Colt Cobra Difficulty

1459 Views 7 Replies 5 Participants Last post by spwenger, Jan 9, 2015

Jaywalker

Discussion Starter · Jan 8, 2015 (Edited)

I recently bought a nice colt Cobra - the one that looks like a Seventies Detective Special, but whose frame is aluminum. Everything was fine dry-firing - in fact, the timing was close to theoretical ideal.

The problem came when I put snap caps in the cylinder; it would occasionally freeze up in mid-trigger-stroke and be unable to complete the firing sequence. I finally tracked it back to the cylinder release latch protruding past the recoil shield - the top edge of the latch seemed to catch in the cartridge head near the "primer" and bind the cylinder. I could, in fact, clear the binding by moving the top of the latch backwards.

Compared to my Detective Special there were three differences. First, the DS latch appeared straight and level (rather than the Cobra's cocked out of alignment) and second, the DS sat flush with the recoil shield (rather than the Cobra's being too far forward, reducing cylinder clearance). Third and finally, the DS latch could be canted slightly forward at the top, but it would return to level when let go of, while the Cobra's would remain canted.

I'm returning the Cobra within my three-day return period, but it does seem to be a minor adjustment or possibly a spring issue. Any ideas about what causes this?

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spwenger

· #8 · Jan 9, 2015

Fwiw

Several years ago, a couple I know bought the wife a NIB second-series (shrouded ejector rod), nickel-plated Cobra from an estate sale. They brought it over for me to see and I encountered repeated difficulty opening or closing the action, which I recall attributing to a problem with the movement of the cylinder release.

I don't know if that's an issue with those second-series Cobras. However, unlike with a S&W revolver, the trigger normally should be able to complete its stroke regardless of the position of the cylinder release (i.e., with the action open). The Cobra mentioned above may well have let the cylinder release move forward of the recoil shield but I don't recall attempting to dry-fire it with the action open. I've not seen this issue with any of my Colt DA revolvers.

Oh yeah, that couple took that Cobra back for a refund and, even though I know the guy who was selling the guns for the widow, I never asked him if he had sorted out the problem.

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