Minor revolver problems.

[shotgunmessenger96]

Alright, the pietta 1851 navy (steel frame) came to my house via the federal express last week. Now the gun is well designed but there are some small problems.
1. the rear trigger gaurd screws WON'T come loose. I bent a screwdriver trying and almost stripped them.
2. The front sight is giggling like a loose tooth.
3. the barrel wedge is very tight and will not even stick out the other end when I tap it in.
4. the cylinder hugs the breech so much so that after the first six shots the fouling does not allow good rotation.

Does anybody know how I could fix these problems?
thanks

 

[madcratebuilder]

1. the rear trigger gaurd screws WON'T come loose. I bent a screwdriver trying and almost stripped them.

Use a good hardened hollow ground bit that fits the full width of the screw slot. Try some penetrating oil. Heat the area with a heat gun.

2. The front sight is giggling like a loose tooth.

If it's threaded, just tighten it. if it's not threaded, use some loc-tite stud and bearing mount or similar product.

3. the barrel wedge is very tight and will not even stick out the other end when I tap it in.
4. the cylinder hugs the breech so much so that after the first six shots the fouling does not allow good rotation.

It does not need to stick out the other end. By tapping on it you well close up the barrel to cylinder gap and cause the dragging problem. You should only have to use firm thumb pressure to insert the wedge.

 

[Fingers McGee]

With those problems, I'd send it back for a replacement.

Short of that, MCB has the right answers.

Pettifogger's articles on tuning Pietta Revolvers would help you also.

 

[Hellgate]

Tight trigger guard screws:
Get the hollow ground screwdrivers if possible. Spray/apply penetrating oil to screws, let sit overnight. Remove cylinder & barrel. Clamp frame tightly upside down in a padded vise. As you bear down and turn the screwdriver, taptaptaptaptap the top of the screwdriver with a small hammer. Sometimes a short twist to tighten the screw before turning it out helps loosen it. I've gotten several buggers out by gritting my teeth & grimacing while pushing down & turning the screwdriver while tapping it with a small hammer.

Loose front sight: Wait til you actually shoot the gun before messing with it. You may want to put in a taller one if it it too short and a loose one is easier to get out. Otherwise I just add a drop of epoxy or JB Weld and set it in place.

As for the wedge and tight gap, shoot it for a while to settle it in THEN you might not need to so anything like thinning the wedge or taking a little metal off the back of the barrel cone.

 

[sniper5]

Oh, I'll throw in a couple more things.

If you haven't already figured it out, when it comes to gunsmithing, brass hammers and brass punches fix more problems than they cause-unlike steel. REALLY good investments. So are REAL gunsmithing screwdrivers. For the same reason: they fix more problems than they cause. And gunsmiths use some REALLY weird screw slot sizes. And in gunsmithing-good enough isn't good enough. Perfect tools are the first step toward perfect work. Scrimp on some other tools, but drop coin on those. Wheeler, Brownells, or Chapman to drop some names.

A good first project is a bench block. A round or square block of soft metal or plastic with some holes drilled in it and some curves and flat spots to give you a solid place to set the gun or parts of it when driving screws or punching out pins. They sell them through gunsmith supply companies but if you know what you will be working on you can make a better one than you can buy. I have 3 that I made: 2 aluminum and 1 lexan that I made on the drill press. I have 3 pins in each that lock them to a steel plate on my workbench so I can switch and take them off and put them in my box to keep them from getting metal and grit embedded in them that would scratch finishes. A solid base is as important as a good screwdriver or punch. I am not a professional gunsmith but I had some good teachers who WERE gunsmiths and do a lot of restoration work and repair on my surplus rifles and do some of the work on my target pistol and my wife's revolver.

Kitchen table gunsmithing 101 as preached by a professional gunsmith I knew:

1. GO SLOW
2. Use the right tool. If you don't have it, get it, make it, or punt to a pro.
3. Study the job before you touch it. Even something as simple as pushing out a pin or driving a screw can do a lot of damage if you rush in.
4. It is a LOT easier to take metal away than to put it back.
5. DO NOT CHANGE CONTACT ANGLES OR CONTACT AREA ON MOVING PARTS. Thats how things go bang when they shouldn't.
6.Unlike the old line about men driving, if you don't have directions-ASK SOMEONE WHO DOES.
7. GO SLOW!
8. Did I mention-Go Slow!

Any pros want to chime in and tell me what I missed.

 

[brotherlloyd]

exchange it