Best book on total disassembly of revolvers

[ChasMack]

I just bought my cheap black powder revolver to take it apart and put it together again. I was told the NRA guide to firearms assembly for revolvers and pistols is best. But after looking around, I see Gun Digest has a revolver disassembly book that looks pretty good. I want to totally take down any single action revolver to totally clean them when needed or to replace parts. I have seen some dvd's and maybe they are decent ??? Any advice will be very appreciated!!

 

[Trueno]

Congrats on the score, what "cheap black powder revolver" did ya get?

t

 

[ChasMack]

books

It's a $85.00 1851 Navy Colt by Pietta. It was on GB, missing a screw and sort of rough looking. Bore is nice though as is the blueing...brass frame is rough looking. I have not shot it,but I kind of think there is a problem with the hammer possibly not hitting the caps. I compared it to one of my nice Navys and it looks like the hammer does not come down fully. But that's ok,shooting is not what I bought it for.

 

[Onmilo]

You really don't need a book for that revolver.
1.Break down to barrel, frame, cylinder.
2. Remove backstrap- 3 screws
3. Remove trigger guard/ mainspring. Unscrew front screw 1st. Maintain pressure on triggerguard and remove two rear screws then allow mainspring to ease away from hammer
4. Remove hand bolt spring screw @ front internal of frame, remove hand/bolt spring
5. Remove trigger & cylinder bolt screws @ center left side of frame, remove trigger then remove cylinder bolt.
6. Remove hammer screw @ rear side of frame, remove hammer/ cylinder hand assembly by sliding down and away from frame.

Reassemble in reverse order. HTH

 

[ChasMack]

That looks simple enough! How much difference is there between the 1851 Navy and say a Uberti Cattlemen as far as parts and disassembly? I'd like to be able to take one apart and put it back together again and have actually work !

 

[Trueno]

How much difference is there between the 1851 Navy and say a Uberti Cattlemen as far as parts and disassembly?

Don't know when they started, hopefully someone will chime in, but the later model Cattleman (such as my 2011) uses a pin/spring instead of flat spring on the hand.

The 1851 probably all use a flat spring(?) but just wanted to mention the above.

t

 

[Kernel]

I've got a ton of books, including the NRA ones, but lately I've found Youtube pretty handy for this sort of thing. It's one thing to read it, it's another to see it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhEnQIO1aBc

If you don't like that one there's half a dozen others.

 

[rcmodel]

Maintain pressure on triggerguard and remove two rear screws then allow mainspring to ease away from hammer

Or better yet?

Take the mainspring screw out and remove the spring before you take the trigger guard screws out.

rc

 

[harvester]

I have the Gun Digest book you speak of and it will give a few pages and nice photos with directions on complete take down of your 1851 Colt replica.

 

[Drail]

Another vote for the Tom Woods book on disassembly. All of his books are very good.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

When I was 18 I bought my first C&B revolver. Didn't have an assembly drawing or a book, I just sat down and took it apart. I was pretty proud of myself that I got it all back together again and it still worked.

These days I'm not quite so daring. I have a lot of old guns. First time I take one apart I always refer to Dave Chicoine's Antique Firearms Assembly and Disassembly book.

http://www.oldwestgunsmith.com/mybooks/af.htm

This book covers many old guns, both original and replicas. The value of a book like this is you may not own an old S&W or an old Winchester yet, but when you buy one you will be all set. This book has clear photographs and easy to follow instructions. I have some old Smiths that I would not have dared take apart without this book.

Dave's book Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West goes into much more detail than simple assembly and disassembly. I recommend this one too, but for starters I would get the Assembly/Disassembly book.

http://www.oldwestgunsmith.com/mybooks/g2.htm

 

[Onmilo]

rcmodel
It is better to remove the grip screws then ease the mainspring off than to unscrew the mainspring directly under tension.
The screw is fairly small and fine threaded and unscrewing the mainspring under tension can cause the screw to snap or the screw hole to wallow out.

 

[45 Dragoon]

OK, One more way. How bout pushing the mainspring down and to the side out from under the hammer. No pressure any where. Leave it screwed to the frame (why take it off unless its broke? Just more pars to keep up with).

 

[Trueno]

I keep a magnet handy to hold the screws etc.

Harbor Freight has various magnetic doohickies that come in very handy for just this task. If leaving parts on a magnet overnight, I put the whole thing (magnet + screws) inside a ziploc so those precious little *(^$)*& cats don't get any ideas.

t