Ist Generation .32-20

And USFA built them just right! If you want a Colt "clone" there are none made as good as the Colt (or better than).

USFA .44 Special

Otony

A 4th Generation .. made with the removable cylinder bushing

The action was stiff ... heavy springs ... the cylinder hand (pawl) was dragging pretty heavily indicating the spring needed tuned. And with the cylinder removed, if the hammer was pulled to full cock and the trigger depressed, the hammer would not drop until the hand was pushed back into the recess, so it was binding on something.

Last week I had enough freedom in my right hand that I felt comfortable to field-strip the sixgun. I did in a cardboard box because I tend to drop things with my right hand, not having good feeling in the forefinger and thumb. And I hate like the dickens to have a part drop on the floor of my shop and disappear the Lord knows where forever!

The pawl .. note the spring

Kuhnhausen says this is one way of three to tune the spring .. which is the method I used.

I installed a wire trigger/bolt spring in place of the flat spring.

I found that the hand was binding on the cut-out where it comes through the recoil plate. If you cocked the gun slowly watching the hand you could see it being pushed to the side.

Using jewelers files and a small grinding stone I removed the protrusion and now the hand works smoothly.

To reduce the power of the hammer spring I put a leather shim under it. It still feels heavy and I may need to replace it later.

My idea is once I start shooting again I will run about 500 rounds or so through it and see how it is after it is broken in a bit. For now the feel of it is more to my liking than it was out of the box.

I don't believe the gun was carried in a holster or shot much. There are no wear marks anyplace on it. That will be taken care of, the Good Lord willing.