1848 San Marco baby dragoon find

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Pocket

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20190126_181742.jpg I came across this today. San Marco 1848 Baby Dragoon It was missing the wedge and the nipples were mushroomed.The first thing was to fab a wedge.
20190126_181801.jpg While I was messing with that the nipples were mirinating in penatraing oil. Once I got the nipples out I slowly worked on the nipples until a # 11 fit snug.I had chucked the nipples in the drill and used a file to clean them up. Before I did this there,was no way any cap would fit.
20190126_175300.jpg 20190126_181433.jpg
So then I test fired just some caps. All five fired.
Now I was feeling antsy and loaded one chamber, It fired.perfect. But !!!!!
The dreaded cap jam !!!!!
20190126_183355.jpg
No Fear.. I forsee Penny style cap rake getting added tomorrow.
Here are some of the markings on it that I am not familiar with.
20190126_192837.jpg
Life is good in Texas
 

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View attachment 823203 I came across this today. San Marco 1848 Baby Dragoon It was missing the wedge and the nipples were mushroomed.The first thing was to fab a wedge.
View attachment 823204While I was messing with that the nipples were mirinating in penatraing oil. Once I got the nipples out I slowly worked on the nipples until a # 11 fit snug.I had chucked the nipples in the drill and used a file to clean them up. Before I did this there,was no way any cap would fit.
View attachment 823207 View attachment 823208
So then I test fired just some caps. All five fired.
Now I was feeling antsy and loaded one chamber, It fired.perfect. But !!!!!
The dreaded cap jam !!!!!
View attachment 823209
No Fear.. I forsee Penny style cap rake getting added tomorrow.
Here are some of the markings on it that I am not familiar with.
View attachment 823211
Life is good in Texas
is this 31 caliber?
 
20190126_222931.jpg Yes it is a 31 cal. The cylinder has what looks like a Cowboy and Indian scene on it. I won't post up the other scene.
 
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Good Luck with this new project. I am glad to see the recent interest in the Pocket Models. They have been overlooked to a large degree. Is it because of the reported "problems" getting them to run smoothly? Lack of perceived usefulness? Availability recently has also been somewhat limited. Anyway, I'm always happy to hear of someone taking the time to resurrect any nice old gun.
 
By current nomenclature and probably original Colt nomenclature, that cylinder scene makes it a Baby Dragoon as you said. It shows the Texas Rangers in a riding fight with Native Americans. The Baby Dragoons came with and without loading levers and usually had the square back trigger guard. With the 1849 Pocket and the Wells Fargo, Colt usually used the stagecoach holdup scene on the cylinder and a round trigger guard. Labeling on Armi San Marco boxes of this time often confused their .31 caliber replicas. EMF and other distributers added to that confusion when using the box labels to describe the products in their catalogs.
 
The fight scene is why I didn't post it...Some folks can't handle history.
 
Thank you, I am still working on the cap rake today.
It is setting up now and some touch up filing after that.

In the mean time I have cleaned up all the guts with a fine brass wheel brush and the dremel.
 
The Baby Dragoons came with and without loading levers and usually had the square back trigger guard. With the 1849 Pocket and the Wells Fargo, Colt usually used the stagecoach holdup scene on the cylinder and a round trigger guard.

The "Baby Dragoons" were marketed as the 1848 Pocket by Colt. Squareback trigger guard, 5-shot .31, short frame, short forcing cone, a shallow V-notch load aperture, and the rammer pivot screw entering from the right side, which could be had with a 4", 5", or 6" barrel. From the OP's pic I believe it to have a date code XXII (1966). The only anomaly I see is it has a U-notch load aperture without the bevel as in the 1849 Pocket. Between the 1848 and 1849 models there was a transition period wherein Colt used any parts on hand to sell his guns and was not concerned with whether the parts were consistent with the pistols he sold, so any number of combinations can be encountered, even with the replicas.

It is obvious that it is an early ASM looking at the rear shoulders of the trigger guard. The thing that looks odd to me is the obvious protrusion of the screw heads on the trigger guard, backstrap, and the rammer pivot.

20190126-181801.jpg

I once owned an 1848 Pocket squareback, 5-shot, short frame, short forcing cone, 6" barrel w/load lever, date code XIX (1963) imported from ASM by Replica Arms El Paso Texas (confirmed by Dr. Jim L. Davis as first year of manufacture by ASM). I no longer have it because it was very much too small to fit my hand with my long fingers, and I gave it to another forum friend who very much wanted it.

1848-Pocket-31-Replica.jpg

Nice rescue! I am going to recommend you to the ASPCBPR (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Black Powder Revolvers)!

Regards,

Jim
 
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Jim,

Thank you for giving more background on it. It looks as though somebody replaced most of the external screws at some point in its life.
I should have it ready to shoot next weekend. I spent most of the day fixing fence and pouring round balls for these.

I will give it more CPR this week.
 
20190128_193912.jpg Almost done with CPR. Cap Rake installed. Arbor bearing installed.
If it wasn't so late I would go out side and test fire.
 
Hey Pocket, nice job on the "wedge bearing" !! It's for the wedge to push against. Has absolutely nothing to do with the arbor length. (Just making sure you are clear on this. It should be able to protrude into the wedge slot for the wedge to push against )
Before you shoot it, you need to find an appropriate spacer to put down the arbor hole to correct the arbor length. Then, you will be able to drive the wedge in without locking up the cylinder.

Mike
 
Hey Pocket, nice job on the "wedge bearing" !! It's for the wedge to push against. Has absolutely nothing to do with the arbor length. (Just making sure you are clear on this. It should be able to protrude into the wedge slot for the wedge to push against )
Before you shoot it, you need to find an appropriate spacer to put down the arbor hole to correct the arbor length. Then, you will be able to drive the wedge in without locking up the cylinder.

Mike


Almost there. When I was test fitting it back together the hammer face looked like it had a tac-weld on it and when I was using the buffer wheel I must have buffed it off. The hammer doesn't reach the nipples now.I think with the nipples mushroomed as bad as they were and cleaned off hammer face, the hammer doesn't reach the nipples now..
I have a fix for that in mind for the hammer.

Mike, the 10 x 32 x1/4 set screw fit perfect. 2 for .71 cents at Lowes. Still have to find a spacer.
 
The hammer should stop a few thous. short of the nipples and still set off caps.
Can check for slight high area in frame hammer slot, usually where the arbor shows through.
 
Years ago I had a replica brass framed 1848 with oval bolt stops like the original Walkers did. I have never seen another one with oval bolt stops and I regret sellling it now. You did a good job of bringing it back to life. Seems like every time I run across a project like this that I would like to do, the sellers always want as much or more for it than I can get one in good condition for.
 
Years ago I had a replica brass framed 1848 with oval bolt stops like the original Walkers did. I have never seen another one with oval bolt stops and I regret sellling it now. You did a good job of bringing it back to life. Seems like every time I run across a project like this that I would like to do, the sellers always want as much or more for it than I can get one in good condition for.

I have a spring that I ordered on the way. When that gets here I can put it back together.

I am liking these 31 and 36 caliber pocket pistols. It is inexpensive to do a lot of shooting with them.
 
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