I have been pretty well acquainted with Couriers for decades and I have NEVER seen or heard of an alloy cylinder on a .22 Courier. From personal observation and research, the .32 Courier is the only regular production Colt to ever have an alloy cylinder. (The AirCrewman is not regular production.)
Tell me more about the alloy cylinder .22 Courier mentioned. Where is this one-of-a-kind gun now?
As far as steel cylinders on a .32 Courier, I had never seen one with a steel cylinder until Vipereater told me ahout his. However, the Blue Book does mention some with steel cylinders, which may be based on some fact, or, more likely, the usual Blue Book misinformation. (The Colt section is such a mess. Of course, there are many other inaccuracies as well.)
Nevertheless, the cylinder on Vipereater's is steel. My guess is parts cleanup, but I have no proof. The weights mentioned appear in the sales literature, indicating that the usual configurations were steel cyinders on the .22, and alloy cylinders on the .32. In no literature is the .22 ever shown weighing less than the 19.5 ounces, indicating no alloy cylinder. Of course, in no literature is the .32 ever shown weighing more than 13.5 ounces, indicating no steel cylinder.
However, it is easy to explain a steel cylinder already in regular production for the .32 PPS and Cobra being used on Couriers, either to clean up the remaining bsrrels (which are the only place where the model is identified - which would make a Cobra a Courier if the Courier barrel were installed to use them up), or when no alloy cylinders were available FOR .32 Couriers. There is no explanation for an alloy cylinder for a .22, since no Colt .22 of any kind ever used such a cylinder.
Has anyone else ever seen an alloy cylinder on a .22 Courier?
