Small Colt Wedge "Whacker-Outter"?

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mh2000

mh2000

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Just wondering what others use to whack out their Colt wedges in the field that doesnn't marr up their guns. I currently have a small rubber tipped mallet in my Colt pistol case, but when I get my 1862 Pocket Navy, I will want to keep that with the larger 1851 in the same case since both are .36 and share other stuff. The little mallet works well removing the otherwise hard to remove wedge so it is nice to have, but there won't be room with the second pistol in the travel case. Anyone come up with a novel and small non-marring device for wedge removal? As far as I can tell, my gun needs the impact, so things like a clothes pin don't work.

thanks!
 
Brass revolver wedge punches and 3-in-1 tools are available for under $10 but you still need to hit them true to avoid marring the finish on the barrel. A safer bet is a wood or nylon punch or ball starter which itself will take the marring, sparing the finish of your revolver.
 
I have a piece of hardwood (Hickory) roughly 1x2x5 left over scrap wood from installing kitchen cabinets that I keep in my BP possibles tool box.
I just give the wedge a whack with it.
It works very well for me in typical use, but I also have a brass punch that I have used often on gorilla installed wedged.
 
It sounds like, to me, you need to do a bit of fitting on the wedge. I take it that is an Uberti. If so, the arbor is short and you need to do some shimming in the barrel arbor. The wedge will do nothing for you insofar as long length usage of the gun. If you think you can get away with adjusting the barrel/cylinder gap by how deep you insert the wedge you are wrong. The arbor and barrel lug will still be wrong until you correct it with shims in the arbor to make the lockup solid.
 
No, it's a Pietta and the arbor length is essentially perfect. It's just that the wedge is a little hard to get out--not with a little soft hammer though. Maybe it will slick itself up with usage, but since everything seats prefectly, I'm reluctant to do anything to it. I read that Colt invisioned that the shooter would whack the wedge out with the handle of their hunting knife... but I don't ussually have one with me.

I was thinking for in the pistol case, maybe a short length of heavy steel rod with a rubber tip. I don't have to tap it hard with my plastic-tipped hammer, but I do have to tap it out.

Thanks!
 
I have a scrap of lead about 1/2" thick and about 1 1/4" square, weighs 1/2lb. It works on wedges very well, knock it with a flat and when it needs just a little more I use a corner.
 
mh2000 said:
No, it's a Pietta and the arbor length is essentially perfect. It's just that the wedge is a little hard to get out--not with a little soft hammer though. Maybe it will slick itself up with usage, but since everything seats prefectly, I'm reluctant to do anything to it. I read that Colt invisioned that the shooter would whack the wedge out with the handle of their hunting knife... but I don't ussually have one with me.

I was thinking for in the pistol case, maybe a short length of heavy steel rod with a rubber tip. I don't have to tap it hard with my plastic-tipped hammer, but I do have to tap it out.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Interesting. I wasn't aware that Pietta ever made a pocket navy.
 
No, I said I have a Pietta 1851 .36 Navy and want to put my new Uberti Pocket Navy in the same case with it when it comes, but when I do that, I will no longer be able to fit the mallet in with them too. I don't know if the wedge in the Uberti will be as hard to get out as the 1851 Navy, but since I will still be shooting the 1851, I still need something in the field to whack it out with. A couple people seem to be familiar with the problem and have made suggestions. I was worrying a dense hardwood might mare the gun over time and I didn't think about a chunk of lead.
 
mh2000 said:
Just wondering what others use to whack out their Colt wedges in the field that doesnn't marr up their guns. I currently have a small rubber tipped mallet in my Colt pistol case, but when I get my 1862 Pocket Navy, I will want to keep that with the larger 1851 in the same case since both are .36 and share other stuff. The little mallet works well removing the otherwise hard to remove wedge so it is nice to have, but there won't be room with the second pistol in the travel case. Anyone come up with a novel and small non-marring device for wedge removal? As far as I can tell, my gun needs the impact, so things like a clothes pin don't work.

thanks!
Click to expand...

properly fitted and not overly pressedin should be finger tight
but a flint chamfering hammer with a piece of leather will work fine
 
I have owned a Lyman gunsmith hammer for decades now. It has three interchangeable hammer faces, brass, nylon and steel and a brass punch stored in the handle. All brass construction the hammer faces are threaded. A smart tap on the wedge with the nylon face unseats the wedge nicely. Available on Amazon for 17.99. Its a permeant part of my range kit.
 
denster said:
Interesting. I wasn't aware that Pietta ever made a pocket navy.
Click to expand...

Actually, they don't. Pietta's version is nothing more than an 1851 Navy .36 with a shorter barrel. Not a bit historical. The Uberti Pocket Navy is based upon the Pocket frame with a rebated .36 cylinder, which is much more historically accurate.

I have 7 Pietta 1851 Navy .36 type pistols, and I like them very much. However, Pietta goes to great lengths to produce such as (IMO) the 1851 Navy .44 brasser, the J.H. Dance & Brothers .44 on a modified 1851 Navy frame with a larger non-rebated cylinder, and the atrocious Pepperbox .36. And, yet, they will not produce a J.H. Dance in .36 just using parts in their inventory (and CNC records) and milling the recoil shields off before case coloring the frame.

As far as the wedge fit, the original Colt manual actually called for the wedge to be driven into position. The Pietta gorilla Guido takes that approach. I like to fit them with firm thumb pressure only, but many disdain that approach.

Regards,

Jim
 
Yeah, a smaller gunsmithing or jeweler's hammer would probably work and then I could just leave the larger soft face mallet I already have on my work bench.

My main intent is to keep my carry stuff down to a few items... so if everything I need immediately can all fit in my dual pistol case, it's better. Shooting in the wild, I also have to carry a little folding table and my targets/tape/box... and one trip from my car is preferable if it's just me shooting. If my son goes with me, carrying extra stuff isn't an issue. (He's 17 now and more interested in flirting with girls and hanging with his buds, but he thinks BP guns are cool and shooting them is one activity that he still likes doing with me.)

I feel safer with a light tap when installing my wedge and then it just takes another light tap to remove it.

It's really too windy to be out shooting targets today, but it's been a couple weeks since I could, so heading up to Reddington Pass to shoot my 1851 .36 Pietta.

Thanks all!
 
Loading stands, special tools for this that and the other thing. Makes on wonder just how did those folks get by without them way back when. Oh, that's right, they just tossed a few things in a bag and got by. Hmm, sort of like what I do today.
 
Haha! Yeah, that's my aim, just something really simple to whack the wedge out. I think Samuel Colt expected people to have a hunting knife to whack it out with, I don't carry one.

Went out shooting today. Only had my gun, caps, black powder in a flask, balls, and lubricated wads... and my smallish mallet for breaking it down when needed. Nothing else!

After addressing the sharp corners on the hammer face, I was hoping the gun wouldn't jam so bad, but in 30 rounds, I had two major jams requiring pulling out the cylinder, so obviously, I will need to keep something small to tap the wedge in and out.
 
I usually just find a handy stick LoL... Living in the eastern woodlands and brush country helps a lot, but theres almost always one thats "just right" laying around when Im in the field..
 
I looked at different things, thought about putting a small rubber end on a short piece of re-bar or something, but stumbled on this tiny thing which looks perfect for what I need. Reviews say it's only 6" and since the ends are the same material that is used on my larger one which I like, I just ordered it! Seriously, the wedge on my current gun only need a tiny tap, but it does need a tap... so, yay for free two day shipping! :)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001144WTE/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
7CE1B37B-62C9-47D3-8EA8-76A34D9448CA.jpeg
I fashioned a wedge remover thingy for mine from a wooden dowel(1/2” I believe) and tapered the very end, epoxied a flat washer to the other end(palm sized).
I’ll post a picture when I get a chance.
 
I think the $6 one I bought from amazon is the modern equivalent. It's funny how little things like this make for more enjoyable hobby time! :)
 
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