THR Remington 1858 Club

SlowFuse said:

Looks good @Don Van Winkle

What did you use to strip the finish?

And I'm guessing you ended up using just a single coat with the cold blue?

Click to expand...

I used a homemade compound of vinigar, CLR, and a tiny bit of bleach.None of the 3 alone did the job. I first cleaned/degreased it with denatured alcohol. I did use a single coat of the cold blue and it came out just how I hoped it would. Now shooting, handling, cleaning will continue to age it.

bannockburn said:

Looks properly aged! Nice work with the holster too!

Click to expand...

Thank you. I have been a leather maker of holsters, quivers, and things for the longbows I make for years. I will open a business in the Mesa area when I retire from the Navy next year.

woodnbow said:

That’s very nice! Great work on the leather, you could have a second career!

Click to expand...

Thank You! I have been working leather for years now, making holsters, quivers, and all things for the longbows I make. I will open a business in the Mesa area when I retire from the Navy next year.

cowboydave said:

I like both the holster and the gun. Looks nice.

Click to expand...

Thank You!!

25 yards Uberti 30 grs fff Goex 454 ball over cotton duck wad treated with melted bees wax and lard

Taylors still has 1858 Steel Models with dovetailed front sights in stock, limited numbers but normal prices.

acid washed the loading lever and cylinder, copper was mixed in the solution,
rust browned the stainless steel frame, thinned the handle and bobbed it and silver soldered a scull cracker on it.

FWIW,

EMF has 1858 Steel models in standard and Sheriff length in stock at normal prices.

My first unboxing video , Cimarron Uberti 1858 New Model Army.

Retreever

Got mine yesterday, 1858 army by Uberti!!! .36 cal

Don Van Winkle said:

Thank You!!

Click to expand...

You need to ride on down to Tombstone in your cowboy finery.......It's a period cowboy heaven! .......and an interesting historical note.....during excavating some of the old sites in town, the most common revolver recovered was the '58 Army. So you'd fit right in!

I'm lucky enough to make period gun leather for a shop there, so I get to dress up a few days every week. When you do come down, make sure to stop in Smoke Signals......guns and cigars.....great place to hang out.

Tombstone is not too far from my home in Mesa. We will be down as soon as we can.

Don Van Winkle said:

Tombstone is not too far from my home in Mesa. We will be down as soon as we can.

Click to expand...

Just about a 2 hour ride.......or 5 days by stage... Well worth the trip though. Best time to come is for Helldorado Days. This year October 16-18. People from all over the world showing off their 1880's finery. It's a wild time.

Being fairly new to BP shooting; I have used only conventional arms for 29+ years in the Navy, I am stumped as to how to put grease inside my frame without making a complete mess. When I got my 1858 Remington I did tear it down to parade rest and am confident with that aspect. I have also spoken to Mike at Goons Gun Works and am going to send this gun off to him; just cannot now for a few months-longer story for another time. In the mean time I need some step by step help so I can protect my gun for the near future. Since I am new to this kind of gun baby steps for me please. Thank you. I will accept all calling me "Big Indian" as that name has been with me for years; I didn't let anybody call me Chief when I was not at work. Somehow the connection was made and stuck This is what my friends all call me. Hope someone can help me.

Jeff62 That target that you posted, hit at 25 yards, alongside your gun is something I always like seeing and reading about. Good shooting. I would like to ask if that gun is in stock configuration out of the box or has there been some work done on it.

Don Van Winkle, I just use Ballistol on everything and a bit of Tetra Gun Grease on the nipple and screw threads. But it would probably be better to start another thread if you need detailed cleaning advice.

I've heard of packing the action with synthetic grease here before, and am curious as well exactly how it's done without leaving a terrible mess.

Agree another thread discussing this seems like a good idea. As far as general cleaning there's lots of content here already. Everyone has their way of doing it.

Here's some existing threads you can get some decent info from:

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/cleaning-a-remington-1858.860982/

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/rem-1858-new-model-how-to-disasemble.223885/page-2

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/how-involved-is-bp-revolver-cleaning.859465/

SlowFuse said:

I've heard of packing the action with synthetic grease here before, and am curious as well exactly how it's done without leaving a terrible mess.

Agree another thread discussing this seems like a good idea. As far as general cleaning there's lots of content here already. Everyone has their way of doing it.

Here's some existing threads you can get some decent info from:

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/cleaning-a-remington-1858.860982/

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/rem-1858-new-model-how-to-disasemble.223885/page-2

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/how-involved-is-bp-revolver-cleaning.859465/

Click to expand...

https://www.grantcunningham.com/2006/05/lubrication-101/

Here is my line up.
I ordered a 58 sheriff in steel but even after waiting well over a month when it finally came in they sold it to someone else because they "couldn't get a conformation" that I still wanted it, even though they were holding the long barrel 51 and a spare cyclinder for it for me.
To kinda make up for it, they gave me a little bit of a deal on the engraved 51.
It IS nice though.

Does anyone know how well a Santa Barbara New Model Army can shoot ?

It has come to my attention that all of the screws are VERY TIGHT from the factory and the use of thin bit drivers as well as thicker ones that fit excellent are needed to disassemble which I would recommend be done as quickly as possible when you get one new in the box before those screws become stuck for good. The screws, all of them, required a lot of VERY CAREFULLY APPLIED FORCE to remove. One of the drivers from the Brownells thin bit set twisted slightly and deformed but the bit is still usable despite the bend.

Bits from both the Brownells standard thickness and thin bit set were needed. To work on the Santa Barbara. Uberti and Pietta only require the standard thickness bits. This is something to keep in mind.

I guess at that point one might as well remove the brown preservative gunk and oil the innards, cylinder, and barrel as well.

Fit and finish is good, parts are all blued and of good quality. Action is good and lockup tight. Hammer pull is stiff and main spring is thin but very strong. All the springs in general are on the stiff side compared to other brand names.

The grip is smaller than current Pietta or Uberti and suited for small to medium hands.

Current made Pietta cylinders seem to fit, cycle, and time properly in the Santa Barbara but the Santa Barbara cylinder will not time properly in a Pietta (hand too long) go figure. Nipples on the current Pietta and Santa Barbara are the same 6 x75 mm thread size. Bluing is on the black side and although still shiny more matt than others.

Some unknown brand of half fluted Remington cylinder with 12x 28 (5.5 x9mm) threaded nipples that does not fit current Uberti (cylinder too long) or time properly (hand too long and locking notches slightly too narrow) in current Pietta seems to cycle and index properly in the Santa Barbara but chambers are slightly larger slugging the bore to make sure they are not too large would be wise if one plans to use that cylinder. I still wonder what company made that half fluted cylinder and when.

Bore is polished and has a crown.

Styrofoam box provides excellent protection but I hate styrofoam. The artwork on the sides of the cardboard sleeve of the box is nice but the picture of the revolver on top with huge lettering reminds me of the way toys are marketed.

Despite having stiff springs and what looks like child based marketing on the box, the Santa Barbara Remington New Model Army .44 seems to be a high quality item and information on the web describing this as high quality is most likely true.

I have a Santa but I've never fired it.

These are my very first 1858 Remington reproduction revolvers though I've had an original 1858 Remington revolvers in years past;
- 1995 Uberti 1858 .44 ( I'm going to try to find a conversion cylinder for this one).
- 1974 Rigarmi 1858 Beals Navy .36

The cylinder scoring on the 1858 Navy belies the fact that the revolver timing appears to be excellent. I attribute it to 'enthusiastic' dry firing by someone or someones not knowledgable in pulling the hammer back too far, the battered nipples appear to bear that out. Trigger and hammer notches also excellent. Both guns were steals for what I paid, the Navy is getting Uncle Mike's stainless steel nipple replacements in a few days. Would very much appreciate getting your load recommendations for either.

Looks like that Navy needs a bit of work on bolt timing. (ring around the collar).
In general, my NMA's like between 28-30 grains 3F for most accurate loads. They are all a bit different and I can't keep track of which gun likes which load.

Yap, timing/action problem for sure. The "appearance" of excellent timing is deceiving . . . but "knowing" what excellent timing is will keep the "beauty rings" off of your cylinder!!