I have a coupla those ASM Richards. One an 1860 in 38 and the other an 1861 in 44Colt. The 1861 is the same as the 1860 with the exception of a slightly shorter barrel and Navy size grips. Besides that they are the same gun.
Both needed the triggers and hammers slightly reconfigured to get rid of the hair triggers. Trigger jobs and reharden the parts.
The 1861 doesn't have the cylinder bushing(non-integral) and the 1860 does. A prior 1860 in 38 had no bushing and would work fine just working the action but....would drag some after the first shot. I traded it in fer the one with the bushing and it's fine. Funny thing...the 1861 without the bushing is fine also. I should have kept the one without the bushing and figured out why it would drag after it was fired even with smokeless. Reason unknown the cylinder would get set forward and stay there after it was fired. I thunk the ratchets at the rear of the cylinder would catch on the frame somewhere is all.
Anyway the timing was good enough with all of the ASM guns I have or had. No soft parts I've noticed. The trigger/bolt spring and the mainspring in all were too light and needed replaced with stronger springs.
Accurate? Yes they are. The 38 is barrel heavy but I'm used to it. Both the 1861 and the 1860 shoot a little high. Not enough to not be able to get used to it. I would not grind down the rear sight. I'd raise the front if I were to sight point of aim/point of impact but....I get point of impact shootin a lil low. Both guns shoot well to a hundred yards and more. Consistantly all the time using smokeless.
Using black binds them up but lube pills on the powder help that enough so I can shoot black but....I carry a cleaning rod when shootin black. A small Visine bottle with solvent or water gets a few drops where needed to keep the guns running with black.
Small bores cake up with the black more than larger ones so the 38 is more prone to need cleaned some now and then.
Anywhoooo.....I made sure the arbors are bottomed in the barrels arbor hole so they are stable with cylinder gapand all. I'm a Kitchen table Gunsmith but.....I don't fudge stuff up. I'm a perfectionist and....I make them right the right way. Neve had much but admiration fer my work when I helped an Hombre with the fit and action of an ASM conversion. Not much different then workin a cap&baller.
I'm just sayin....Kitchen Table Gunsmith isn't always synonomous with crappy work. There are some KTG's that work the guns the right way after some pro smiths mess them up. Done a few over again after the pro sorta messed with them. The Pros need to get the work out to eat and feed Mamma and the Dogs. Me....I feed Mamma and the Dogs well and do the gunsmithin stuff well no matter how long it takes. I lately did an Begian Centennial 1860 Colt fer an Hombre(free of charge with only reimbursement fer parts and shop supplies. It had problems from the factory(wide cylinder gap and no bottomed arbor) with the action out of wack and over sprung and everything else imaginable after being shot like that fer years since 1963. Barrelframe pins mis located and a loose arbor from that and all sorts of stuff wrong.
When I was done the gun was fit as perfect as humanly possible with a nice trigger breakin bout 3 lbs. with a nice "break like a glass rod" to the trigger let off and the timing perfect the way the timing should be with the full cock and the bolt snickin into the cylinder notches happening simultaneously. No over draw to the hammer backwards stop point and all that. Parts rehardened and the finish(which was very bad actually) refinished smooth and contoured properly and Nitre Blued a rich dark blue black. The grips left as is and the trigger guard left aged fer aestetics sake per the owner and......the owner was one happy young man when he picked er up with the gun lookin like and functioning like a new custom actioned no better possible action to it.
I took over a month to put the 90 plus hours to it to get it proper. That included a new barrel crown and breech face and forcing cone done with perfectly fittin piloted reamers from Brownells and....a new tool steel wedge in the refitted and proper-ized arbor and barrel slots work with.... an extra slightly wide wedge fer the future if it's ever needed.
I liked seein it layin on "The Kitchen Table" waitin fer the Hombe to come take it home. The new finish and the fluted cylinder and all made it look like a work of art in form and function. Funny thing....revolvers that work properly always look better.
Anywhooooo....I'm just typin this stuff not to honk my own horn at all. I'm just givin an example contrary to the mention of "Kitchen Table Gunsmith" in the above reply. No malice at all. I just thunked I'd type a story this morning.
Thing is....I didn't work at the "Kitchen Table" at all. I worked in my lil shop in the barn.
Anywhoooo....not all home spun gunsmiths are hacks so.....ifin you found an eccentric old man like me to work yer gun fer free....you'd be satisfied with the work and the price fer labor. The price? A heart felt "thank you" said with a smile.
There is a God and....he is a shooter and a gun nut to boot. Sometimes he might work thru an old hill jack dirt rollin knock down drag out fool like me with patches on my Carharts and wearin an NRA hat. I ain't a saint just a "Kitdchen Table Gunsmith". There are thousands of us out there all over the world.
Gotta go feed the hounds. Later Hombres!