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To be fair, I'll post info on checking the timing of the post-1969 transfer bar ignition revolvers.
These revolvers use actions that are more like a S&W than the older Colt's, and the timing is MUCH less critical.
These guns include:
The Trooper Mark III/Lawman/Metropolitan Police/Official Police Mark III.
The Trooper Mark V/Peacekeeper/King Cobra.
The Anaconda (possibly).
The SF-VI/DS-II/Magnum Carry (possibly)
BOLT RETRACTION AND DROP.
In these guns, the bolt retraction and drop is judged by TRIGGER movement.
The bolt should begin to retract within 1/6 to 1/4 of the triggers total movement and drop after about 2/3 of it's total arc.
This is NOT 1/6 to 1/4 INCHES, it's total trigger movement.
BOLT ACTION.
Open the cylinder and look at the small "lug" in the lower frame window.
This is the cylinder locking bolt.
Slowly cock the hammer and watch the bolt as it retracts.
When the bolt begins to retract, it should move smoothly in, then pop back out with a clean "SNAP".
There should be little or no mushy or hesitant movement.
BOLT DROP.
Close the cylinder and slowly cock the hammer.
Watch the TRIGGER.
The trigger should move between 1/6 and 1/4 of its arc before the bolt begins to retract.
What's critical here is that the bolt MUST be retracted enough to be completely free of the cylinder locking notch BEFORE the cylinder begins to rotate.
BOLT DROP.
Again, the standard for bolt drop is based on TRIGGER movement.
The Bolt should drop after about 2/3 of the trigger's total travel.
What's critical here is, the bolt should remain retracted away from the cylinder while the cylinder rotates past the locking notch, and then drop back onto the cylinder before the trigger gets too close to the end of it's movement.
CYLINDER LOCKING.
Before the hammer is cocked, the bolt MUST drop into the cylinder locking notch, locking the cylinder.
Unlike the older Colt actions, there's a wide range of adjustment allowed, and the bolt DOES NOT drop into the lead to the cylinder locking notch.
Since the bolt rides the cylinder for most of it's rotation, these Colt's will have finish wear almost all the way around the cylinder like S&W's do.
The design of the hand in these revolvers is also more S&W-like, in that LENGTH is NOT a factor, WIDTH is the critical dimension.
For this reason, these revolvers seldom develop "hammer's cocked, but cylinder isn't locked" problems.
Unlike the older Colt's, these guns are designed to have parts replaced, and CANNOT
be re-fitted or re-tuned. If they have a problem, new parts are installed.
Also unlike the old Colt's, parts cannot be altered or even polished much. The parts are sintered steel with a thin, glass hard coating. Any attempt to polish, heat and bend, or alter parts will break through the coating, destroying the part.
These timing instructions should be good for these later Colt's but I'm not 100% SURE they hold for the later Colt SF-VI/DS-II/Magnum Carry, or the Anaconda.
The Colt SF series guns seemed to all have a slightly different bolt action, in which the bolt dropped VERY soon after the cylinder started to rotate.
In the few versions I saw, I was concerned that any seating or wear would develop a condition where the bolt would drop right back into the locking notch, before the cylinder would rotate.
They were THAT close.
As you can see, the timing is MUCH less critical here, and you live with what ya got.
There's little tuning beyond spring kits, and no re-fitting of worn parts.
To make up for all this, you get what Master Gunsmith Jerry Kuhnhausen believed was the strongest mid-frame revolver ever built, including the Ruger's.
So, the bolt should retract before the cylinder begins to rotate.
The bolt should drop back onto the cylinder before the trigger gets too close to the end of it's movement.
The bolt should lock the cylinder before the hammer gets even close to cocked.
These revolvers use actions that are more like a S&W than the older Colt's, and the timing is MUCH less critical.
These guns include:
The Trooper Mark III/Lawman/Metropolitan Police/Official Police Mark III.
The Trooper Mark V/Peacekeeper/King Cobra.
The Anaconda (possibly).
The SF-VI/DS-II/Magnum Carry (possibly)
BOLT RETRACTION AND DROP.
In these guns, the bolt retraction and drop is judged by TRIGGER movement.
The bolt should begin to retract within 1/6 to 1/4 of the triggers total movement and drop after about 2/3 of it's total arc.
This is NOT 1/6 to 1/4 INCHES, it's total trigger movement.
BOLT ACTION.
Open the cylinder and look at the small "lug" in the lower frame window.
This is the cylinder locking bolt.
Slowly cock the hammer and watch the bolt as it retracts.
When the bolt begins to retract, it should move smoothly in, then pop back out with a clean "SNAP".
There should be little or no mushy or hesitant movement.
BOLT DROP.
Close the cylinder and slowly cock the hammer.
Watch the TRIGGER.
The trigger should move between 1/6 and 1/4 of its arc before the bolt begins to retract.
What's critical here is that the bolt MUST be retracted enough to be completely free of the cylinder locking notch BEFORE the cylinder begins to rotate.
BOLT DROP.
Again, the standard for bolt drop is based on TRIGGER movement.
The Bolt should drop after about 2/3 of the trigger's total travel.
What's critical here is, the bolt should remain retracted away from the cylinder while the cylinder rotates past the locking notch, and then drop back onto the cylinder before the trigger gets too close to the end of it's movement.
CYLINDER LOCKING.
Before the hammer is cocked, the bolt MUST drop into the cylinder locking notch, locking the cylinder.
Unlike the older Colt actions, there's a wide range of adjustment allowed, and the bolt DOES NOT drop into the lead to the cylinder locking notch.
Since the bolt rides the cylinder for most of it's rotation, these Colt's will have finish wear almost all the way around the cylinder like S&W's do.
The design of the hand in these revolvers is also more S&W-like, in that LENGTH is NOT a factor, WIDTH is the critical dimension.
For this reason, these revolvers seldom develop "hammer's cocked, but cylinder isn't locked" problems.
Unlike the older Colt's, these guns are designed to have parts replaced, and CANNOT
be re-fitted or re-tuned. If they have a problem, new parts are installed.
Also unlike the old Colt's, parts cannot be altered or even polished much. The parts are sintered steel with a thin, glass hard coating. Any attempt to polish, heat and bend, or alter parts will break through the coating, destroying the part.
These timing instructions should be good for these later Colt's but I'm not 100% SURE they hold for the later Colt SF-VI/DS-II/Magnum Carry, or the Anaconda.
The Colt SF series guns seemed to all have a slightly different bolt action, in which the bolt dropped VERY soon after the cylinder started to rotate.
In the few versions I saw, I was concerned that any seating or wear would develop a condition where the bolt would drop right back into the locking notch, before the cylinder would rotate.
They were THAT close.
As you can see, the timing is MUCH less critical here, and you live with what ya got.
There's little tuning beyond spring kits, and no re-fitting of worn parts.
To make up for all this, you get what Master Gunsmith Jerry Kuhnhausen believed was the strongest mid-frame revolver ever built, including the Ruger's.
So, the bolt should retract before the cylinder begins to rotate.
The bolt should drop back onto the cylinder before the trigger gets too close to the end of it's movement.
The bolt should lock the cylinder before the hammer gets even close to cocked.
