Colt Peacemaker known issues?

[Sniper Pete]

I'm not a happy chappie.

My Colt Peacemaker SAA.45 Peacemaker (.177 pellet version) has just gone wrong for the 2nd time, apparently with the same problem.

I'd had a half dozen shots no problem and was on my second 6 shots. First shot great, bang on target and as I took the next shot a slight change of note... what's this? NO hole in my target? Impossible!
I opened the loading gate to find one empty shell (from the first shot) and one shell where the pellet had moved less than a quarter of an inch (I don't do metric) in the shell but unfired.

I'll spare you all the boring details, just to say I eliminated the possibility of duff pellets, or faulty Co2 cylinders, by process of elimination.

When I checked my records for this revolver, I noticed it had failed once before, with pretty much an IDENTICAL problem, after just 3 months!
On that occasion it was returned to the seller under warranty, who returned it to their supplier. It was returned to me fixed... (maybe not) a month later.

One year 3 months later it fails for the second time. Because it is out of warranty now I'm having to pay for it to be collected and will no doubt be without it for weeks until it gets repaired and returned.

I NEVER leave it loaded with a Co2 cylinder still installed, for fear of the seal being compromised.

What does puzzle me is - There was NO warning of anything going wrong. It had just fired 6, near perfect, shots.
Now, when I load 6 shells, the first will fire, but then the others won't. Another 6 shells same thing. SO, there is enough pressure to fire one shot, but not the rest. Very odd. It's as if something is stopping a good seal forming and insufficient gas is being expelled to fully fire a pellet.

When I gave up I released the pressure gently from the cylinder, which still had plenty of gas left in it.

I've spoken to the in-house gunsmith at the retailer where I bought it. He has no ideas what the cause is. (The last time it went wrong there was a different gunsmith).

Have any of you guys had the same failure with this revolver, and if so any idea of the cause? I'm no gunsmith and only have a basic knowledge of the mechanicals. I NEVER tamper with fixing anything myself. All I do is the occasional clean.

The only issue I've heard of is the BB version damaging the barrel.

Suggestions please?

UPDATE ADDED 3.8.18

For those of you who wanted to know, I got my revolver back today.

The problem was a tiny pin had broken off the hammer inside the gun itself.

I have (TRIED TO) attatch a parts diagram for the hammer assembly, and a picture of the pin itself, but for some (unknown) reason I have NO option to attatch pictures?

[Aimstraight]

Sure someone will be along with some helpful explanation.

I have read (of other pistols) where the C02 bulb was not pierced adequately properly, such the first shot was good, second (very soon after) not so good.
Have you tried both fast and slow shots to see if it could be this? What about a fault with the safety, not fully coming off such that the valve is not struck adequately/reliably? Just some initial thoughts.

[Sniper Pete]

Sure someone will be along with some helpful explanation.

I have read (of other pistols) where the C02 bulb was not pierced adequately properly, such the first shot was good, second (very soon after) not so good.
Have you tried both fast and slow shots to see if it could be this? What about a fault with the safety, not fully coming off such that the valve is not struck adequately/reliably? Just some initial thoughts.

I've tried all sorts Aimstraight, and I can't make sense of it.

I've got it all packaged up for collection now, but I don't think it's either of your suggestions. I'll leave it for the gunsmith to sort out now, but thanks any way.

I was just asking to see if anyone had heard of this happening, or had it happen to their own Peacemaker. Sometimes these things can be a known issue, such as with the bb version of the same gun and barrel fault. which I know has been quite common in the past.
I wouldn't normally bother but to have the SAME fault twice with the same gun struck me as highly unusual.

[Aimstraight]

Suggest you update this thread with the diagnosis by the gunsmith, it might help others.

A potential issue could be the cylinder indexing not working as well as it should. I realize the pistol is all parceled up now, but for future reference (e.g. when it is returned to you) you could check that out. With NO C02 bulb in the pistol and no pellets loaded, indexing the cylinder (with the hammer), should cause the cylinder/shells to line up precisely with the barrel (this can be viewed with a torch down the barrel - NO C02 ).

Some of the Umerex 8 shot rotary magazine pistols can succumb to a fault whereby the magazine/pellet do not line precisely with the barrel, result is the first few shots are good, the following shots go 'phut' as the pellet strikes the edge of the barrel. Seems feasible that this type of problem might occur on any indexing cylinder gun.

[Sniper Pete]

Suggest you update this thread with the diagnosis by the gunsmith, it might help others.

A potential issue could be the cylinder indexing not working as well as it should. I realize the pistol is all parceled up now, but for future reference (e.g. when it is returned to you) you could check that out. With NO C02 bulb in the pistol and no pellets loaded, indexing the cylinder (with the hammer), should cause the cylinder/shells to line up precisely with the barrel (this can be viewed with a torch down the barrel - NO C02 ).

Some of the Umerex 8 shot rotary magazine pistols can succumb to a fault whereby the magazine/pellet do not line precisely with the barrel, result is the first few shots are good, the following shots go 'phut' as the pellet strikes the edge of the barrel. Seems feasible that this type of problem might occur on any indexing cylinder gun.

Yes, I will let people know the result, if they tell me. [The last time it went back to the retailer, who in turn returned it to their supplier (Armex?), so when I got it back nobody could tell me what the problem was!]

It's not really possible for me to see properly down the barrel as, being a revolver where the rotary chamber doesn't swing out really limits visibility. Then there is the cartridge ejector mechanism. It's not as straightforward as a pistol with an 8 shot magazine would be.

I get the best idea if things are lining up when I open the shell loading gate and gently move the cylinder back and forth. But that's quite loose at the best of times.
If there are no shells loaded in the cylinder it doesn't give me any better view of the area where the "next to be fired" shell sits. Trying to see the part of the revolver where things may not be marrying up and seating correctly/indexing is really difficult. It is probably only possible with the revolver in bits, I don't know.

I haven't a clue when I'll get it back. It's not even going to be collected until the weekend after this coming weekend. Then it will be sent on to the supplier (Armex?). They do whatever they do, and then it gets returned to the dealer, and after up to another 10-14 days after THAT I should get it back. I reckon between one and two months, being a pessimist!

[zippy]

I've had similar issues with mine. It boils down to 3 issues. The first is variation in the cartrige seals. Some are too loose a fit, - some too tight. To overcome this, I made a brass pusher tool,. This tool is just a shouldered brass tapered pin to countersink the pellet in the cartridge. No more pellets left in cartridges and tighter groups!

Then it started happening again, but much worse! This time no gas most of the time, other times the gun would jam in the half cocked position on squeezing the trigger. Apart it came....

First fault was there were still casting flash/burrs on the trigger sear. Also the end wasn't finished square. Half an hr with a swiss file fixed that.

On reassembly I found I had a smooth, light consistent trigger. Only problem was it now dropped into the halfcock position every time.


Apart it came - Again!
After an inspection of the tumbler end of the hammer, I found the halfcock notch to be quite open and the belly of the base of the hammer bulged out, - ensuring the tumbler caught the sear in halfcock position. Turns out some wally had been spinning my gun on their finger in half cock position and also squeezing the trigger with the hammer halfcocked!! ( I was away making some tea)
The remedy was gentle light tapping on the belly with a toffee hammer and a piece of leather to close the sear notch up a little, followed by a little filing of the tumbler belly. Relube and reassemble. The action is now smoother than when it was new, the groups are tighter and the velocity is up.
Sorted!