Colt "Peacekeeper"

[finnesp]

Good afternoon!

I just recently acquired a colt peacekeeper and went thru 170 rounds already (.38 spl Magtech) There a few things I'd like to ask:

1-I've cleaned twice already, after 70rnds and then another time after 100rnds. Used the oil and the brushes thru barrel and chambers. Thing is when looking down the chambers I can see a "non-shiny" ring just about where the tip of the bullet (.38 spl) would sit. I've tried to brush it away with no success. I was wandering, perhaps it is coated in order to withstand the blast from shorter than .357 cases? or did I just discover a new kind of super gun powder gunk.


2-After reading several opinions online it seems to be "okay" to dry fire the gun. But I'm guessuming that doing it too often would be in any case a bad idea.

2.1: I bought online a couple of aluminium snap-caps, and once the hammer hits the transfer bar, the trigger wont reset, as if it was being held by the firing pin. After that I went thru the range and tried DA with no issues, has it happened to any of you?



3-Sometimes I have to struggle a little bit with pulling the hammer to align the chamber with the barrel, I can also guess that being an unused old revolver, the action will smooth itself out?



thank you all for your time!

[awp_101]

Welcome! The majority of my single action experience is with Rugers but I think I can answer this one:

or did I just discover a new kind of super gun powder gunk.

Yes, yes you did. Are you using jacketed or lead loads? Sounds like a ring of lead based on your description. Is it new or used? If used, there's no telling how long it may have been there and can be more stubborn to remove.

[psalms144.1]

Welcome aboard!

I'm a little confused by your posting, you reference a "Colt" "Peacekeeper" (actual name is Single Action Army or SAA), but mention shooting it in double action. SAAs don't have a DA feature, so, not sure how to help you on that one... Similarly, actual Colt SAAs are rarer than hens teeth and EXPENSIVE, but there are LOTS of clones made by a number of manufacturers of varying levels of quality.

Yes, a lead ring in the cylinder is to be expected, especially in a used pistol of unknown provenance and maintenance. If it affects function or accuracy, or if you're a former Marine and can't sleep at night thinking about it, I'd suggest getting a specific lead removal product and trying that out. If that doesn't work, there are specialty kits based on brass/copper mesh that can be used on particularly stubborn lead. BE CAREFUL with this - you don't want to scratch up your cylinder(s), throat, or barrel. Don't be like some folks I know and try to chisel that lead out with a flat head screwdriver...

Not sure what "oil and brushes" you're using for cleaning, most gun lubricants are pretty crappy as cleaning solvents, and vice versa. Recommend getting good quality cleaning supplies - I use MPro7 as cleaner since it's non-toxic and doesn't stink up the house, and I have a STRONG preference for nylon bore brushes because I've seen the results of overcleaning with brass or (shudder) stainless steel brushes. Brownells is your friend for these supplies.

Dry fire is OK, but I would definitely use snap caps any time your dry firing.

[farscott]

Is this "Peacekeeper" the single-action Model P or the double-action Parkerized Trooper V? I assume the latter due to the "transfer bar" and the "DA" comment.

As such, those guns were made at a time when Colt and the UAW were not on the best of terms, and issues with the revolvers are common. It sounds like the revolver is out of time and needs a professional to check it.

As for the chamber issues, a Lewis lead remover will clean it. Issues like this are why I no longer shoot shorter than chamber-length cartridges if I plan on ever shooting full-length cartridges.

[finnesp]

hi!

Thank you all for the replies.

Yes, it’s basically a colt trooper Mk V with a parkerised finish on it. Great advise for the cleaning! However I’ll stay away from carving fluted chambers in the cylinder

The lockwork seems to work fine, the timing seems spot on, meaning I don’t need to manually lock the cylinder. After shooting several round in DA I could seen any marks on the forcing cone. I have to say that I’m new incoltbtrvonvets, I’ve shot with and Wesson’s and they seemed somehow smoother to shoot. It is also the case that some sorry charmer is forcing the cartridge against the frame. I understand that a revolver is still a complex mechanism and doesn’t always and all the time work like a Swiss clock.

I did some amateur research on the gun and it seems that the internal lockwork and quality of the metal was still at colt standards.


Kind regards

[Duces Tecum]

As noted earlier, a Lewis Lead Remover, available from Brownell's, will remove the "ring". It always used to bother me, too.

https://shop.brownells.com/gun-clean...SABEgLmkPD_BwE

https://tinyurl.com/yyanw3gs

[finnesp]

Welcome! The majority of my single action experience is with Rugers but I think I can answer this one:


Yes, yes you did. Are you using jacketed or lead loads? Sounds like a ring of lead based on your description. Is it new or used? If used, there's no telling how long it may have been there and can be more stubborn to remove.

I used semijacketed rounds, I could well be that previous owner left a little present for me

[finnesp]

Welcome aboard!

I'm a little confused by your posting, you reference a "Colt" "Peacekeeper" (actual name is Single Action Army or SAA), but mention shooting it in double action. SAAs don't have a DA feature, so, not sure how to help you on that one... Similarly, actual Colt SAAs are rarer than hens teeth and EXPENSIVE, but there are LOTS of clones made by a number of manufacturers of varying levels of quality.

Yes, a lead ring in the cylinder is to be expected, especially in a used pistol of unknown provenance and maintenance. If it affects function or accuracy, or if you're a former Marine and can't sleep at night thinking about it, I'd suggest getting a specific lead removal product and trying that out. If that doesn't work, there are specialty kits based on brass/copper mesh that can be used on particularly stubborn lead. BE CAREFUL with this - you don't want to scratch up your cylinder(s), throat, or barrel. Don't be like some folks I know and try to chisel that lead out with a flat head screwdriver...

Not sure what "oil and brushes" you're using for cleaning, most gun lubricants are pretty crappy as cleaning solvents, and vice versa. Recommend getting good quality cleaning supplies - I use MPro7 as cleaner since it's non-toxic and doesn't stink up the house, and I have a STRONG preference for nylon bore brushes because I've seen the results of overcleaning with brass or (shudder) stainless steel brushes. Brownells is your friend for these supplies.

Dry fire is OK, but I would definitely use snap caps any time your dry firing.

Thanks for the sound advice!

When cleaning the chambers I’ll refrain to chisel them down to fluted chambers

[Jim Watson]

The "ring" ALIGNED WITH THE NOSE OF A BULLET is probably the step down from chamber diameter to throats diameter. Nothing to clean. Do Magnums chamber freely?

Do NOT dryfire a coil spring Colt without a good snap cap. They are subject to breaking the firing pin and it is a factory job to replace.

[farscott]

The "ring" ALIGNED WITH THE NOSE OF A BULLET is probably the step down from chamber diameter to throats diameter. Nothing to clean. Do Magnums chamber freely?

Do NOT dryfire a coil spring Colt without a good snap cap. They are subject to breaking the firing pin and it is a factory job to replace.

Not only is the above advice about not dry firing the gun due to firing pin breakage very good advice, but Colt is no longer repairing Trooper MK III models. I am not sure about the Mk V models, including the Peacemaker.