# colt Anaconda not firing every 5 to 10 shots



## lowlysubaruguy

First i am new to the forum shouldn't be given my desire to shoot. So thanks in advance and I am looking forwards to this forum. 

I have a Colt Anaconda revolver in 44 mag

every 5 or more shots it misfires by that I mean the firing pin puts a divot in the primer but its not deep enough to set it off. After comparing the dimple left by the firing pin it is not hitting deep enough in comparison to my other revolvers. It is the same on on shots fired I just think the ones that do fire were only because its just barely off enough that some will not fire. 

I bought it used a few months ago and I think it was sold because of this. I have a couple of thoughts on it as well. First i suspect someone has put a new hammer in it and or possibly done some trigger work as its trigger pull is probably in the 2 to 2.5 pound range. There is also some color differences between the trigger and hammer. I shoot a variety of hand guns while I haven't put it on an actual scale I can tell you its trigger pull is light. I like it and its not so light its dangerous but I am sure someones done something to it. 

With that being said heres what I know and what I think. The firing pin if pushed in manually with a pick does move freely and deep enough into the cylinder that I do not think it a worn firing pin or an issue with the firing pin?? But I could be wrong the end that the hammer works on may be worn??

Next could the main spring for the hammer be weak not triggering the hammer with enough force this might also reduce trigger pull again a thought but I do not know. I have tried to find a new spring on line but have yet to find someone with one in stock and we no longer have any dealers within 60 miles of here to order one through. 

next is the hammer I suspect its been replaced at some point and wonder if the hammer has to be fitted to the gun. The main part of the hammer on it upper edge hits the guns main frame this leaves a gap in the lower area to hit the plate that actually forces the firing pin into the cylinder. The gap between this area and the plate is a lot more on this gun than my other revolvers with similar design. So one of my thoughts is the hammer needs filed down a little to allow the hammerto hit the plate against the firing pin with a little more force. But once again I do not know. 

I am pretty crafty and am capable of a spring install if that is a place to start but do not want to start filing on its hammer unless I had a clearance spec or at least an idea of what is right. 

Last resort I will drive it in to a gun shop and see if they can help. 

Thanks again.


----------



## rccola712

First of all, welcome to the forum!

Have you tried multiple brands of ammo yet? It might be a bad batch of rounds. If its not ammo then it has to be that the firing pin isnt striking hard enough. either due to a worn pin or a weak spring/hammer not striking hard enough. Hope this helps! Good luck!


----------



## Bisley

Sounds like an amateur trigger job, since you say the trigger is light.

You might try a set of Wolfe springs, to try to put it back to factory specs, but I think I would turn the problem over to an expert.


----------



## Steve M1911A1

Someone has indeed done a very amateurish trigger job on your revolver.
The stupidest way to lighten a pistol's trigger pull is to cut a few coils off of its mainspring (called the "hammer spring" in Colt parts breakdowns). I believe that's what someone has done to your pistol.
One result of shortening the mainspring is indeed a much lighter trigger pull. The other, however, is light primer strikes: dimpled primers but no "BANG!"

Replace the mainspring.
Get a real trigger job, and make sure it's done by a gunsmith who promises not to shorten the mainspring.
(A proper trigger job is a matter of truing angles and polishing, not mainspring cutting.)


----------



## MLB

Should be easy enough to replace the spring just to rule it out. I'd leave filing anything to a very last resort.


----------



## Steve M1911A1

MLB said:


> ...I'd leave filing anything to a very last resort.


No filing! (At least, not normally.)
A good trigger job involves only stones, unless something is really buggered up.
It is no job for an amateur.


----------



## GURU1911

I have to agree with steve1911a1.
Replacing the hammer spring with a new one would be the first, cheapest, & quickest place to start. Contact brownells or walter wolff springs, for the correct spring.

When the new one arrives, measure its length compared to the spring currently in your pistol. I can almost guarantee the new spring will be longer.

Mr. Alex hamilton @ 10-ring precision in san antonio, tex or teddy jacobson @ "actions by t"in sugarland, texas. They are both recognized by american handgunner magazine as in "the top 100" best in our nation.


----------

