[Ferret]

Getting into C&B revolvers and went out and got myself an 1860 from Cabelas.
I have read loads of the posts on this forum and must say that there is some fantastic info (Gatofeos "Best use" and the article on rollin your own cartridges are now printed and on my reloading bench)

Now for a few questions for the brains on here.

1/ How wide should the gap be between front of cylinder and rear of forcing cone? I have checked mine out with feeler gauges. The .006 slides through where the .010 doesnt.

2/ How much 'play' should there be in a 1860 cylinder, mine seems to rock back an forth on its axis when i have the hammer 'cocked and locked'. Play is about 1/16 inch (or less) rotating both ways.

3/ If I removed the Italian proof marks, 'Black powder only' markings, etc. So that I could antique the pistol. Am I correct that the ATF states that you cannot remove serial numbers completely from a gun? Is it allowable to 'move' the serial number to a more 'correct' place on the pistol? I want to replicate the serial number on the cylinder as well.

4/ I am finding that the recesses on the cylinder for the hand to lock into are getting a bit marred on the back end (not the one with the slope cutout). It is as if the hand is hitting the edge and peening a little metal over. Is this a problem with timing? How can I correct this?

Thanks

Ferret

[mec]

You don't have to worry about serial numbers on these. Federal Law regards them as something other than firearms and the NFA doesn't apply.

[Old Dragoon]

Buy Mec's book and there are a Myriad of tips and tricks in there.

Are you sure there is 1/16 " play at lock up or does it just seem like there is, Also have you checked for cylinder alignment? Look down the bbl with a bore light(unloaded of course and check when you cock the piece to full cock on every chamber. check to see if you see sliver of the chamber mouth. if so it is not aligned. If you got it from Cabela's or another reputable dealer, send it back. and ask for a replacement...if you haven't marred the gun. At lock up there should be a bit of forward-reverse play of the cylinderalong the axis (hand Spring) there should be NO side to side movement at lockup.
I
The gap sounds OK to me, but the side roll at lockup doesn't, call or take it back and inspect the replacement, or have them inspect the replacement before they send it to you.

[Ferret]

Mec's book??? which one would that be?
and yes.. a little play in the cylinder when its locked up. it does slide back and forth a little (a very little) but it does "roll" a little too. I checked the alignment, and at lock up i can get a 7/16 dowel down the barrel and it slides straight into the chamber. Also, the loading ram slides in perfect as well. This locks up the cylinder but, upon removal, there is still a little play.

[Beartracker]

Ferret, Read this thread for all the info on Mec 's book. This is one book that anyone who owns a Cap and Ball Revolver or if your just interested in them should have one. In my opinion it's the best book ever written for guy's and gals like us who really enjoy shooting and tuning these gun's.Mike

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=184583

[Ferret]

I love the fact that you can get books like this 'immediate delivery' thru digital.

I am gonna read this and enjoy it... grin:evil: :evil:

[Ferret]

Its definately, there is a small wobble both clockwise and anticlockwise, i dont have anything to measure it with right now, but, i would say that i could measure the movement using my larger feeler gauges.

New Spindle? New cylinder? any ideas?

I got it from a friend who got it from Cabelas a year or two ago, its been altered a little since then, but, he said that there was never a problem with the cylinder play. I have checked and its a Pietta. Should I contact them?

[gmatov]

No, actually, you should go shoot it.

If you expect absolute perfection in ANY machine, be it a 150 buck BP revolver, or a how many billion space shuttle, of which 2 of X have blown up, I think you are in good shape to go.

Shoot the sumbitch, THEN come ask for what you should do to counteract this or that. You probably will not have anything to counteract. It shoots a little high, you know how to fix that, it shoots a little left, ditto.

Caps, if yours are too loose, go ahead and ask what you should be using, or how to use the ones you have up till they are gone.

Loads, if you are shooting X and going high, or low, ask, someone will say try a couple grains more or less.

You could surely do that yourself, and come back and report.

I give up.

Cheers,

George

[Ferret]

i was just a tad worried if the wobbly cylinder would be hazardous, but, i guess not.
Its going out to the range tomorrow anyhow. I have been sat here fiddlin and starin and fondlin just waiting and itching to take it out.

Lets see what it can do...

[gmatov]

That's the attitude I wanna see. Have fun!

You haven't mentioned anything dangerous.

Shoot and come make a report.

Cheers,

George

[Ferret]

ROFL... I wandered down to the range with my SAA (1st gen-1905) and the 1860.
The SAA was shot and it ate some nice food!
The 1860..... well... doofus here forgot to take the percussion caps, and no-one else at the range had any.... :mad:

Its gonna be a couple of weeks now... wifey baby and I are moving to Oregon next week..

I will get a report down here when i finally get this thing to burp fire:what:

[Beartracker]

George has the right idea, he usally does . Neither my Remington's or my Colt lock up tight and I have a couple of modern revolvers that have a little play in them also. The 51 Colt Navy has about 1/16 of play in the cylinder but when I shoot it the groups are unreal accurate. If you find one of these reproduction revolvers that locks up perfectly tight, centered and timed you have one in a million. Not even the originals were that good. Let us know what you find out with yours after you shoot it a while, Mike

[gmatov]

Mike,

Thanks, but it really takes a skinnied down, or bad fitted bolt to get that kind of rotation, back and forth.

There really ain't that much room to make them that sloppy. Off center, not lined up, yes, and most will still get the ball down the bore of the barrell.

If I could rotate my cylinder a 1/16 of an inch, I would try to fix it. Get a little closer to in line with the bore.

And me, with a couple being welded, 3 weeks, now, went and bought my own wire welder to do the job, but I gave them to a couple friends who insist they will get 'em done free, 'cause he said he'll do anything for them, my own Auto Mechs. I help them with stuff I got, they want to repay me with the guy who goes drinkin' every night.

A new mill to cut them to fit, can't get the parts, hell, the whole frames, back to do it myself.

Last time any of my gun assemblies leave my control.

Man, Harbor Freight makes it easy to set up a little bit of a shop.

I know you don't have much electric, way up there in the WVA Mountings, just like Wayner is a little short on electric.

All you got's is enough to run the air in the summer, and the melting pot in the winter.

:) :) :)

Cheers,

George

[Beartracker]

George, I have several revolvers that have some play when locked up but when the hammer is cocked back the cylinder is perfectly alingned and it stays that way when I drop the hammer. However, when the hammer is locked back I can move the cylinder slightly back and forth by hand. 1/32 either way is not something I would worry about nor has it ever caused a problem with accuracy. If I had 1/16 (1/8 total) either way then I would be concerned but not 1/16 total. Mike

[Old Fuff]

A common problem, especially with the lower cost versions, is that the cylinder bolt (the part that locks the cylinder in line with the barrel) is much harder then the steel in the cylinder. Then the flat spring that tensions the bolt is much stronger then it needs to be. The result is that the ball on the cylinder bolt (the part that sticks up through the frame and goes into the cylinder's notches) soon begins to chew up the area leading up to the notches, and to a degree, the notches themselves.

The answer is to slim the leg of the flat spring that tensioned the bolt, or replace it with one made out of music wire. Also put a high polish on the top of the ball, but don't round the edges or change the angle (it should be slanted, not flat). Doing these two thing will go along way toward eliminating the "chewing up" issue, although there is no way to stop the bolt from leaving some marks on the cylinder.

Incidentally, many of the parts and accessories, and well as gunsmithing procedures that are used to tune-up Colt and Colt clone Single Action Army revolvers work equally well on 1851 Navy and 1860 Army replicas because in designing the later 1873 model, Colt carried the earlier lockwork forward.

[Ferret]

Thanks for the info guys... i am gonna wait until after the move before I take this out and test it. I have put it through all the 'finishing' and seasoning and it smells of bacon for some reason... grin (i used crisco)