No turn line ever?! Can you elaborate on this please? A timing change of some sort, or some kind of clearcoat over the bluing???
Yes, I can elaborate-------at least as to the what (On both Colt and S&W), if not as to the how.
Colt: I first thought it was a timing change---now I'm not so sure. I'm not so sure out of pure ignorance. (I had unlimited access to the Roper Colt for several years----access to a stock Officers Model for only a short time (minutes).) Roper Colt: The cylinder stop SNAPPED down (loud and hard) at the first movement of hammer/trigger----all the way down----wouldn't go down any further; and SNAPPED back up when the cylinder stop was about a third of the way into the lead to the cylinder stop notch. The apparent "secret" with the Roper Colt is the bluing had been removed from the lead into each cylinder stop notch----made for a very striking cosmetic change----and if it hadn't been removed, then the turn line in/through the blue would have been maybe 1/8" long in each lead area---at the end of the lead area right next to the notch. So that's the what on the Roper gun.
On what appeared to be a stock as a stove, quasi-beater, shooter grade Officers Model of similar vintage (The Roper gun shipped from Colt October 22, 1935.), the cylinder stop dropped (Did not SNAP) at essentially the same time vis-a-vis the hammer/trigger movement, but did not appear to have moved/dropped as far down as the Roper version did, and at least appeared to be dragging against the cylinder----until it went back up. (And it went back up, heading for the notch, at the same time as with the Roper version.) So much for Colt stuff.
Same church, different pew with a S&W 4th Model K-22 (Post-war, wide rib): This is my first brand new in the box S&W (or anything else for that matter). The time is late 1950's. This gun is finished in the "Satin Blue"----the funky finish. It was then, as it is now, atrocious---just plain nasty. I could have the "Bright Blue" on special order after a 6 month wait. Forget about it!!! Come the Spring of 1960 I've had about all I can stand of the funky finish, and ship the gun back to Springfield for Bright Blue. Remember that special order, 6 month wait for Bright Blue at the beginning? I had this gun back in 2-3 weeks----letter perfect!! Now, there were some special instructions which accompanied this gun back to Springfield----went like this: Please assign this gun to your very best craftsman. Have him go through it, and make it as perfect as can be. I don't care how long it takes nor how much it costs.
Okay, the gun is back---it's beautiful, everything works, I have no idea what, if anything special they did to it because they didn't say and I didn't ask. (So what do you expect from a dumb kid?!!) Time passes, things change. About a half a box-car full of ammo has gone through this gun by now, and I've learned about things like turn-rings. This gun has no turn-ring. Actually, on closer examination, it does. It's about 3/32" long at the lead into each cylinder stop----very faint. I told Jinks about all this, and he about has a conniption fit!! He's actually angry!! "THEY NEVER SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT!!! IT'LL SKIP CHAMBERS IN RAPID DOUBLE ACTION FIRE!!" I didn't have the heart to tell him about half of that half a box-car full of ammo had been in as rapid a double action fire as I could manage while I was trying to emulate McGivern's feats-----and it never missed a beat!!
So, here they most certainly altered the timing----a bunch. I can hypothesise, as to the how, but so can anybody else. The real accurate, honest answers come from folks who know for sure and certain, and are inclined to share such information------for whatever reason. I suspect those of our members who identify themselves as S&W Factory Armorers (or some such) know how this is done. I suspect also they (some or all) would be happy to share such information with those who are happy to share their cost of acquiring such information. These people are known as Consultants.
Otherwise you're into a situation similar to mine with my gunsmith. I collected target guns---from the very beginning to what I deemed to be the end. The majority of my collection consisted of pre-war hand ejectors----and I had all of them. I soon learned the tiny little screw securing the rear sight to the frame was not the least bit inclined to come loose, so off to the good Doctor Howard I go. The screw is removed inside of 10 minutes----with no damage to anything----------ever----$20. At a point in time when I was so foolish as to ask, "How'd you do that?!!!"; I was told, "It's amazing what a little heat will do!" I was never so foolish as to ask about how much heat, where, and for how long. I was fortunate enough to remember a lesson from long ago----lest I suffer the embarrassment of learning it again.
I'm maybe 15. I have an absolutely exquisite French made, double barrel, muzzle loading shotgun. I manage to lose one of the hammer screws. The screw is engraved on the head, and the screw slot forms a part of the engraving pattern on the lock when it's tightened. Off I go to my gunsmith, who says he can make a new screw. He does just that---engraving and all, and you can't tell which is the old screw. "How much?" I scream like a ruptured mud hen when he says "$15.00". "What the hell for?!!" He very calmly explained half was for his time, and the other half was for knowing what to do. That was the last time I ever questioned/challenged a professional about their fee.
At any rate, that's it----any help?
Ralph Tremaine
...Ben
