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Special Interests - Groups & Societies => Frontier Iron => Topic started by: Buckaroo Lou on August 31, 2020, 08:49:59 PM

Title: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Buckaroo Lou on August 31, 2020, 08:49:59 PM
I just purchased a new Taylor Schofield in 45 Colt. I didn’t have the revolver out of the box more than 15 minutes when I noticed while bringing the revolver to full cock the cylinder was not locking in battery with every full cock. When it doesn’t lock I can slightly rotate the cylinder in reverse, the cylinder stops, and I can then pull the trigger while holding the hammer and let the hammer down just a bit and I hear the bolt drop into the bolt notch in the cylinder and then bring the hammer back to full cock and the cylinder is then locked into battery. However, the very next attempt to cock the revolver the hammer will not fully cock, and the cylinder will not fully rotate to the next chamber. The hammer can only be pulled back about halfway. I can attempt to pull the hammer back a few times and it will finally go to full cock and into battery. I can then cock the revolver several times without incident until the next time the cylinder doesn’t lock into battery then the same scenario is repeated over again.
 
I am so disappointed. Has anyone else had this experience with their Schofield? Am I doing something wrong? I know very little about Scofield’s.

If you attempt to cock the revolver slowly the hammer stops at about half way. Letting the hammer back down and attempting to re-cock produces the same result. Only after several attempts will it finally go to full cock and the cylinder may or may not lock into battery.

Grrrrrrrrrrr!  :( :( :(
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Major 2 on August 31, 2020, 09:09:45 PM
Give the girls at Taylors a call .... to see if you can have their smith repair it under warranty

sounds like a broken hand spring - UB:850635  @ VTI    860-435-8068
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Buckaroo Lou on August 31, 2020, 10:45:59 PM
After cocking it numerous times I have realized I can get about five successful full cocks and the cylinder locks ups in battery. Then out of the blue the hammer will become very difficult to bring to full cock and at random times the cylinder will spin past the next bolt notch on the cylinder.

Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Abilene on September 01, 2020, 12:38:50 AM
I know that Schofields have the issue where you can't be touching the trigger while you cock the gun.  Not having owned one, I do not recall what that is, like not being able to pull the hammer or what.  But maybe?
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Drydock on September 01, 2020, 07:53:04 AM
Why do I think the add on safety has something to do with this?
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Coffinmaker on September 01, 2020, 10:16:48 AM

Regardless of the WAG (Military acronym for Wild Ass'd Guess) suppositions, there is something WRONG.  Your Schofield need to go back to Taylors.  Don't mess around a void your warranty.  Call Taylors and ship it back home.  Momma wasn't done with it.

Hide and Watch
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Buckaroo Lou on September 01, 2020, 10:28:54 AM
Abilene, I am not touching the hammer when attempting to cock the revolver.

I also noticed, but don't know if this is a characteristic of the Schofield revolver, that if you place the hammer at the half cock position to open it if you don't open it all the way and hear the click just prior to locking it back closed you are unable to bring the hammer to full cock on the first try. It takes several attempts before you can fully cock the revolver. If you open the revolver fully and then close it back you will hear a little click just prior to the revolver locking back closed you can then bring the hammer to full cock on the first attempt. This takes place regardless of whether or not you allow the extractor to function or press the bar that disengages the extractor function.

The thing is, if you just want to take a peek to insure you have a certain number of rounds loaded by just opening the revolver just enough to peek in and then close it back it will then not come to full cock on the first attempt. Is this characteristic of the Schofield?

Man, I hate to have to send this back to Taylors, after I just received it but I agree. I really don't have any other option. :'(

Thanks guys for the sound advise.

Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Major 2 on September 01, 2020, 12:17:49 PM
Keep us in the loop...good info for others should the anomaly occur in other Schofield's

I have a #3  New Model and no such issue ( course the closure is barrel mounted rather than frame mounted )

as seen with my original Russian
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Buckaroo Lou on September 01, 2020, 01:49:17 PM
I have contacted Taylors. Just waiting for the return number and shipping label, then off it goes. Man I sure hate that I will have to wait another week or two. Patience has never been a virtue for me and at my old age I believe it has gotten worse.
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Major 2 on September 01, 2020, 02:19:18 PM
Roger that !
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Buckaroo Lou on September 03, 2020, 10:37:37 AM
The revolver shipped out today back to Taylors so now just a waiting game until I get it back.
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Buckaroo Lou on September 09, 2020, 05:19:48 PM
Well. I shipped the revolver last Friday 2 day air, and due to the holiday it didn't get there until Tuesday of this week. Does anyone have any idea how long it might take Taylor to determine the problem and make repairs? Waitin' is a pain.
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Buckaroo Lou on September 16, 2020, 05:35:33 PM
I finally received my Schofield back from Taylors yesterday. They fixed it from not wanting to cock. It now cocks with every pull of the hammer and advances the cylinder smoothly.

I do have a question however. Is it common for the bolt to drop early and cause a drag line about 1/2" long before every cylinder bolt notch?
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Drydock on September 16, 2020, 08:27:10 PM
Yes.  That's how S&W single actions all operate.
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Abilene on September 16, 2020, 10:01:17 PM
Kinda like a Ruger.  Unsightly line but it helps with solid lockup.

Glad you got it back so fast.  Did they say what it needed?
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Buckaroo Lou on September 16, 2020, 10:54:58 PM
Abilene, no they did not say, but I am certain they changed the hand. The original looked as though it was serrated on the very end where it engaged the ratchets on the cylinder and the new one is not. I had a mental image of the original hand burned into my memory because it looked weird, and I thought it was at least perhaps a part of the problem. The end of the hand that contacts the cylinder ratchets currently in the revolver bears no resemblance to the original.
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: 1961MJS on September 17, 2020, 10:29:05 AM
Hi
Starline makes .45 Schofield brass which is what REALLY goes in a Schofield!!!!

Later
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Buckaroo Lou on September 18, 2020, 09:39:48 AM
I took the Scofield to the range yesterday and was not happy with the results. I was shooting my .45 Colt reloads, 200 gr. RNFP over 8 gr. of Unique and at about fifteen yards the best 5 shot group I could get was about 5". My rest wasn't the best and the shaking that has developed due to my equilibrium problem certainly didn't help. I have been able to shoot much better groups with my Colt style SAA's with this load.

I found and purchased some 250 gr. RNFP cast bullets yesterday on the internet and currently have some on order. As soon as I receive them I will load some up and see if perhaps they will not perform better. I may also try a different powder hopefully to find a combination the Schofield will like.
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Tuolumne Lawman on September 19, 2020, 09:34:12 AM
I have had a number of Uberti Schofields.   I found that a 200 grain bullet with 5.5 - 6.0 grains of Trail Boss was a load they liked.  8 grain of Unique is pretty stiff and at the upper end, IIRC.
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: St. George on September 19, 2020, 11:07:26 AM
Knowing that you have a pre-existing equilibrium problem, and don't shoot this load all that well with SAAs, it's unrealistic to think that you're going to do a lot better with a different piece with different sights, a different trigger pull and a different grip.

I shoot my S&W Schofield and my Colts with .45S&W - it behaves exactly like .45ACP.

Scouts Out!
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Baltimore Ed on September 19, 2020, 12:42:51 PM
I just put some rounds through my ‘73/‘76 carbine, ASM Schofield and a 1860 uberti open top conversion [all .45 lc]. I’ll need to use my lighter 180 gr swc loads in the open top as it bangs my knuckles with the heavier bullets. The 200 gr loads work fine in the ASM Schofield and 73 but in order to get 10 rds in the carbine I’ll need the shorter Schofield brass. I discovered that the swc bullets and their slightly rounded nose causes the loads to get turned sideways and locks up the lifter. Glad that I found that out today. It feeds regular 200 gr rnfp bullets fine. Guessing that the flat nose up against the flat base of the next rd is keeping everything straight. Hit most everything with only a couple misses.
The Schofield operation is considerably different from my vaqueros. Is there any way to eliminate the lockup that happens when the trigger is touched and the hammer cocked? With that design I will never be as fast with it as I am with my Rugers but it is a really neat revolver and then I am a webley fan.  Next week we shoot.
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Buckaroo Lou on September 19, 2020, 04:27:03 PM
I have had a number of Uberti Schofields.   I found that a 200 grain bullet with 5.5 - 6.0 grains of Trail Boss was a load they liked.  8 grain of Unique is pretty stiff and at the upper end, IIRC.

Lawman, my 2nd edition Lee reloading manual shows 8.4 gr. of Unique to be starting loads for both 200 and 250 gr. lead bullets and I am only using 8 gr.

I was told by an old friend years ago that was fairly representative of what the old original black powder load was. My book does not compare BP and modern loads so I don't know if my friends statement is accurate. I have shot it for years from my reproduction SAA's and the few USFA's that I have and they have shot reasonably well, but I will try your suggestion and see if my guns like it better. Thank you for your suggestion.
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Drydock on September 19, 2020, 10:06:16 PM
Perhaps a bit of confusion?  8 grains Unique is a mid range load in the Colt case, but would be a better than max load in the Schofield case.

In this caliber I like Red Dot: 250/6 grains in the Colt case, 230/5 grains in the Schofield case, and 230/4 grains in my Auto Rims.  230/3.5 in the Webley MK II case.  These are all published loads FWIW.  My 5" Schofield likes all these, (well, not the AR cases, those are for my shaved Webleys) and those little Webley cases really fly out of a Schofield.
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: 1961MJS on September 22, 2020, 04:45:04 PM
Hi

A 250 grain round nose Tek coated Lead bullet over 4.5 grains of Titegroup shots to point of aim at 25 yards.  It works ok so far in both Schofields.  I did load work up with both 230 grain lead round nose (basically a 230 grain lead .45 ACP FMJ Round shape, and the 250 grain round nose.  The 230 grain shot low.

Later
Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: Buckaroo Lou on September 23, 2020, 04:50:56 PM
Hi

A 250 grain round nose Tek coated Lead bullet over 4.5 grains of Titegroup shots to point of aim at 25 yards.  It works ok so far in both Schofields.  I did load work up with both 230 grain lead round nose (basically a 230 grain lead .45 ACP FMJ Round shape, and the 250 grain round nose.  The 230 grain shot low.

Later

Are you using a 45 Colt case or the 45 Schofield case?

Title: Re: I think my new Schofield is malfunctioning. HELP!
Post by: 1961MJS on September 24, 2020, 04:03:29 PM
Are you using a 45 Colt case or the 45 Schofield case?
Hi
.45 Schofield Case, Starline.  I like it better, shorter is no issue, and it has a wider rim, easier to get out of the cylinder.
Later