Need action\trigger work on colt DA,s

[TIMBERTRAMP]

I am trying to find someone compenent to slicken the action, and improve the da trigger pull on a dec.spec.king corba and whitetailer the trigger pull on the dec.spec.(80's vintage) is esp. horrible is this normal for this model,the kingcobras pull is better although not as good as my mk3 trooper and no where my pythons pull also with colts becoming more collectible will this lower thier value. I got a sweet deal on the python because a previous owner had it ported.btw I like colt da's and ruger sa's please advise-thanks -TT

[ruger and me]

Competent Colt revolversmiths are rare these days, especially for the older style actions such as Det. Special, Diamondback and Python.  Most of the big names have retired or deceased (Jerry Moran, Austin Behler, Fred Sadowski, Reeves Jungkind).  The ones I can think of are the following:

Cylinder and Slide in Nebraska  http://www.cylinder-slide.com/

Grant Cunningham  http://www.grantcunningham.com/  (does old style actions only)

George Wessinger http://www.americanpistol.com/Members/wessinger.html

Alan  Tanaka http://www.americanpistol.com/Members/tanaka.html  (some Colt work)

Walt Sherman 5846 Tea Rose Trail, Tallahassee, FL (904)878-9563  (Python roller action tunes)

The older style Colt actions due to design stack in double action pull.  This can be changed to a straight through pull as on a S&W or Ruger via various different methods.  On the older style actions usually there are 2 different level of tunes.  The first smooths the internals and reduces the trigger pull but does not address the stacking.  The second sometimes called a "supertune" also addresses that(along with things such as headspace and firing pin protrusion)  but is of course more expensive.  The newer design guns employ sintered metal and/or MIM parts and do not have the hand fitting to the degree of the older ones.  Less is or can be done to these but a notable difference can still be made.  As you note Colts are becoming worth quite a bit more now that they have ceased all revolver production (and perhaps destroyed the tooling).  Because of this I would only use a known gunsmith.  Colts have for a considerable time been outside the repertoire of the local village gunsmith.

With tuning the Python will have the lowest double action pull ( perhaps 6 pounds or less double action and 2.5 single).  The newer models will be nowhere as light nor as smooth  (the short hammer arc on the new models requires higher spring pressure).  The smaller, older models such as Detective Special while having a similar action to the Python do not have the leverage due to size so will require somewhat heavier springing.  I would estimate a supertuned Det. Sp. would have a double action of about 7.5 to 8 pounds.  The newer model medium frames probably could be tuned to about 8-8.5 pounds double action.

[TIMBERTRAMP]

  Thanks for the info ruger and me,I think i'm going to try cylinder and slide.- TT

[unspellable]

My Detective Special is OK in DA but has  a stiff trigger in SA.  What's the proper way to lighten the SA trigger?

[ruger and me]

Re: the single action.

Usually, in an action job the surfaces are polished, creep eliminated by reducing the hammer notch and the pull lightened by changing the sear angles.  The latter is a job for a pistolsmith having the jig to do the job.  This allows the precise angle to be cut and to be true.  After doing the work one should check for pushoff.  If overdone the hammer could slip via being gently touched.  Brownell's sells the jigs and stones so I imagine a home gunsmith could attempt this.  Whether the directions included in the sets are detailed in what angles to cut I do not know.

Re: Cylinder and Slide

Some years ago (probably around 1995 or so) there was a writeup in a gun magazine on a C&S Super Tuned Detective Special.  I forget which magazine but it was one of the lesser known handgun ones such as Combat Handguns or perhaps one by Peterson that came out monthly for a while on Handguns.  A while back there was a writeup on a Python that was supertuned by C&S in Combat Handguns.