For those who, like me, like a clean handgun, thought I would provide some of Brandon’s “I Did That!” Knowledge.
As luck would have it, I have two 2021 Pythons. Identical other than grips, barrel length and engraving. The 4.25” model broke its Transfer Bar in half a few months ago. Colt fixed it and returned it in perfect condition in 27 days, if memory serves.
Yesterday, I fired over 300 rounds through this Python, to test it out. I IWB carry this gun, so I need it to work. Magnums, wadcutters or lead swc at 1150fps, it was faultless. Cleaning was in order.
On a S&W, I use a little circular gadget that slides over the ejector rod, clamps it, and on most late model guns allows me to turn the ejector rod counter-clockwise. After watching a utube video where the guy stuck the ejector rod in a vise, I used my tool, and held it tight while turning the cylinder counter-clockwise. Perfect.
Except, I neglected to see the tiny thin washer that fell out of the yoke when I pulled the cylinder out. This washer compresses the extractor spring and let’s it snap closed. Without the washer, the extractor star moves to and fro, but will not snap closed. Neither the U-Tube videos nor available schematics refer or show this washer. I found it existed when I took the sister Python apart to see what I had missed. The missing washer had fallen on a towel I keep below the bench, and flew off when I shook the towel. One hour lost looking across the garage floor with a SureFire.
Further aggravation occurs if you don’t place the washer on the rod in the correct order during reassembly, as it gets lodged in the two bearings that hold the yoke in place in the cylinder. The Python cylinder assembly’s only relation to a S&W’s cylinder is it looks the same on the outside, and the ejector rod unscrews to disassemble.
Thankfully, I took things slow and both guns avoided scratches or boogered-up screws or other parts. Both guns are clean and ready to use.
Good luck buying this washer from Colt. They have given all parts service to Brownells and Midway. In other words, Python parts for 2020 and later models do not actually exist. Hopefully, CZ will fix this problem.
As luck would have it, I have two 2021 Pythons. Identical other than grips, barrel length and engraving. The 4.25” model broke its Transfer Bar in half a few months ago. Colt fixed it and returned it in perfect condition in 27 days, if memory serves.
Yesterday, I fired over 300 rounds through this Python, to test it out. I IWB carry this gun, so I need it to work. Magnums, wadcutters or lead swc at 1150fps, it was faultless. Cleaning was in order.
On a S&W, I use a little circular gadget that slides over the ejector rod, clamps it, and on most late model guns allows me to turn the ejector rod counter-clockwise. After watching a utube video where the guy stuck the ejector rod in a vise, I used my tool, and held it tight while turning the cylinder counter-clockwise. Perfect.
Except, I neglected to see the tiny thin washer that fell out of the yoke when I pulled the cylinder out. This washer compresses the extractor spring and let’s it snap closed. Without the washer, the extractor star moves to and fro, but will not snap closed. Neither the U-Tube videos nor available schematics refer or show this washer. I found it existed when I took the sister Python apart to see what I had missed. The missing washer had fallen on a towel I keep below the bench, and flew off when I shook the towel. One hour lost looking across the garage floor with a SureFire.
Further aggravation occurs if you don’t place the washer on the rod in the correct order during reassembly, as it gets lodged in the two bearings that hold the yoke in place in the cylinder. The Python cylinder assembly’s only relation to a S&W’s cylinder is it looks the same on the outside, and the ejector rod unscrews to disassemble.
Thankfully, I took things slow and both guns avoided scratches or boogered-up screws or other parts. Both guns are clean and ready to use.
Good luck buying this washer from Colt. They have given all parts service to Brownells and Midway. In other words, Python parts for 2020 and later models do not actually exist. Hopefully, CZ will fix this problem.
