Wedge in Pietta 1860 Army .44 cal

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RonC

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The wedge in my new, 1860 Army revolver is really in there tight! I used a brass hammer and punch to get it out. To get it back in required a wooden mallet. It only goes in just far enough for the spring to grab the frame, so it sticks out pretty far on the left.
I am certain that a little filing will fix the situation, but would like to know the best way to go about it.
Thanks,
Ron
 
If the barrel-cylinder gap is right, leave well enough alone.

Jim
 
So does my 1860 Army. Even though the wedge can go in further I push it in just far enough for the spring to rise up and grab. That's where I leave it.
 
Thank you, gentlemen!
I am actually glad to get that advice. I suppose it will loosen up with time and shooting. It does mean that I should bring my wooden mallet with me to the range.
Ron
 
Nice thing about the Colt is that you can get a lot of rounds off before it starts binding. I've shoot between 40 and 50 rounds at the range, I know not a lot for some, and had no problems with a Colt. The other revolver types, well, not so good.
 
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i keep my wooden mallet in my range bag dont need it for my uberti 60 but just in case. my good fortune the wedge in my 60 comes out with thumb pressure, only needed the mallet the first time, then it was a tap or two and i was good to go. heard the piettas can be a bear to get out
good luck with the new iron
Gene
 
Pietta has always had a problem with getting the wedge out on a new gun. They need to fire Luigi the gorilla wedge setter.
On the plus side Pietta has the cylinder arbor bottom out in the barrel socket. When you reinstall the wedge you should only use thumb pressure to seat it as it is not important that the spring clear the frame its purpose is not to keep the wedge from backing out but to keep the wedge from falling out when the guns is disassembled.
With the Pietta, since the arbor bottoms out in the barrel socket, barrel/cylinder gap is not effected by the wedge. This was the intent of the original Colt design that Pietta follows but unfortunately Uberti does not.
 
wedge

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In my Uberti Walker I had to dress the wedge. sharp edges.
Just use a jewelers file and lighthly dress the edges of the wedge.
Then gently work it in and out a few times.
Mine now goes in and out with finger pressure. My 1851 is same.
 
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Just finger pressure is a little scary to me . I know a lot of folks do that but damage happens when the gun is fired with a loose wedge. I'd rather tap in /tap out.
Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
 
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The spring is not supposed to pass thru the frame and "grab" the opposite side. It's purpose is to grab the retaining screw when taking the barrel off. So you're forcing the wedge further than it's supposed to go. Therefore, if the arbor isn't bottoming out on the barrel, you're changing the gap. If it is then you're just creating premature wear on the wedge and slot.
 
@45 fragoon

My wedge is not loose by any means.
Under normal seating and shooting conditions, it does not work loose and good finger pressure will work it loose.
I also carry a small flat smooth river rock, lay it on the wedge and then apply my pressure.
One should not have to resort to a mallet and punch to get it out or in.
 
Mine can all be set by finger pressure. But I like a bit of a love tap from the screwdriver handle sized cap setting tool I made up to set it a touch more firmly.

My open tops have also all been modified so the arbor bottoms out correctly in the hole in the barrel. Otherwise the wedge will never seat firmly and positively and it must be tapped in carefully to adjust the cylinder gap EVERY TIME! By adding a mod to build up or otherwise ensure a firm seating the wedge pressure ceases to be a factor in setting the cylinder gap.
 
Don't mean to open a can but, if you use finger tight, that's great! If you tap in/ tap out , that's great (it's your gun, I just fix um.) . All I said was " finger tight scares me" . I personally like to tap in / tap out.

I don't shoot blk powder. Smokeless only cartridge conversions. I rarely take mine down any more, only to clean! (This smokeless thing is kinda cool, hope it AIN'T a fad!!) Anyway, my arbor corrected, action tuned, spring tuned, bolt block installed and action stop equiped Dragoons, Walker and '60 Army all have a modified wedge that CAN'T get loose and that makes me happy. It works perfectly and I know my opentops will stay exactly in spec.( like a .002 - barrel/cyl.gap), just like I designed them to be. So, everybody's happy! Yea!!

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com

PS. All my Remies/ Mod.P clones have the same things minus the trick wedge (duh! Lol).
 
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45 Dragoon said:
Just finger pressure is a little scary to me . I know a lot of folks do that but damage happens when the gun is fired with a loose wedge. I'd rather tap in /tap out.
Click to expand...

big-thumbs-up-smiley-emoticon.gif Same here!​
 
Think wedge preference depends on your shooting. I take the Colt down often, as I only shoot 6 to 18 rounds then go home. Some load off the gun with a press. When the wedge is out often you keep track of it. If you (Mike) are blasting off hundreds of smokeless rounds, and don't need to clean as often you may want it fit tighter.

Hay Barbie, which finger is that?
 
You're probobly right 44 Dave. I've never loaded "off the gun". (Isn't that what the loading lever thingy is for? Lol) I can see the ease and need for it more with Remingtons because of the binding issue/ frame design but, the Colts don't have the same problem. Wouldn't a loading stand for the revolver do the same thing? I say this because since the Colt has a different frame concept, removing the wedge/barrel to reload each time would induce more wear than loading " on the gun" or normal! I guess if your a comp. target shooter but, it seems a loading stand would serve the same purpose and save wear, at least for Colts.
I raise this question because, in my mind, the wedge should be disengaged for cleaning purposes after a shooting session, not during. When you clean the revolver, you usually have a screw driver which has a plastic or wooden handle . . . .which is great for tapping out /in the wedge . Maybe some of you folks can shed some light?

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
 
When I first started shooting to sight in my 1860 Colt (built by Uberti) I used the R&D conversion cylinder and had to work the wedge often to reload. It loosen up because at first it was real tight and had to be knocked out with 2 pieces of wood, one used as a hammer to tap the wedge out. Now it comes out with heavy thumb pressure only. Now I shoot strictly loose powder and ball loads with it because its far more accurate then with cowboy action loads (45 Schofield, 165 grain bullet) and the wedge hardly come out except to clean.

I think RonC was worried about how far it stuck out on the left side, screw side, of the revolver. I don't know that's what I got from his post.
 
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i load on gun and usually just take the barrel off after 30 or so shots, wipe the crud and whatnot, put it back together and keep pew pewing
even then i wasnt getting any binding and the gun still was easy to take down with thumb pressure, maybe i got a good one... all that said i still have a small wooden mallet in the bag:D
gene
 
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