Hey guys, my father gave me his old cva 1861 navy colt the other day and so I am trying to take the pistol apart to clean it since it hasn't been shot in 20 years so I removed the barrel wedge and I can't get the barrel to separate from the frame so that I can clean the barrel and cylinder. I have tried using a wooden dowel as leverage but I just can't get it to budge, does anyone have any experience or advice for this ?
Can't get barrel to seperate from frame
- Thread starter jalex1941
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RandyRay41
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45 Dragoon
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If the cylinder will turn, Drop the loading leaver with the plunger hitting between two chambers. Might be purtty tough. It'll move. Might need to hit it with some penn. oil too.
45 Dragoon
45 Dragoon
Dframe
Member
I'd first apply some Kroil or other penetrating oil to the arbor where it enters the barrel and let it soak for a few days. then if still stuck you can use the rammer between to chambers to gently lever it off. You can also use a wooden dowel or plastic mallet to tap the back of the barrel alternating sides. Be patient. It will eventually begin to move.
PLEASE DON'T put any steel object (Screwdriver etc) between the barrel and cylinder to try and pry it off. Not trying to be insulting here, I've seen it done.
PLEASE DON'T put any steel object (Screwdriver etc) between the barrel and cylinder to try and pry it off. Not trying to be insulting here, I've seen it done.
J-Bar
Member
I agree with liberally applying a penetrating oil in the wedge hole and arbor, and put some on the joint below the cylinder and arbor, where the barrel assembly mates with the frame (water table). There are two little guide pins at that joint that may be stuck also.
Another trick after letting the oil soak a day or two is to heat up the wedge slot area with a hair dryer...get it good and hot all around, then dip the whole shebang into ice water. Dry it off, apply more lubricant, heat it up, and chill it again. The expansion and contraction can sometimes help the oil spread around in there by capillary action and loosen up corrosion.
I loosened some stuck choke tubes out of a shotgun barrel this way.
Another trick after letting the oil soak a day or two is to heat up the wedge slot area with a hair dryer...get it good and hot all around, then dip the whole shebang into ice water. Dry it off, apply more lubricant, heat it up, and chill it again. The expansion and contraction can sometimes help the oil spread around in there by capillary action and loosen up corrosion.
I loosened some stuck choke tubes out of a shotgun barrel this way.
Crawdad1
Member
I put a stick of wood across the face of the cylinder to protect the bluing when using the rammer. Sometimes it is very hard try take off and if it’s that hard then soak it first. I’ve never seen it but has anyone ever ruined or seen someone ruin a revolver by using the rammer to take the barrel off?
J-Bar
Member
There are some who have bent a rammer trying to seat a round ball that is made of something other than pure lead, hence the popularity of those little reloading tools that allow you to charge a cylinder after it has been removed from the gun.
I would worry more about possible damage to the rammer mechanism if it is used as a crowbar.
removing stuck barrel
If your revolver is an earlier Armi san Marco and imported by CVA, it is very possable it has a tapered arbor. If so Do not use the rammer to try to push the barrel off. It won't do the job. You might damage the rammer or the cylinder face or both.
If the wedge has been pushed or tapped in to hard the taper will hold the barrel extremely tight. To remove the barrel you only have to hold the gun by it's barrel with one hand, muzzle up, then with other hand with plastic hammer hit the bottom of the gun right on the joint of the barrel and frame. Give it a pretty good hit. (hold over something to catch the rest of the gun for it will fall right off as soon as the arbor loosens.) This is also the best method to loosen any stuck barrel.
Also when you get it apart and do find it is a tapered arbor, Never push the wedge in very tight. Use only thumb pressure to push it in. Then from then on all you have to do is hit that same spot with your hand to break it apart instead of hammer.
If your revolver is an earlier Armi san Marco and imported by CVA, it is very possable it has a tapered arbor. If so Do not use the rammer to try to push the barrel off. It won't do the job. You might damage the rammer or the cylinder face or both.
If the wedge has been pushed or tapped in to hard the taper will hold the barrel extremely tight. To remove the barrel you only have to hold the gun by it's barrel with one hand, muzzle up, then with other hand with plastic hammer hit the bottom of the gun right on the joint of the barrel and frame. Give it a pretty good hit. (hold over something to catch the rest of the gun for it will fall right off as soon as the arbor loosens.) This is also the best method to loosen any stuck barrel.
Also when you get it apart and do find it is a tapered arbor, Never push the wedge in very tight. Use only thumb pressure to push it in. Then from then on all you have to do is hit that same spot with your hand to break it apart instead of hammer.
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BSA1
member
Ditto on soaking it in or with penetrating oil. Give it time like a few days to work.
I would strongly discourage going the Bubba route by hitting it with a hammer. But what the heck I saw two Bubba types push a bone density machine valued at $55,000 through a doorway that was 4" too small the other day.
I would strongly discourage going the Bubba route by hitting it with a hammer. But what the heck I saw two Bubba types push a bone density machine valued at $55,000 through a doorway that was 4" too small the other day.
I see BSA1 has no idea what a tapered arbor is and how to separate it.
You could soak a tapered connection in penetrating oil for thirty years and it would make no difference. These connections are the same type as a ball-joint into a spindle on a car suspension. Or the tie-rod end into the steering arm on a car.
I showed one here. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=717122 Post 29.
In the second pic on that page you can also see the damage the previous owner of my gun did to the cylinder face trying to get the barrel off. Fairly deep marks left by him using the rammer to try getting the barrel off. (and these still show even after I sanded and polished the face. (Those marks cause fouling to stick worse there).
You could soak a tapered connection in penetrating oil for thirty years and it would make no difference. These connections are the same type as a ball-joint into a spindle on a car suspension. Or the tie-rod end into the steering arm on a car.
I showed one here. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=717122 Post 29.
In the second pic on that page you can also see the damage the previous owner of my gun did to the cylinder face trying to get the barrel off. Fairly deep marks left by him using the rammer to try getting the barrel off. (and these still show even after I sanded and polished the face. (Those marks cause fouling to stick worse there).
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whughett
Member
OK I see, same as my drill press. How about a tapered wedge where the regular wedge should be. Thats how I change my drill press chuck.
whughett
Member
OK, I see, same as my drill press. How about a tapered wedge in place of the regular one, hardwood or plastic perhaps. My drill press chuck comes off that way.
BSA1
member
Well I guess this just go to shows that anything in life that be solved with hammer and duct tape. I had one of the pins on the lower part of the frame that fits into the barrel shear off once and it was a pain to get the broken piece out.
"My gun is too tight
What can I do to make it right
Give it a talley quack
Give it a whack on the right
Still too tight
Give a whack on left
Do you have anything left
Then give it a mighty whack
Chorus:
Whack on the right
Whack on the left
Do you have anything left
Then give it a mighty whack"
Oh the duct tape is used for holding all the parts together when you take it to a gunsmith for repair.
"My gun is too tight
What can I do to make it right
Give it a talley quack
Give it a whack on the right
Still too tight
Give a whack on left
Do you have anything left
Then give it a mighty whack
Chorus:
Whack on the right
Whack on the left
Do you have anything left
Then give it a mighty whack"
Oh the duct tape is used for holding all the parts together when you take it to a gunsmith for repair.
Well, after letting the gun soak in oil for a day and then tapping a dowel with a hammer between the cylinder I finally got the barrel to come off, apparrently the gun had just seized up with rust between the barrel and cylinder. Anyway I have cleaned the gun and hoping to shoot it today, il put up some pictures after I shoot 
Dframe
Member
Congratultions. Glad it worked for you. Be certain you lube the arbor before you reassemble. Cleaning should be as soon as possible after you shoot. Hot water and soap. Try to avoid petroleum based oils. You'll do much better with crisco or one of the lube solvents specifically made for black powder guns. Personally I use "Bore Buttter". 24-48 hours AFTER cleaning, take it back out and reinspect to make sure you got everything and there is no rust.
72coupe
Member
TheRodDoc will that help on my Mosin Nagant? I am trying to change the barrel on it.
huntingdave
Member
TheRodDoc is right; hold the barrel and hit the barrel/frame seam and around the arbor axis with a rubber mallet and she will drop free, hallelujah after two days of solvent and pen/oil and pulling on the rammer arm w/wood cushion to no avail. FYI, if it's stuck as good as my Walker was you'll damage something trying any other way. There were globs of waxy paste on the tapered arbor. My 45colt conversion did not fit this one but did fit a non-tapered newer model Walker I have.
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