How to tune a 44 Remington

[oneiron]

If this thread is in the archives please direct me. I tried to fan my Remington and took a hunk of meat out of my palm. I know the main spring has to be filed down ,but in what fashion. There must be some polishing of the trigger and filing of the cylinder stop. In the case of the cylinder stop what is the indication of where it needs to be filed?

 

[Voodoochile]

Fanning any Single Action revolver is not good if you want it to last & not wear out the parts prematurely and unless you eliminate the trigger & have the main spring as light as possible but still fire the weapon there is not any real tuning that will help make fanning any easier, faster, or smoother than you have there.

Now if by chance you have a part that is worn out or broken or your revolver is that out of time & a part is needed to be replaced or tweaked to get it back in order then what you need first is to verrify that the weapon will function correctly as in:

Pulling the hammer slowly does it drop the bolt down & then start to rotate the cylinder?
Once you get to the half cock position does the cylinder move freely but in only one dirrection with the click heard as you rotate the cylinder?
As you continue to rotate the hammer to it's firing position slowly does the bolt rise up just as or just prior to the trigger engaging the sear?
When fully in firing position can the cylinder be rotated any at all indicating that the hand may be slightly short?
Does the chambers look to be out of alignment to the bore?
Does the hammer feel as though it is grinding as you pull it back?
is the hammer pull & trigger pull stiff or heavy?

There are ways to properly tune & time any revolver including the 58' Remington & it's clones but unless you know what you are doing you may want to seak out the services of a competent Gun Smith that knows how to work on these fine weapons.
If you have the tools necessary & know how to do the repairs or have the general idea & just need some guidance then I or others here can get you in the right dirrection but first could you describe the problem that your 58' Remington copy has so that we can place you on the right path.

 

[Smokin_Gun]

Back out the mainspring adjustment screw. I don't weaken mainsprings nor do I fan a BP Rev. Would suggest using an 1851 Navy for fanning. When you lighten the hammer you risk blowback from the Cone or nipple upon ignition. I rather have the hammer stay forward on the cone...less irratic shot groups.

I won't tell someone to hour glass a mainspring a little at a time with a dremel.(in the middle below the curve on the straight part.) So if you do it it's on you...don't trim it too much and polish it smooth afterwards.

I din't tell ya nuttin',

SG

 

[Oldnamvet]

When the experts demonstrate that technique, they always seem to have this heavy leather glove on the fanning hand. That is easier than trying to adjust the pistol.

 

[kBob]

EE-HA!

Back to the future to the past and sideways!

Its the late '50s and early '60s again and fanning and slip fireing are raising there ugly heads again.

Yes, those wonderful days when doctors used to use the term "gunfighters' syndrome" to discribe a self inflicted gunshot wound to the leg or hip area.

You might want to find way back issues of Guns&Ammo etc from the late '50s and early '60s if yoy insist on mistreating a single action.

Didn't Sammy Davis Jr. (rat pack) do that sort of thing? Memory hazy, fadeing, fadeing.......

-Bob Hollingsworth

 

[sundance44s]

I had an old brass frame Remington I didn`t want anymore ...so I took it out and abused it by fanning ...dang if it didn`t fan as well a ole Clint Eastwood could have done it ..I didn`t hit my target , but it was fun for just that one time ..I ended up chopping the pistol up and useing it to pratice gunsmithing skills ( Mayor Sugery ) I wouldn`t have ever learned on my good guns , like cutting dovetails in the barrel ...all thats left is a box of parts .So much for the apple of some Itilian gun designers eye .

 

[mykeal]

The 'experts' who do this for a living (old west demonstrations and exhibitions) not only wear heavy gloves, the guns are highly modified and maintained DAILY. In fact, they'll have several guns modified and available because the guns don't last long without complete rebuilding.

 

[arcticap]

kBob,

There's some good spinning videos in this thread including Sammy Davis Jr..
Who said that we never have fun on the THR BP forum?

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=350869&highlight=davis

 

[kBob]

arcticap,

I'll have to take your word for it. I live in the 1/2 of 1 percent of my county that still has only dialup and videos at 49Kbps just don't get it.

Thanks, though.

-Bob Hollingsworth

 

[Rachen]

Why do you want to fan the revolver?

Fanning not only ruins the gun but is also historically innaccurate. Back in the old west days, ammunition was conserved, and it takes some time to load the guns, so the gunslingers and cowboys of the old days wouldn't have been fanning at their target and waste precious ammunition. And their enemies were pretty sharp too. Sioux and Apaches were known to wait for a man to run out of ammo before they charge in and go hollering off with the poor man's scalp. So a guy with two sixguns is definitely a nasty surprise for any marauding prowlers. And they won't fan either, since it is totally futile when in combat.

 

[arcticap]

But what if d'ere's a gang of 5 or 6 eeeevil doers coming a'cha at da' same time?
You've gots 'ta be quicker ta' draw and fan 'em all down before one of 'em can gets a shot off a'cha! A man's gotta' do what'ta man's gotta do.
Sakes alive! No one's gonna' wann'a just give 'em up yaw horse jus' like d'at wit'out no gunfight'en 'em off!!

 

[oneiron]

Thanks guys. First of all I know not two pull the hammer back until the gun has cleared leather. It would never occurred to me that the pistol would be damaged by fanning.
I just want to be able to fire my single action as fast as my double action 44 special. My SAA 1858 can be loaded with 27 grs of Blk and a 246 soft lead bullet which was the load for the 44 Special.
I have plenty of time to practace. As for ruining the gun, it is a mechanical device, and it is going to wear out. Thank goodness they don't cost that much. These newer clones a well made. Much better that the 36 cal clones that could be brought in kit form in the 60's and 70's. The hammer pull is much greater than the 36 cal as I remember it that is why I asked how to tune it. I have leather work gloves that I can wear, but I was tring to perfect the palm as well as the finger pulls. Thanks for the advice.

 

[scrat]

A good place to look on adjustments and timing is black powder magazine
you will have to look through the previous issues.

http://www.blackpowderrevolver.net/