Rem. 1858 New Model - How to Disasemble

[Old Fuff]

Reproductions of the Remington New Model Army revolver are very popular with today's cap & Ball shooters. The following are complete instructions on how to disassemble one of these guns.

First of all, get a set of screwdrivers and grind the tips to fit the various screws. A thin-bladed tip will soon ruin the screw, and may break besides.

1. Draw the hammer back to half-cock. Then lower the loading lever handle and pull the cylinder pin forward. Remove the cylinder, while being careful not to drop it.

2. Start by removing the grips. They are often tightly fitted. If so remove the grip screw and thread it back into the right stock. Then wiggle the screw while lifting it so as to lift the stock up and off. ALTERNATIVE: After screwing the screw back into the right stock take a long punch and reach through the left stock and rest the front of the punch on the screw in the right one. Then lightly tap on the punch to force the right stock off of the frame. Then push off the left stock.

3. Remove the screw at the front of the trigger guard and pivot the guard
down and off.

4. Remove the screw holding the cylinder stop and trigger spring (seen from the bottom of the frame after you remove the trigger guard).

5. Remove the screw holding the trigger and cylinder stop and then wiggle these parts out.

6. Back off the mainspring tension screw (located at the bottom/front of handle.

7. Gently tap the mainspring out of its seat at the bottom of the handle.

8. Remove the hammer screw.

9. Push the hammer slightly downward and remove the hand pivot screw.

10. Remove the hand and then the hammer.

11. Remove the loading lever screw, and then pull the loading lever assembly forward and off.

12. Reassemble in reverse order. You may have to use a pair of smooth-jawed pliers to get the mainspring started back into place in its seat in the frame. Then tap it into place. As a rule it is not necessary to remove the mainspring and hammer for ordinary cleaning.

 

[Smokin_Gun]

Old Fluff, good instructions but don't ya need to remove the mainspring before tryin' to remove the hammer?
Never mind you have that covered here "7. Gently tap the mainspring out of its seat at the bottom of the handle."
The one at the bottom about the mainsrping thru me, my fault.
You got my vote to make that Remmie Disassy/Assy a sticky...

 

[Wwalstrom]

Pictures to go with the Instructions:

 

[Old Fuff]

Pictures to go with the Instructions:

Well now... We're good to go.

Thanks.

 

[Plastic Cowboy]

Great job guys-- you gave me the confidence to strip my precious Remmie down to the very last screw last night for a total cleaning-- I know this thing inside and out now......Me and my revolver thank you very much!!!

I tip for everyone-- keep your old percussion cap tins as trays to put your screws in during disassembly-- they are small and easy to loose. Also you need to keep track of which screw goes where cause some of them look look alike.

 

[Wwalstrom]

Where do the screws go ...

Take it apart and put it back together a few times, and you'll know where each one goes (cuz they are all different).

 

[sundance44s]

Sundance44s

Thake it apart ..every little screw .. then tell the wife ya need to buy another one so you can see how it goes back together .. This is excues #1 for us remmie addicts .. Like chips ya can`t eat just one ..and one remmie just makes ya want another .

 

[Duncaninfrance]

When cleaning.

To take it a little further on, I strip my 58 down all the way EVERY time I shoot it.
I use an old plastic babybath to clean the parts in and then a bucket (pail) of hot clean water to rinse off the surplus soap. It is deep enought to take the frame and barrel standing up so it is all under water. I put all the screws and other small pieces, including nipples, in a stainless steel sieve that sits on the corner of the bucket and allows the parts to submerge without me having to dive to the botom of the bucket for them and scald my hand in the process. This also allows me to shake them about in the hot water to get rid of any soap.
Once they are well heated up I take them out, dry them with a pot towel and put them in a carboard beer can tray ( I have LOTS and LOTS!! ) with a couple of pieces of kitchen paper in the bottom. I then spray them all with WD40 and leave for a while, covering the tray with a towel. After I re-assemble the gun I spray with gun oil and put it back in the case, taking care not to get oil on the hand gripps.
No rust -any time. Works for me.
Duncan

 

[motorcycle_dan]

So that's how the hammer comes out.

With nothing to loose and being pretty good at put'n stuff back together, I took my brass frame 58 down. Found a little bit of goo in the works. Clean and warm in the oven. Olive oil (I wouldn't of thought of that) everything while warm and put it back together.
The only trouble I had was removing the hammer. I thought the hand would come back enough and come out as an assembly. Eventually I figured out push it down, remove the hand screw, then hammer comes out the top.

I'm assuming my gun was some sort of kit. It has no name on the barrel or frame anywhere. Only marking is "173" on the trigger guard and just forward of that on the frame.

Anyone care to guess who made this? My first C&B. Got it at a yard sale for $100. Bore looked clean with sharp rifling. Looked to have been shot as the brass was tarnished near the forcing cone. I'm thinking to polish it up and make it a display piece, Being Brass and all. Give me an excuse to get a Ruger Stainless. Man, folks sure are proud of them Ruger old Army, cha-$-cheng.

Since then I found another 1851 colt navy in .36 steel frame. ($75 from my can't live without it jar) It has stamped on the barrel "F.LLIPIETTA-MADE IN ITALY" I assume this to be a Pietta. What is the F.LLI in front of it for?

Now, anyone got one of them nifty parts breakdown schematics for an 1851 Colt? If you don't want to trouble the list, can send it in a separate e-mail.

Just a thought, anyone ever tried to purchase and bring a C&B back in their luggage from outside the US? I travel internationally pretty regular and now will be looking.

 

[Bat Guano]

Great info!
I picked the US Remington New Army 1858 .44 caliber, 6 shot percussion pistol (here shown with an 8-inch barrel, by Uberti) because it has a disassembly pin instead of those pain-in-the-ass locking bars in the Colt revolvers. My replica Walker Colt 1848 was difficult to take apart and firing all those max-load shots deformed the locking bar.
I don't take my coal burners completely apart for cleaning.
I remove the cylinder and place all the parts in a basin full of warm soapy water, scrub the parts down, and rinse in hot water.

 

[TomsFAL]

Picture

Hi Bat Guano
I would like to have a copy of the one you posted above Please.

Thanks Tom

 

[Tommygunn]

What is the F.LLI in front of it for?

Europeans abbreviate words in a way Americans aren't used to. "F.lli" is short for "fratelli" which is Italian for brother. F.lliPietta is really "Pietta Brothers," but most just say "Pietta."

 

[straight-shooter]

I would also like to say thanks to all involved in this tutorial. I bought a used 1858 remmy that was in need of a good cleaning and she's spic and span now!

 

[Im283]

Wow old thread revived, gonna print this out and save it like a manual.

Big problem I have is the screw that hold in the trigger and cylinder stop spring will not budge. I am afraid if I mess with it much more the screw head will be totally boogered up. I am using a proper screw driver but that sucker will not budge.

Any advice?

I spoke to EMF and they said if I send it in they will get the screw out and return it to me in working order. I would rather do it myself, they are shipping me a new screw but I need to get this one out first.

Maybe I ought to just eat the shipping cost and send it to them.

 

[mykeal]

I assume you've tried rust penetrant; there are many different brands available and all work about the same. If you haven't, get some from the local auto parts store and apply liberally to the screw head and the area around it. Give it a couple of days, try to remove the screw, then reapply if it doesn't work. May take several applications, or it may not work at all. There are a number of homemade applications as well, such as automatic transmission fluid, brake cleaner, etc. I'd use those carefully, but they might do the job.

Since EMF is sending a new screw, go for it - don't worry about the screw head.

Once that fails, if it does, I'd send it to EMF as they suggested. No sense in beating yourself up.

The last resort is to drill out the screw, a drastic but not terribly difficult task. Of all the screws on the gun, that's the easiest one to drill, with the least risk of permanent damage.

 

[DixieTexian]

Wow old thread revived, gonna print this out and save it like a manual.

Big problem I have is the screw that hold in the trigger and cylinder stop spring will not budge. I am afraid if I mess with it much more the screw head will be totally boogered up. I am using a proper screw driver but that sucker will not budge.

Any advice?

I spoke to EMF and they said if I send it in they will get the screw out and return it to me in working order. I would rather do it myself, they are shipping me a new screw but I need to get this one out first.

Maybe I ought to just eat the shipping cost and send it to them.

Had the same problem with mine. I said "screw it." I can dissassemble it and re assemble it no problem without worrying about that. I just leave it in and clean everything else. No problems so far with it yet. If the spring breaks, I might have a problem, but until then, I ain't gonna worry about it.

 

[Im283]

DixieTexian doesn't the trigger/cylinder stop srping need to come out first to be able to get the other parts of the action out?

The more I look at that screw and how it comes out just a hair on the frame below the cylinder it looks cross threaded. That is the only reason why I can't imagine it not being able to come out.

The gun is new so EMF will fix it should I send it to them. I will figure something out here in the next few days. Worst thing is I will strip the screw head and then send it back for sure to them to fix.

 

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

This particular thread is one of the best I'vd ever seen on this site. Period...Okay...

 

[DixieTexian]

DixieTexian doesn't the trigger/cylinder stop srping need to come out first to be able to get the other parts of the action out?

take everything else out, and you can pop the trigger and bolt out, you just have to be careful not to bend or break the spring. You may have to do a little finagling to get them back in, but I haven't had any problems with that part.

 

[straight-shooter]

The trigger screw on my 1858 was also stuck pretty severely. Here is what I did to get it out.

I folded a towel over 3 times for something soft for the frame to lay on. I had the wife hold the gun so it wouldn't turn. Making sure I had a screwdriver that would fit completely to the base of the slot and snugly in the slot. I put both elbows on the desk on each side of the gun and applied hard downward pressure while turning at the same time and it finally started to budge till it was finally free.

Using this method did not damage the screw head. I think the trick is good straight downward pressure while turning. Also make sure your screwdriver does not protrude on either side of the screw or you will damage the frame.

Disclaimer: This worked for me and do this at your own discretion.

 

[daleNabq]

Took mine apart. Put it back together. No left over parts!

One question. I didn't look closely at the hammer spring screw. I think it was somewhat loose and pretty flush with the front of the frame.

When putting back notice that it doesn't have a stop and screws in further than what I remember.

When putting back should it be snug? Seems if so then the spring hits against the back of the slot where it fits in the bottom of the frame and the screw is further in than I remember.

Anything critical to consider here?

Thanks,

Dale

 

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

PIETTA. That's P I E T T A
Rapidly getting to be one of the finest name's in reproduction firearms.
annnnh...Might need a little souping up here and there, but by and large a piece you can trust and stake your life on if you ever needed to. (Pietta Remington 1858 New Model Army .44 caliber)
Of course it always help's if one will learn how to shoot it....

 

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

Was going to post a couple of photographs but I'm just feeling too lazy right now....

 

[razorback1010]

One question. I didn't look closely at the hammer spring screw. I think it was somewhat loose and pretty flush with the front of the frame.

When putting back notice that it doesn't have a stop and screws in further than what I remember.

It's a tension adjusting crew, you'll increase the tension screwing, decrease it unscrewing. But at least the spring must touch the back of its slot.

 

[PMVARGO]

thanks for the tear down instructions
will use them for sure
PM VARGO