be fixed by bending the hand so as to fit tightly in the hand window.

[LeMat]

Not sure if I want to tackle that myself.

One thing I've noticed with the Colt is that with the cylinder out, I am able to cock the hammer back. With Rugers and Smiths, I have to manually hold the cylinder release in order to do this with the cylinder out.

Is this indicative of Colt revolvers?

I should have named this thread something else.

[smkummer]

The Colts will cock with the cylinder out, They won"t open or close with the hammer cocked though. I have "repaired" MKIII actions with nothing more that shooting spray lube into the action. You don't have to take the sideplate off (and you should not do this unless you know what you are doing) to do this. Just take the stocks off of the frame and squit some lube under the hammer. Lube down the hammer with it cocked, and put oil on the bolt, cylinder release and up under the trigger. Its worth a try to see if it fixes your issue.

[Chief Two Cents]

Yes, that's the norm for Colt revolvers. You can cock them with the cylinder out, but you can't close it without releasing the hammer.

[LeMat]

Thanks guys. I'll try to run some lube in there and see what happens. I just don't remember this happening before, but I rarely ever ran heavy loads through it. Mostly stuck with 225's.