Oops! Need some help with my Colt Navy.

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

SgtGenDanbo

Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2010
Messages
21
Location
Shawnee, KS
Hi all, well now I've really gone and done it. I have a .36 cal Colt 1851 Navy that I haven't shot in around a year, and I got it out the other day and noticed my hammer is stuck. I always clean my black powders thoroughly after shooting, and usually at least once a month when I'm not shooting them but for whatever reason this one missed my attention this time. The hammer will still cock back about a 1/4 of an inch but that's about it, if anyone has any advice how to get this unstuck please let me know it would be of great help. Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing your reply!
 
Have you removed the cylinder to see if the pawl is functional?
Have you removed the trigger gaurd and checked to see if the hand/trigger spring is intact ?
Also, check the pawl spring to see if it has broken or fallen out.
 
Defintely remove the cylinder; it might be that the cylinder won't turn, not that the hammer is stuck.

Jim
 
This informative video shows how to completely disassemble an 1851.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au-d3SbELvQ

Some parts could have become corroded, or a percussion cap remnant could have become stuck in the action as shown in the video.
If you have trouble taking it apart, be prepared to soak all of the steel parts in any kind of oil or solvent, like a penetrating oil, transmission oil or kerosene.
 
Last edited:
arcticap said:
This informative video shows how to completely disassemble an 1851.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au-d3SbELvQ

Some parts could have become corroded, or a percussion cap remnant could have become stuck in the action as shown in the video.
If it you have trouble taking it apart, be prepared to soak all of the steel parts in any kind of oil or solvent, like a penetrating oil, transmission oil or kerosene.
Click to expand...
+1

One peek is worth a thousand guesses.
 
Thanks for all the advice! I got a chance to briefly look at it last night and it does appear that it is the cylinder, not the hammer that is stuck. Also, before I go soak it in something do you think gasoline would work? That's all I have handy but if I need to I can always go get something else that might work better. Well, I appreciate the tips and I'll see if I can get it cleaned up this weekend and let you all know how it goes. Thanks again!
 
No....NO....NO......don’t soak the gun in anything. You really need to find the problem.

Black powder is inherently very dirty.
The forward index on the cylinder is THE FORCING CONE. Crud builds up on the cylinder fact and forcing cone giving the exact problem you describe.

Tap out the wedge, remove the barrel and cylinder and then check the hammer and trigger work correctly. If so, then SCRAPE the crud off of the cylinder face and forcing cone. Don’t do ANY other cleaning. The sharp edges of an old cut up credit card works well and doesn't mark the gun. Reassemble and check the function. Chances are 95% you have eliminated the problem.

Chris
 
The only thing I've ever soaked BP firearm parts in is 99% alcohol. Never use a petroleum product on this, as it doesn't work and can cause other problems. Not to mention it's toxic as all get out.

I haven't had any cleaning job on any smoke pole yet that couldn't be done with boiling water, 99% alcohol, bore butter and elbow grease.
 
IF the problem is indeed 'dirt', such as built up combustion by-products, then cleaning is in order and plain water will work just fine.

However, IF the parts are corroded, as opposed to dirty, then water certainly won't help and soaking in a rust remover is entirely appropriate.

We don't yet know if the problem is dirt or corrosion, so we don't yet know which path is most likely to lead to correcting the problem. The OP claims to have cleaned the gun but not used it in a year. That SUGGESTS corrosion, but there could be some dirt buildup also. The suggestion to disassemble and inspect is the most appropriate. He should then be prepared to either clean or derust as appropriate.
 
Hey sorry I haven't replied sooner, I've been very busy with work this week. Well I had some time to look at it closer and it's without question corrosion. As I mentioned before I have cleaned it since the last time it's been shot but I suspect I only got the outside. I got the wedge out easy enough but it seems that its rusted on the inside so I haven't been able to remove the barrel yet. As far as I can tell the cylinder seems to be rusted to the barrel. I tried some WD-40 on it without success, but hopefully I'll get some time this week to pick up something stronger. Wish me luck and I'll keep y'all updated on my progress. Once again thanks for the help and I think I've definitely learned my lesson about not getting lazy and cleaning EVERYTHING!
 
What Robhof said. Dexron cut with kerosene or acetone makes a great penetrating oil.
Straight kerosene works well, too.

As far as commercially produced penetrating oils go, Kroil is fan-freaking-tastic.
You can't go wrong with PB Blaster, either.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

D
  • Locked
Colt Navy 1851 Question
Replies
3
Views
773
Desert Scorpion
D
N
  • Locked
Colt 1851 Navy
Replies
15
Views
1K
mec
M
R
  • Locked
1851 colt navy
Replies
6
Views
1K
rcflint
R
G
  • Locked
Colt 1851, .36 vs .44 handling
Replies
9
Views
6K
Cosmoline
C
Rusty Gunz
  • Locked
Colt 2nd gen 1851 navy serial lookup gives me 2 years back to back
Replies
3
Views
2K
Rusty Gunz
Rusty Gunz
Back
Top