i got a new barrel and the gap on my revolver seems to be fine now?

Question

before i got this barrel my revolver was a real piece of crap and it would spray me with gun powder and occasionally lead. i was lead to beleive its the cylinder rod thats worn out. but with the new barrel the gap seems so small i cant even tell there is a gap. i want to know what you think the problem was? now obviously it was the barrel i know that now but what do you think it was specifically? im really curious because like i said i thought it was the cylinder that was causing the horrible gap now with the new barrel the gap isnt bad and i think the problem is solved, but i want to know what was causing it so i can make sure it doesnt happen to this barrel

Answer 1

Outside of cylinder timing issues that can cause problems as you describe, well worn revolvers tend to develop two other issues....



First, the forcing cone is cut into the cylinder end of the barrel, it's not a separate piece. One issue is excessive gap between the cylinder and the barrel. .004 is indeed ideal, .006 is the max. If it's .002 or less you'll likely have problems with the cylinder binding when the revolver gets fouled. But if you don't then what the heck, you're cool. .003 is a bit tight but usually O.K. for recreational use.



The second is excessive "end shake". End shake is for-and-aft movement of the cylinder. It is measured by checking the gap with a feeler gauge first with what is the biggest gauge that can slip in with out force, and second by pulling the cylinder towards the rear and seeing what's the biggest feeler gauge you can force in. End shake over .002 should be corrected.



Timing is easy to check. Cock the revolver very slowly. Then try to turn the cylinder by hand. If it's locked up properly you won't be able to turn it. If it moves a tad and the cylinder bolt clicks into place then you have a lock-up problem.



Go to any auto parts store and buy a feeler gauge. You probably had an excessive gap.

Answer 2

I've got to agree with cmcvpr on this. Possibly the new barrel stopped your problem but being "out of time" may require an over-sized( thickness) cylinder advancing hand. End shake can be fixed by using a modified pipe cutter. It essentially "stretches" the cylinder rod in a break top. In a more modern revolver, these terms are called different names by different manufacturers. One company may call it a yoke and the other may call it a crane. One calls it "out of time" while another calls it DCU ( doesn't come up)



If you're not having a problem and if it is an old gun, I would do nothing more to it. If it starts "spitting or shaving"lead again, I would retire it and go with a more modern handgun.

Answer 3

I know this is going to be a stupid question, but how many rounds were put through the original barrel? How frequently was the gun cleaned in relationship to how much burnt blast powder, etc.



Are the dimensions on the old and new barrel different? I'm assuming they are if you are saying the gap is less. But if the barrel is removable, did it shift over time?



Your new barrel might be better machined, or a tighter tolerance for your pistol. Or maybe because there is such a gap, it built demand for a better barrel.

Answer 4

Sounds like your headspacing was excessive. A new barrel can clear that up, has a tighter fit between the forcing cone and the cylinder. Don't quote me, but I think I read .004" is ideal, you'll want to double check that on the google search. I don't know what sort of gun you have, but it sounds old, which probably means it shoots an older caliber, which might also mean lots of lead ammo. You'd have to shoot ALOT of lead to wear out a barrel, so maybe it was just sloppy to begin with, or someone messed with it in the past and the fit wasn't as good as it should be. Unless you're playing gun smith or using it as a hammer, it shouldn't happen again, and you should be good to go.

Answer 5

You got ripped off.



It's not the barrel, it's the force cone - that piece of metal in between the barrel and the cylinder head which funnels the force of the gas into the barrel. It might even be your gun was out of synch which means the cylinder was not aligned properly with the axis of the barrel. The price to fix either or both is no where near the price of a brand new barrel and the cost to install it.

Answer 6

My guess, and would only be that. Was the forcing cone was damaged in some way. That is the tapered part that allows the bullet access to the barrel lands. Being it was a break top. someone might of struck it in some fashion