The accuracy thing......

[aprayinbear]

Hey Folks,

Was a beautiful day here in sunny SC so I headed out to the range to test a few loads on my 44 Remmy for accuracy. The best five shot grouping I was able to manage was shot at 20 yards free-hand with about 18 grains BP, lubed wad and Crisco to top it off. Here's a pick to show my results.



Wow was I happy..... a 7/8" group center to center. Now I'm happy if I can keep it within about 2-3" at that range, so you could say it was only luck, but it got me to thinkin' just what this sweet little gun is capable of.

As you can see the group was 3" low and 2" to the left. I'm guessin' that I was pulling the shots, partly because the trigger pull is heavier then I would like. Have any of you guys done trigger work on your Pietta Remmys? What are the possiblities? The trigger is relatively smooth for a new gun, but is much heavier then what I'm used to.

Any other suggestions for pulling the shots to the center?

P.S. I think I've found my favorite handgun!

Happy Shootin'!

 

[RSVP2RIP]

Thats great, pistol wise thats what mine look like also... but at 7 yards!

 

[Smokin_Gun]

Jus' take the innerds and very lightly deburr sharp edges/polish without rounding anything off that counts...i.e. frame slot for bolt, bolt leg to hammer cam, pawl, pawl channel. Look at hammer cam, trigger, hammer. Reassemble snug trigger spring screw and back it off 1/8 turn to lighten the bolt smackin' the cylinder...still allowing full engagement and lockup.
By the way good shootin'! :O)

SG

 

[scrat]

Im jealous everytime i get a day off it rains. seems like its been this way for almost a month now.

 

[mykeal]

Move the target 3" down and 2" left.

 

[arcticap]

The trigger is relatively smooth for a new gun, but is much heavier then what I'm used to.

Why not just wait to see how the trigger will break in over time?
Someone here mentioned that one way to break in a stiff C&B trigger is to put some forward finger pressure on the hammer while simultaneously pulling the trigger to help "prematurely" wear off the rough edges on the critical trigger part surfaces.
I know someone whose double action revolver has been shot so much that over a period of months the trigger now breaks like glass. He was always offering his friends to shoot it some more just so everyone could help break it in.
It's a S&W 8 shot snubbie airlight .22lr and the last time I shot the gun, the trigger had lightened up so much that it actually went off prematurely on me, and that was shooting it double action.
The difference in the present trigger pull compared to when it was new is amazing considering that nothing was done to it except to shoot it a whole lot.

 

[sundance44s]

These Remingtons come out of the box shooting a little low ..and normally a little to the left .
Just by fileing a little off the top of the front sight you can bring those shots into the black bullseye ..and you`d be supprised at how close to center they would be .
Uberti`s are the easyest to adjust with the dovetailed front site ....but my Pietta`s feel better in my hand and shoot just as well .

 

[Pulp]

Some of the Cowboy Shooters do what they call a "toothpaste job" to their firearms. Squirt some toothpaste into the action and hand cycle it several hundred times. Then clean it up VERY good. You'll have a much smoother action.

 

[husker]

what does toothpaste do? graphite i could see. but tooth paste. sounds a little sticky to me.

 

[kBob]

Husker,

The toothpaste has a mild abrasive in it. This polishes off burrs and tool marks.

Some of us ancient types made it a practice to fully degrease a new gun and work the action a few hundred times.

Have known a guy or two to use brasso as it has or had a mild abrasive as well.

Hmmm, there is an out of date tube of Crest in my go bag I need to replace anyway. I might try toothpaste myself on something.

 

[mykeal]

Toothpaste USED TO have mild abrasives. Some may still, Colgate for instance. But the latest ones don't work as well.

 

[Mike OTDP]

Shim the full-cock notch. This will help with crispness.

 

[BHP FAN]

Ignore all the tune up advice,first off.All of those methods work,but it's all tricky for someone who hasn't done it before,and some of it,like fooling with the full cock notch,by anyone but an expert with a jig is downright unsafe.The top of the trigger where it contacts the hammer is ,in effect,your sear in a single action six gun.Way too easy to create an unsafe condition,even for an experienced gun tinkerer with out a jig,and a good set of stones,minimum.Re-heat treating and hardening is what a real 'smith will do after re-cutting the hammer notches.Sooo,what is the beginner,or hobby 'smith to do? First adjust your hammer tension screw,located on the inside curve of the grip part of the frame. I know,you wanted to get a lighter trigger, not hammer,but the two are inter-related. Now,if you want your trigger even smoother, get a Wolff music wire bolt/trigger spring.Viola,you're done. without cobra-cutting you hammer spring,and without creating an unsafe hammer trigger/sear engagement,you've got a good 2 1/2-3lb trigger.

 

[madcratebuilder]

I'm guessin' that I was pulling the shots, partly because the trigger pull is heavier then I would like. Have any of you guys done trigger work on your Pietta Remmys? What are the possiblities? The trigger is relatively smooth for a new gun, but is much heavier then what I'm used to.

Doing a trigger job is not magic nor does it require a lot of money invested in tools. I would recommend you go to smartflix.com and rent a DVD on the subject, one particularly good one is by Jerry Miculek. While the DVD discusses a S&W DA revolver, the principles apply to all revolvers. Revolvers are a very simple mechanical devises, they are not difficult to master. Learning to work on them can be as enjoyable as shooting them.

 

[BHP FAN]

''Doing a trigger job is not magic nor does it require a lot of money invested in tools...''

true enough,and it IS a lot of fun to work on the old sixguns.That said there's a lot a fellow can do without messing with the trigger/sear/hammer engagement.With a hard Arkansas stone,I can replicate the factory angle at the top of the trigger [sear] and I have full confidence that Madcratebuilder and Smokin' Gun can ,too.I also know that unless you really know what you're doing in a sixgun's innards,the trigger/sear/hammer engagement is the one place it's waaay to easy for someone not an expert to create an unsafe condition.couple that with the fact that you can inexpensivly get the same,or similar results with the simple installation of a quality set of springs,and the turn of a screw,and the return usually isn't worth the risk.

 

[DoubleDeuce 1]

I would clean and lube the revolver. Next time at the range, shoot from a bag several rounds. Double check your grip and sight alignment. 80% of all poorly placed shots are caused by anticipation and improper trigger control. You might be anticipating the shot some and pushing the muzzle down slightly as the shot is fired.

You might try the above before pulling the revolver apart to change things. It won't cost you anything but a little time.