[LBrennan]

I just acquired my third Python. My 1963 blue 4-inch and my 1981 blue 6-inch both shoot decent groups, like 1.5 inches at 25 yards with factory or handloaded ammo, .38's or .357's. My latest is a 6-inch, made is 1976, that supposedly has been through the Colt Custom shop for that service they used to provide whereby they made it into a PPC gun--it has a very light, buttery smooth double action, and very light, crisp single action trigger. The gun has what I think may be an Armalloy finish, I don't think it is Colt Electroless Nickel, cause it does not look like my Gold Cup that is Electroless(will try to post a pic in another message), and appears to be in mint condition. It locks up nice and tight, and does not seem to be spitting lead or anything. However, it shoots 4-5-6 inch groups, that seem to spread a little more horozontally than vertically. Is this a timing problem, a bad forcing cone, a sloppy barrel, or what? Anybody know what Colt would ask to look at it, re-time if necessary? Thanks.

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[Majic]

Does it do this with different ammo and bullet weights? Is the crown in good shape? I have also seen horizontal stringing the came from of all things a rear sight that would shift in recoil.
Slow cock your revolver with and without light pressure on the cylinder to check for lockup. If it doesn't lock up tight, but you have just barely move the cylinder to make it lock up I wouldn't worry about the timing to much.

 

[LBrennan]

Thanks Majic. The rear sight is solid. Bad groups with everything from 125's to 158's, in .38 and .357. Thought maybe it was leading, so really really cleaned bore with lead out cloth, fired bunch of factory jacketed rounds to clean any other residual lead out. When I slow cock with no pressure on cylinder, it locks right up. When I put some pressue on cylinder while slow cocking, the cylinder goes to the point where the cylinder stop ALMOST drops into the cylinder groove, and as soon as I let go of the cylinder, it drops in. This is interesting, because on my other two snakes, it requires just the slightest push after slow cocking to get the cyliner stop to drop in. Maybe the bad-grouping Python is out of time then? <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Majic:
Does it do this with different ammo and bullet weights? Is the crown in good shape? I have also seen horizontal stringing the came from of all things a rear sight that would shift in recoil.
Slow cock your revolver with and without light pressure on the cylinder to check for lockup. If it doesn't lock up tight, but you have just barely move the cylinder to make it lock up I wouldn't worry about the timing to much.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

[LBrennan]

Yeah, I called Colt and they said they'd look at it for free (if you don't count the $25 return charge)and give me an estimate. Since the gun is so minty, I am kinda thinking it is not dirty chambers, bad crown, shot out barrel, firing pin problems, sights on crooked. head space, maybe, forcing cone, maybe, cylinder alignment--my best guess.
They said they can do a custom tune for $130, which is what it had done back when. She did say that the custom tune's are prone to go out of time because the spring kits are so fragile, and this thing does have light springs. I will probably send it back to them and have them install factory springs in addition to whatever else they find. Thanks for the input.

 

[dfariswheel]

Colt would look at the total gun, to find the problem. (And there IS a problem).

As is often the problem with used guns, you have no idea who's done what to it.

It could be:
A damaged or altered crown.
A damaged, over-sized, or irregular bore.
A damaged or mis-cut forcing cone.
Cylinder alignment.
Head space problems.
Firing pin problems.
Sights on an angle.
Dirty chambers.

Since Python's don't shoot like this, I'd suggest a trip back to the factory.

 

[joed]

I can't say enough good about sending a gun back to Colt. I just sent my 62 Python back to them for refurbishing. In less then 30 days they sent me back a work of art.