fitting a brand new rebound lever

[capstan]

I just got a new rebound lever from retiredgunsmith. Has anyone here fitted a new one This is for my 4"python which someone filed the ledge off at over 90 degrees( maybe 135 degrees). In the Kunhausen manual it says to "cut" the bypass triangle. Do you file,stone, or both? or do something else? This in itself seems incredibly easy to screw up. I assume I would file a very small amount and try it with the bolt and continue this trail and error procedure It seems like it would involve taking apart and putting back together the ibternal parts maybe a dozen or twenty or thirty times?

This is certainly going to be tricky fine/miniscule work and nothing I've ever done before. That plus the fine tuning of the hammer seat, the arc of the rebound lever and all other associated work will be a challenge indeed.

If you see this retired gunsmith, any comments you have would be appreciated. I appreciate any comments from dfariswheel and others,who have done or attempted this work.

[A1A]

Read the relevant Kuhnhausen sections again and then follow them. Don't mess with the rebound cam at all, at least at first. Given you have a good bolt and hand, the first thing is that the bolt tip has to sit on the rebound cam such that instant pickup will occur. You have done that before. Beyond that is fine tuning such that the bolt drop timing is correct, the bolt will return, the hammer will rebound and the trigger reset. Follow Kuhnhausen. Yes, there will most likely be some repeated taking apart and putting together, but you may be surprised at how little "metalwork" can be necessary when you're not trying to make up for someone else's. JMO

[capstan]

Read the relevant Kuhnhausen sections again and then follow them. Don't mess with the rebound cam at all, at least at first. Given you have a good bolt and hand, the first thing is that the bolt tip has to sit on the rebound cam such that instant pickup will occur. You have done that before. Beyond that is fine tuning such that the bolt drop timing is correct, the bolt will return, the hammer will rebound and the trigger reset. Follow Kuhnhausen. Yes, there will most likely be some repeated taking apart and putting together, but you may be surprised at how little "metalwork" can be necessary when you're not trying to make up for someone else's. JMO

A1A, Thanks for the feedback. This new old stock rebound has no bypass triangle. I didnt realize they came new that way from the factory. I was assuming like you said that I wouldnt be messing much with the new rebound's intricate triangle(s) below the ledge. After reading Kun's book it said to "cut" the bypass triangle.
Looking at the rebound,right below the "ledge" there is the triangular face of steel that extends back from the inside face of the lever,to the outside end of the ledge, but No tiney bypass traingle is seen on the very outside edge of the main traingle. It is just one flat,triangular, plane of steel.
At first I thought well maybe its just a manufacturing defect but then I read Kun's book where it says for the new ones you "cut' the bypass triangle. Apparently? the factory leaves this to the Gunsmith to "cut" in.
On all the rebounds I've seen in other guns,there is the tiney and i mean miniscule, triangle of steel on the very outside edge which is beveled off at an angle to the main triangle beyond. This shows up clearly in the diagrams in Kuh's book.
So it looks like some exceedingly intricate "cutting"? is needed to provide this.
I should try to take a macro pic of this but I doubt my camera would show it.

The thing that throws me is the term "cutting" Im not sure what Kunhausen means by this. I would assume some (under magnification) filing/ stoning but Im not sure this is how its done.

A1A, see page 162 of the manual. The tiney triangle (3) in the diagram and Kun's step #3 is what I am referring to. This should explain it better than my rambling narrative. It appears that the bypass is angled slightly out of plane from the front face-Is that what you see also?

Thanks for any more comments you may have on this.

[A1A]

Kuhnhausen jumps around. Look at page 164. First he has you cutting and filing and sawing on the hammer seat. Then he says if you have one of the following rebound conditions (too low for instant pickup or too high) always adjust the rebound lever first. Oops, I just hacked up my triangle and hammer seat without the rebound being in the position where it is going to start. Why not just adjust or at least check the rebound for instant bolt pickup first? Then anything else can also be done on an as needed basis. Also, the drawing of the "cut" triangle is a little off on perspective. It appears that the bottom of the face projects out from the rebound, but it does not as you can see from looking at your rebound. I still say don't "cut" anything until you see that the bolt hangs up on that edge instead of dropping like it should. This is still just my opinion. Have fun.

[capstan]

A1A, Haha , Yes Kun does jump around and his manual is certainly not like a cook book its kind of disjointed/confusing at times especially as to what to do First. He can be real specific at times and then not so -like his (just cut the bypass bevel/triangle, with no indication of how)...
I'm going to try installaing the rebound first doing absolutely nothing to it and see how the bolt interfaceswith it, see if i have instant pickup,and reasonable timing and see if the hammer sits on it correctly and works correctly. Maybe I will luck out and everything will work out. Im still pondering what is going on with the missing bypass triangle and his "cut" instructions.
Ill keep you posted on how it goes. Thanks

[A1A]

Good. If you have done any carpentry or other constructive activities, you probably remember "Measure twice, cut once".

[retiredgunsmith]

I hesitate to try and explain how to fit parts such as the Bolt or Rebound Lever by referring to the fine book by Kunkhausen without the person trying the job having another COLT revolver with a similare action ( D, E, I Frame) to look at and visually compare the two.
Little mete is ever needed to do the fitting of the rebound lever or the bolt as they come from the factory.
( I remember the grossly oversize parts we received just after WWII which required long tedious fitting and much metal reshaping from the very rough parts used at the time).
Through the years, COLT managed to send us repair parts that were very close to the final fitted specifications.
The latest parts really only needed some polishing in most cases to fit properly.
Please take your time and re-read the section in the book. It is too easy to spoil a part by rushing...I applaud your fortitude in attempting this job unaided for the first time.

[dfariswheel]

"Cutting" is done with a fine stone, if at all.

As above, thoroughly read all the Kuhnhausen info on the rebound and the parts that interface with it.
In the Colt's everything is interrelated with everything else.

If the rebound is in normal condition, you may need little to no "cutting" of the triangle. If you do need to stone it, remember that that surface is TINY and a single stroke of a stone too many will ruin it.

[capstan]

I hesitate to try and explain how to fit parts such as the Bolt or Rebound Lever by referring to the fine book by Kunkhausen without the person trying the job having another COLT revolver with a similare action ( D, E, I Frame) to look at and visually compare the two.
Little mete is ever needed to do the fitting of the rebound lever or the bolt as they come from the factory.
( I remember the grossly oversize parts we received just after WWII which required long tedious fitting and much metal reshaping from the very rough parts used at the time).
Through the years, COLT managed to send us repair parts that were very close to the final fitted specifications.
The latest parts really only needed some polishing in most cases to fit properly.
Please take your time and re-read the section in the book. It is too easy to spoil a part by rushing...I applaud your fortitude in attempting this job unaided for the first time.

Thanks, I will take your advice and get my other(mechanically fine)python and compare it's movement and parts carefully with the new ones. I will proceed slowly.

[capstan]

"Cutting" is done with a fine stone, if at all.

As above, thoroughly read all the Kuhnhausen info on the rebound and the parts that interface with it.
In the Colt's everything is interrelated with everything else.

If the rebound is in normal condition, you may need little to no "cutting" of the triangle. If you do need to stone it, remember that that surface is TINY and a single stroke of a stone too many will ruin it.

Thanks for defining Kuhn's "cutting". Im going to look at the Kuh's CD on the rebound. I havent looked at that in over a year It may also shed some light.