Cylinder "fit" question?

[mikewriter]

I bought a used, nickel .44 mag cylinder from a forum member, intending to try to use it to "duo-tone" the SBH .44 mag I had Ceracoated not long ago. Even though everything seems to measure the same, no matter how I held my mouth, it will not fit in the frame window. Just for grins, I tried it in my SS Bisley SBH Hunter, and it fits that one like it came with it from the factory. As puzzling as this is to me (maybe shiny cylinders only work in shiny guns?), I am wondering if it should be OK to fire in the Bisley if I decide to keep it as a "back-up" cylinder, or would it maybe need further "fitting" by a good smith? Seems to lock up tight and function as it should, cylinder to barrel gap appears the same as on the cylinder that came with the gun.

 

[Hondo44]

No problem shooting it in the Bisley based on your description of the fit.

And it's probably a simple issue to getting it to fit in your SBH. I've had experience with this issue. There has to be some small variance of measurements if the cyl doesn't fit.

What did you use to take your measurements?

How do the overall length measurements compare?

To discover the offending dimension, take three measurements from the new cyl and from your SBH original cyl and compare them. I suspect the ratchet or the cyl body is just a bit too long but the measurements with a caliper or micrometer will tell us.

1. length of: front face of cylinder to include the ratchet
2. length of: rear face of cylinder to include front hub.
3. Length of: rear face to front face of cyl body only. This subtracted from #1 will give us the ratchet length. This subtracted from #2 will give us the hub length.

If the ratchet is too long it can be filed or stoned if it's not too much.
If it's the cyl body the front or rear or both can be faced off a few thousandths on a lathe
Compare the three measurements of the two cylinders.

 

[mikewriter]

Jim,
Thanks for the prompt and knowledgeable reply. What I suspect is keeping the nickel cylinder from fitting is on the ratchet end, as face-to-face measuring with a micrometer shows to be the same as the original cylinder. Now that you've told me what to look for, I'll get a new set of measurements as soon as I have tome.

Thanks again,
Mike

 

[mikewriter]

Jim, measured again (several times, really), and it appears that the hub on the older SBH is .02" shorter than the hubs on the other two cylinders, or, put the other way, the Nickel and SS cylinder hubs are .02" longer than the other hub. Other measurements are the same on all three cylinders, so I guess this is enough to throw the "fit" off? If I take the longer hub on the Nickel cylinder down to match the older cylinder, I am worried it would be too loose in the Stainless gun, and since it fits it now, I'll probably quit while I'm ahead and keep it as a spare for the SS gun.