Need advice on 1851 Navy - hard to disassemble barrel from frame

[Navy Shooter]

Just received a brand new 1851 Navy. I own a second generation (Colt), and an Uberti 1861. Both of those have disassembled easily.

The wedge pushed out of this one fairly easily, but the barrel is incredibly hard to pull apart. It was also very difficult to push back on. I removed the barrel, and turned it upside down so that the two holes in the barrel forging line up with the two pins in the frame, and they slid together easily, so they have plenty of clearance. But I think the alignment is bad between the cylinder arbor and the pins.

By hard to disassemble, I mean I had to pull on this as hard as I could, and work it back and forth. It was not a fun process.

My gut feel is, if this gun was capped and loaded, and then froze up, I'd have to pull apart a loaded gun, with all of my strength. So if it slips, I could end up a little more holey than I am now.

Is there a simple cure for this, or should I ship it back? If you know of a cure, please let me know. But I'd appreciate no wild guesses, like, 'you could just keep grinding until it fits.' I figure I did pay for a new gun, I'd like it to look that way for a little while.

Thanks,
Navy Shooter

 

[4v50 Gary]

Get carpet scrap and place on workbench in front of vise. Put two pieces of wood in vise and clamp the frame in the vise. Get a piece of wood and place it against the barrel. Tap it with a mallet. It should come out with some gentle persuasion.

 

[J-Bar]

Repeat assembly and disassembly using the above method several times. Use lots of lube on the mating surfaces to help as much as possible. Examine the mating surfaces for the spots where they are rubbing against each other, and polish those spots down with 600 grit sandpaper or 4/0 steel wool.

Keep repeating assembly, disassembly, and polishing. You will eventually get it as smooth as it should have been when it came from the factory!

Remember, these guns are kits. They are rarely perfect out of the box.

 

[44 Dave]

Another option would be,leave the cylinder out blacken the arbor and frame to barrel pins then work on and off to find the "bright spots". You shouldn't need to put it on tight, at first, to find the trouble spots.

 

[leo96150]

Both of the Pietta 51 Navies that I just bought needed the arbor hole in the barrel assembly cleaned up with a dowel and some 600 grit sandpaper.

 

[Hellgate]

Also, rather than pulling the gun apart by hand, I pull the wedge out of the way and place the rammer plunger between the chambers on the cylinder and pull down the ram lever to force the gun apart. If you want to put a popsicle stick under the ram to prevent marring that is OK. Then check for high spots to stone as described by others.

 

[45 Dragoon]

Holy cow !!! Thanks Hellgate !!! I was thinking the art of dis assy. was lost !!

Be thankful for a tight gun, it will soon be loose!!

45 Dragoon

 

[whughett]

Holy cow !!! Thanks Hellgate !!! I was thinking the art of dis assy. was lost !!

Be thankful for a tight gun, it will soon be loose!!

45 Dragoon

Yes sir, I have shot my 1860 Pietta so much that it rattles like an old Ford pickup, shoots as good as I can point it though and does not spit lead. $100 bucks twenty years ago.

 

[BullSlinger]

Do what hellgate said. It will get easier as time goes by.

 

[rcflint]

+2 on Hellgate's comment. Use the loading lever to jack the barrel off the frame, with the plunger between chambers. I have done this for at least 55 years on guns that wouldn't come apart by a simple pull. Clean up ny burrs on the arbor and hole.

 

[Navy Shooter]

Thanks for all of your advice. I didn't mention that to put the barrel back on the frame, I had to put the muzzle on the carpet, and put a significant amount of my weight on it. The pins just weren't lining up. I had thought about using the loading lever to take it apart, but with the force I was using to pull it apart, wasn't sure if the mechanical advantage might damage the lever. The supplier said to go ahead and try it.

The first time was pretty rough, but I did it a few times. I also looked into the hole beneath the barrel, where the arbor goes. It had grease in it, so I cleaned it out, and along with the grease came part of a patch.

Per some people's directions above, I repeatedly disassembled and reassembled the gun. There is bluing on the back of the barrel forging, and the bluing above one of the pins began to get scratched up. I figure this is where the interference was. I may stone that pin just a little, to give it a slight lead-in chamfer.

Anyway, the gun is becoming much easier to take apart now, can usually do it without using the loading lever. I don't mind using that, especially now that the forces have gone down considerably. Or should I say considerable, seems more like the correct period language.

So thanks for all the advice. I'll think of you guys, while I'm creating smoke this weekend. (By the way, those aren't sunglasses to be cool, those are shooting glasses.)

 

[Hellgate]

I have an 1860 Army that comes apart with the lever but doesn't go together easily so I align things and with the hammer down, the muzzle on the wooden bench (gun pointing straight down) I whack the frame with a 1.5" hardwood dowel (that I use to knock the wedges out ) just under the hammer spur. That gets it snugly back together.

 

[44 Dave]

I won't put up with a gun, wife, or girl friend that has to be beat upon!

 

[45 Dragoon]

Ha !
With ya Dave!!
But, hey, whatever it takes !!!

 

[BowerR64]

The last 2 colts i bought new were pretty tight till i shot them a few times.

I normally shoot pretty light loads but the first few cylinders i loaded em pretty hot and that seem to help.

 

[Hellgate]

44 Dave must be related to Hank Williams. (From the movie) He's in court where his wife is divorcing him and she says to the judge: "I cannot remain married to a man who shoots at me!" Whereupon Hank replies "I can't remain married to a woman I have to shoot at!"