Tom, thanks for the detailed reply. I think I have a basic grasp of what you're talking about. I'm new at this, but mechanically minded and am trying to understand how these things work, and how to work on them, so I can address future issues and so my guns are reliable. I noticed the fly as I worked and inspected the lock, and I saw that little gap under the tumbler you mentioned that is created by the bearing surface, and the fly is so tiny, it looks like it could get bound or sucked into it, with use and wear if nothing else. Makes proper lube seem important.
I don't like how some locks seem to have their bridles bent down with that bolt, unless the bolt is left loose. In my mind, it should be a 'shoulder bolt' and tightened to the shoulder, just as it contacts the bridle.... without bending it down. On some, if it's tightened, it will slow or halt the tumbler. I ended up sanding the top surface of the bridle and removing some of the underside of the head of that bolt so it would shoulder up at the end of the threads before the head pulled down on the bridle, clamping down on the tumbler.
And yep, following my efforts, the forward bridle screw stuck out enough to rub the inside of the cock, slowing it down. I just realized this yesterday while following along with that lock troubleshooting thread that's up now(bent cock). I sanded it so it was flush with the lock plate and now it works quite smooth and unhindered, and all bolts are tight. That's the short of it. I did other work in there too along the way, to the sear, tumbler, and bridle. It all started because I just didn't want to leave that bolt loose in there. It cost me a couple of days, but I learned some things about locks. In hindsight, maybe I should have just put a drop of removable Loctite on it?