How to fix a loose wedge??

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tscmmhk

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Picked up an Uberti 1860 Colt Army and discovered that the barrel wedge was loose. What I mean by loose is being able to push the wedge in and out with just light thumb pressure. Tried to tighten it up the fit by peening the edge of the wedge but there has to be a better way. Anybody have any ideas??
 
If the OP were a gunsmith of a machinist he would not have asked the question. Give him an equally quick and easy alternative.
 
+1

The OP has two alternatives.

1. Use his well equipped machine shop to make a new wedge.

2. Buy a new wedge for $23.50.

Which would you suggest??

(Not to say a new wedge will fix the problem, if the hole in the cylinder base pin is worn out too.)

rc
 
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A simple fix is to fashion a shim out of brass or copper. Place it in the front of the arbor slot. I have tightened up quite a few wedges this way with great success. With a snug fitting shim no adhesive or solder is needed. A copper penny can be made to work if shim material is not available.

IMG_0003.jpg
 
I did replace the wedge with a new one hoping that it would be a bit oversized but it was still loose.:banghead: I ended up using a shim like Smokin' Joe suggested but instead of copper, I used some .010 steel shim I had laying around. Nice and tight now but it looks like I'm going to have to find a way the solder it in place or maybe use some JB weld to hold it in place. These Colt open top revolvers are sure a royal pain. It's always something but they're sure fun to shoot.
 
Dixie Gun Works
PP1808 Barrel Wedge w/spring for Reproduction Colt 1851 Navy, 1861 Navy, 1860 Army and Original 1851, 1860 & 1861Conv. $10.95
Whether you shim or replace the wedge you should also deal with the arbor length and barrel/cylinder gap.
 
If the arbor bottoms out in the barrel lug, and the wedge will hold it there without falling out, being able to remove it by thumb pressure is perfectly ok. Most of my CAS main match guns have wedges that can be pushed out with thump pressure.
 
44 Dave Dixie Gun Works
PP1808 Barrel Wedge w/spring for Reproduction Colt 1851 Navy, 1861 Navy, 1860 Army and Original 1851, 1860 & 1861Conv. $10.95
Whether you shim or replace the wedge you should also deal with the arbor length and barrel/cylinder gap.

Yeah I knew about the Uberti short arbor and barrel/cylinder gap problems before I bought the gun so I have plans to fix those problems when I get a chance. A friend of mine had his 51 Uberti Navy modified to fix those problems so I know what has to be done.
 
If the arbor bottoms out in the barrel lug, and the wedge will hold it there without falling out, being able to remove it by thumb pressure is perfectly ok. Most of my CAS main match guns have wedges that can be pushed out with thump pressure.
Click to expand...

That's the way mine is, pushed out with thumb pressure. I have no problems with mine.
 
tscmmhk said:
44 Dave Dixie Gun Works
PP1808 Barrel Wedge w/spring for Reproduction Colt 1851 Navy, 1861 Navy, 1860 Army and Original 1851, 1860 & 1861Conv. $10.95
Whether you shim or replace the wedge you should also deal with the arbor length and barrel/cylinder gap.

Yeah I knew about the Uberti short arbor and barrel/cylinder gap problems before I bought the gun so I have plans to fix those problems when I get a chance. A friend of mine had his 51 Uberti Navy modified to fix those problems so I know what has to be done.
Click to expand...
You should fix the arbor length issue first because that alone may be the problem you are currently experiencing. Everything you are doing may have to be redone or undone once the arbor length is corrected. In fact I have had to narrow the wedges before once shimming the arbor and getting the barrel/cylinder gap correct.

Edit, also as Fingers said as long as everything is solid the wedge being easy to remove isn't a bad thing. Just so it is tight enough to keep the arbor bottomed out and everything solid.
 
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Just finished doing the Pettifogger procedure for Uberti open tops and I must say I'm happy with results. Arbor bottoms out like it should and the cylinder/barrel gap is right about .003". The wedge was still a little loose so I found some brass shim that seems to work just fine. Now after all that gunsmithing, I got to get out and make some smoke with it. Thanks for everyones help.
 
I'd drill the end of the arbor, tap it and install a 1/4" set screw so I would always have an adjustable bearing surface for the wedge. Then I'd never need another wedge.

That's what I'd do . . . . . . .

Course, I'm weird like that . . . . .

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
Follow me on Instagram
 
Some of us use a little washer or similar in the hole in the barrel assembly to act as a hard seat for the arbor when it's wedged into place. The idea being that with the often typica improper fit the wedge acts as a variable cylinder gap setting device where it can be set from too tight to too loose. Having a filler in the hole for the end of the arbor to seat against controls the width of the cylinder gap.

If a previous owner fitted the gun this way and did not secure the filler then it may have fallen out and got lost and now the wedge has nothing to wedge itself against.

So the next thing to do is to try forcing the wedge with your filler in place. If you can force the cylinder gap to close fully to where it binds the cylinder in place then you NEED to fit some sort of shim button in the end.

I've done this to my own open tops. But with what I like to think of as a little more graceful method.... :D

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=785288

But really a suitable thickness washer or a bearing ball or pretty well anything strong enough to resist crushing set in there for the arbor to be wedged against and which won't crush is fine.

If this is what was done and the previous owner had to thin the wedge a little then this might explain why it's so loose. The test is to try wedging it with some firm taps and see if the cylinder gap keeps closing until the cylinder locks up.
 
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