Revided by Uberti 1861

[Tomahawk674]

My 11 year old Uberti 1861 was looking real beat up due to working on it without the appropriate tools and it also had an issue with the barrel cylinder gap that I have been trying to fight with for a while. I lost my temper during some assembly / disassembly sessions where I was trying to remedy the issue which resulted in some mishandling of the gun (I know, I know).

So I believed I have fixed it for good. I jb welded a stainless steel shim to the front of the arbor slot, used a file for proper fitment and brought my gap from 0.021 to about 0.005. The barrel was sent out to Ford's gun services in FL, where they reblued it to their "Ford's blue" which is semi-gloss, the closest to factory they could get me.

The gun looks beautiful now, and appears to function perfectly. I also bought me a set of rubber mallets to avoid ever dinging her up again. This gun has sentimental value so I want to keep nice but also shoot it extensively.

 

[72coupe]

Is that front sight tall enough to make it shoot to point of aim?

It is very good looking

 

[Tomahawk674]

It would shoot high, but I opened the notch on the hammer sight so it brings the aming down and equals out pretty good.

 

[bannockburn]

Tomahawk674

I lost my temper during some assembly / disassembly sessions where I was trying to remedy the issue which resulted in some mishandling of the gun (I know, I know).

I know wherefore of what you speak! One of the reasons I always worked on my guns at night and in the basement was done in the sincere hope my kids wouldn't learn any new cuss words from their father! Several black powder kits (and one particularly difficult 1911 build), caused me undo grief on more than one occasion. However everything eventually worked out fine.

Your Uberti '61 Navy looks like it turned out alright and none the worse for wear. Hope it shoots nice tight groups for you.

 

[Venom007]

Don't worry, I've lost my temper before and damaged a gun or two !!

 

[Tommygunn]

Is "revided" a real word?

 

[4v50 Gary]

That took me a while to figure out. I don't care for JB Weld and would have soldered a shim in instead. But that's me. Whatever works.

 

[dh1633pm]

Sometime you just have to launch something in order to start on the road to recovery. Just make sure the kids are close by. After we had the girls, I learned a new cuss word "stupid thing" instead of "f'in son of a bi***". My girls tease me to this day about "stupid thing", but at least I keep the f-bomb to a minimum.

 

[44 Dave]

Soldered or even brazed shim in arbor slot will get hammered if the arbor does not bottom out in the barrel.

 

[Tomahawk674]

"Is "revided" a real word?"

It is perfectly correct English when a 2 year old bangs on your keyboard as you try to make a forum post.

 

[Tomahawk674]

I would have also preferred a welding approach but I do not have the skills for such, and believe it or not, no gun smith in my 80,000 inhabitant city wanted to do it. I still have prenty of shim stock if I need to do it again. The rubber mallet proved indispensable during fitting.

 

[Tommygunn]

"Is "revided" a real word?"

It is perfectly correct English when a 2 year old bangs on your keyboard as you try to make a forum post.

I stand corrected and .... revided.

 

[RWMC]

Soldered or even brazed shim in arbor slot will get hammered if the arbor does not bottom out in the barrel.

Thank you very much for this information 44 Dave. I have an ASM Richards type 1 in .44 Colt that I tried to put a shim in the wedge cut of the arbor pin, and it just eventually shot Loose again. There is great information here on the highroad if you just take time to search and glean.