About 2001 or so I inherited a 6" Python from my uncle. Thing looks brand new. I know its hardly ever been fired...I never got around to shooting the gun till just yesterday. And guess what. It seems to go out of time and lock up when cocking the hammer on 5th sometimes 6th shot. Is there someone who can possibly fix this thing of do I just put it back in the safe and forget about it...

I'm thinking its probably the latter....

Opinions anyone?

Contact frank Glenn before he retires like grant Cunningham did

Frank Glenn-Glenn Custom Complete Gunsmithing Service Glendale AZ

I had a Python in the early '70's.

Worked fine, but was a bit fragile and sensitive to things (ammo) it didn't like.

I traded it for a Colt Gold Cup and never looked back.

Trading from a fussy revolver to a pistol that never balked at anything was a revelation. Much better accuracy, 100% reliability, and a pistol with perfect ergonomics made the trade a plus for me.

If course, if I'd kept the Python, I'd be money ahead (the Gold Cup I traded for was retired with many years of use and many thousands of rounds down range) I'd have been to sell the Python for much more than the Gold Cup would bring.

Thanks for the heads up eb07...

Try contacting the Colt factory, they still do work on revolvers of recent manufacture but don't know if that includes Pythons.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I believe Colt will work on it. But I understand that their repair service is quite slow, and you may have to wait a long time to get it back. You might want to get on the Colt Forum - much like this one, but devoted to Colts.

Odd that it is acting up on only one or two chambers.

Somehow, Mark the cylinders and see if it's consistently locking in the same place. Clean under the extractor star if you have t already to see if it's binding. If it's a timing issue you can tell without firing it. If a part is broken on the inside, you should be able to diagnose that as well.

If you search you can find a post on how to check the timing.

check your brass to see if you have a protruding primer on one or more cases... both fired & unfired rounds. Your description leads me to suspect that or too long of over all length with bullets protruding & catching on the barrel. Sometimes ammo didn't get enough of a crimp & bullets can walk forward due to the recoil of the other rounds in the cylinder going off... loose primer pockets can also let primers creep out/protrude from fired rounds...plus even on factory ammo some primers weren't seated deep enough to begin with... Some commercial ammo & remanufactured ammo...(plus reloads by some folks) are notorious for any & all of these problems...

we are down to one Python, & have never had a problem out of her or any of the others we've owned.. nor have any of our friends had problems out of their Pythons or Diamondbacks...they are neither weak or fragile...

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be safe,enjoylife,journey well

I published this in another thread a couple of days ago, but I will repeat:

To check Colt timing:

BOLT RETRACTION AND "SNAP BACK".
Open the cylinder and look at the small "lug" in the bottom of the cylinder window. This is the cylinder locking bolt.

Cock the hammer, and watch as the bolt retracts into the frame and pops back out.

The bolt MUST begin to retract THE INSTANT the hammer begins to move.
There MUST be NO (ZERO) hammer movement possible before the bolt starts to retract.

The bolt should retract smoothly with no hesitation until it's fully retracted, then it MUST pop back out with a clean "snap".
There should be no hesitation, and no amount of "creeping" back out.

CYLINDER UNLOCKING.
Close the cylinder.
Use your left thumb or fore finger to again cock the hammer, closely watching the cylinder bolt as you SLOWLY cock the hammer.

As the hammer comes back, the bolt will retract away from the cylinder.

The bolt MUST retract far enough to unlock the cylinder BEFORE the cylinder begins to rotate.

If the bolt is still slightly engaged with the cylinder lock notch, the cylinder will be attempting to turn while still partially locked.

This produces a "catch" or "hard spot" in the trigger pull and will damage both the bolt and the cylinder lock notches.
This often appears as metal "pulled out" of the lock notches, with rounded off and burred notches.

BOLT DROP TIMING.
Continue to cock the hammer, laying your right index finger on the cylinder just enough to prevent "free wheeling".

Watch for the bolt to drop back onto the cylinder. WHERE the bolt drops is CRITICAL.

The bolt MUST drop onto the lead or ramp in front of the actual cylinder notch.
If the bolt drops too soon, (in front of the notch ramp), it will mar the finish of the cylinder.

The bolt SHOULD drop into the MIDDLE 1/3rd section of the ramp.

If the bolt drops late, (farther toward the actual locking notch) the revolver may display "cylinder throw-by".
In this condition, during double action shooting the cylinder may rotate PAST the locking notch, and fire in an unlocked condition.

It's the nature of the Colt action, that a hesitant or jerky trigger pull by the user can induce throw-by in even a properly tuned Colt.
The Colt trigger should be pulled with a smooth, even pull, with no sudden jerks at the beginning.

CYLINDER LOCKUP.
Continue to pull the hammer back and both watch and listen for the bolt to drop into the cylinder lock notch.

The bolt MUST drop into the actual lock notch BEFORE the hammer reaches full cock.

The most common Colt mis-time situation is the hammer cocks before the bolt drops into the lock notch. (Hammer is cocked, but cylinder isn't locked).

In this condition, with the hammer fully cocked, you can push the cylinder slightly, and you will hear the "CLICK" as the bolt drops into lock.

In my experience, most Colt's leave the factory with the bolt dropping a little late into the lead, but usually wear in to correct timing.

If the bolt drops onto the cylinder early, no real problem, but there will be extra finish wear.

If the bolt drops late (closer to the lock notch) the cylinder may "throw by" or rotate TOO far in double action and this can cause off-center primer hits and firing while unlocked.

Each of these checks should be done on EACH chamber. All of these checks are better done individually. In other words, do the bolt retraction check on all six chambers, then do the bolt drop test, and so on.

A properly tuned Colt will:
Have a smoothly functioning bolt with no sticky or hesitant movement.

Unlock before the cylinder begins to turn.

The bolt will drop onto the middle 1/3rd of the ramp.

The bolt will drop into the lock notch before the hammer reaches full cock.

Have a smooth trigger pull, which does "stack", or get heavier toward the end of the pull.

I see you are from PA. Did you recently post this problem on Armslist looking for help?

If so, I replied to you. I know how to work on them, and offered to meet and look at it for you. I am not a gunsmith for hire, but could tell you what the problem is. If it is simple, could probably fix it too.

You have one of the best firearms made, and I would imagine it is something simple.

If you want to send it to someone, send it to Frank Glenn. He will fix it and have it back in a week or two. Plus the cost is very reasonable. I wouldn't trust anyone else with a Colt.

Sell it and buy 2 Smith and Wessons!

No I did not... This is the first place I have ever posted regarding to my wheel guns...

All these replies have been great, very helpful. Thank you everyone...

Well, must have been one of those coincidences then.

Anyway, if you don't live far, the offer would stand for you too.

Other than that, Frank Glenn is the man. I had him correct a canted barrel on my 3" 629 and correct out-of-time on 2 holes. He fixed it the same day it was received and I had it back 6 days after giving it to the post office. I declined an action job so I could do it myself.

My mid 70's Python didn't lockup in full battery till I pulled the trigger I thought it was out of time but every time the trigger was pulled it locked the cylinder. She had pin point accuracy at 100yds. I was told after I sold it that's how they are.

Or four...........

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Even older, even crankier....

For some time, good Pythons in original condition, especially early ones, have been bringing insane prices. I don't have one, but I do have the next best thing, a Colt 3-5-7 (actually two of them), the immediate predecessor to the Python. But even those are now bringing very high prices, but not yet up to the Python level. And the 3-5-7s are far scarcer than Pythons.

I'd still say it's much more likely to be an ammunition issue than a pistol gunsmithing issue & is easily checked & ruled in or out... best yet it is free, & doesn't require the shipping of the pistol.

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be safe,enjoylife,journey well

Were it ammunition related, I doubt if the condition would be experienced if using factory ammo. Or dry-fired empty. I still think it is strange that it occurs on only one or two chambers.

I once had a similar problem on a Model 28, and never could figure what caused it. I tore it apart several times and cleaned everything meticulously. Mysteriously it stopped all by itself.

When it binds, you can pull the hammer back a little and spin the cylinder to see if the brass or primer is dragging.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Folks on the Colt forum swear by Frank Glenn. Sounds like his turn around time is reasonable as well.

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Even older, even crankier....

before people stop paying big money for what is frequently a piece of junk gun. I have owned about a dozen or so in the past and have wholesaled many dozens of them (back when they were a current model). I realize that some gun sellers have boosted Python prices to sky high levels, but if I had to have a gun to shoot and actually expected it to last and be reliable, I would take a K L or N frame S&W over any Python I've seen. Some made in the 1950's had gorgeous blue finish and experts can tune a Python to be butter-smooth (same as a S&W). My experience with all Pythons is that they have timing problems, wear out quickly and are a bear to fix. The last one I bought new was a nickel 6 inch. As delivered the cylinder was rubbing against the back of the barrel. The cylinders were all bored so tight that even shooting 38 special factory wadcutters you had to use a wooden dowel to get the empty cases out. The best group I could get at 15 yards was about 3 inches (which Colt told me was their factory standard for what at the time was a $600 revolver). To me the Python is the biggest stroke job on the gun sales market. Oh, when I used to wholesale Colts I had a shipment of 12 come in from the factory...you couldn't open the cylinder on any of them! So much for claims of a hand-fitted gun...