expat_alaska
Member
Thomas Leech and Charles Rigdon created a Confederate copy of a steel framed 1851 Navy .36 with a smooth cylinder with a part-octagon/part round barrel until about S/N ~1100 or so when the relationship dissolved. Charles Rigdon completed the 1500 pistol contract without the Colt-type hammer safety pins until he produced the same pistol with the 12 stop-slots cylinder with S/N 1501+ for many more pistols.
I want to create a Pietta Rigdon and Ansley .36 smooth cylinder with 12-stop slots. As far as I know no manufacturer offers a 12 stop-slot 1851 Navy .36 cylinder. I will have to rely on my neighbor machinist friend to do that with a spare cylinder, of which I have two.
I have several Pietta 1851 Navy Type .36 pistols, and all cylinders, both plain and engraved, have the safety pins. I recently ordered a Pietta .36 plain cylinder for the R & A project from VTI (#A344 on the plastic packaging) and it has the pins, and it cost a C-note. I guess I am just greedy or gullible.
Fast forward: I bought a Pietta .36 plain cylinder from a member here LNIB except for some very minor marks on both sides of the inside of the bolt stops (indicating a slightly large width, but only about .001", bolt) and a few minor marks on the cylinder ratchet where the hand catches it (same #A344 on the white paper box) for a very good price. I could not be more pleased with the condition.
Lo and behold! It has no safety pins and never had! I tried it in several pistols and it functions like new. This will be the one I use for the R&A project cylinder for the additional stop-slot cuts: no pins to remove. It was never even machined for them.
It appears to be of very recent manufacture, and it came in the original FAP white box with part number in the very oiled Pietta plastic bag.
I having been trying to get pics of the two cylinders side by side but the phone camera is not cooperating today. I will try to get pics but it may take a bit with my handheld digital. I will post them when I can. Trust me, the two cylinders differ, and it was an eye-opener to me.
My question: Does anyone have one or ever seen one on any Pietta 1851 Navy Type .36 pistol without the safety pins? Is this an anomaly, just a Friday cylinder when Guido forgot to do the pins?
I will entertain all responses.
Regards,
Jim
I want to create a Pietta Rigdon and Ansley .36 smooth cylinder with 12-stop slots. As far as I know no manufacturer offers a 12 stop-slot 1851 Navy .36 cylinder. I will have to rely on my neighbor machinist friend to do that with a spare cylinder, of which I have two.
I have several Pietta 1851 Navy Type .36 pistols, and all cylinders, both plain and engraved, have the safety pins. I recently ordered a Pietta .36 plain cylinder for the R & A project from VTI (#A344 on the plastic packaging) and it has the pins, and it cost a C-note. I guess I am just greedy or gullible.
Fast forward: I bought a Pietta .36 plain cylinder from a member here LNIB except for some very minor marks on both sides of the inside of the bolt stops (indicating a slightly large width, but only about .001", bolt) and a few minor marks on the cylinder ratchet where the hand catches it (same #A344 on the white paper box) for a very good price. I could not be more pleased with the condition.
Lo and behold! It has no safety pins and never had! I tried it in several pistols and it functions like new. This will be the one I use for the R&A project cylinder for the additional stop-slot cuts: no pins to remove. It was never even machined for them.
It appears to be of very recent manufacture, and it came in the original FAP white box with part number in the very oiled Pietta plastic bag.
I having been trying to get pics of the two cylinders side by side but the phone camera is not cooperating today. I will try to get pics but it may take a bit with my handheld digital. I will post them when I can. Trust me, the two cylinders differ, and it was an eye-opener to me.
My question: Does anyone have one or ever seen one on any Pietta 1851 Navy Type .36 pistol without the safety pins? Is this an anomaly, just a Friday cylinder when Guido forgot to do the pins?
I will entertain all responses.
Regards,
Jim