1851 mod. navy

emmab

emmab

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Hello this is my first blackpowder pistol, and I can't seem to get the get the wedge out to dismantle the pistol. There is a screw which I can't seem to get right out.It is in a channel and there is not enough room to back it out. This is an Army San Marco, and it looks like I have to get this out first before I can drift out the wedge.Any info would be appreciated. Thanks Pete
 
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Assuming that nothing is broken or gone horribly awry, you shouldn't have to take that screw completely out to drift out the wedge. On my Colt I just back it out until it snugs up, then the wedge can be popped out by hand. Try drifting the wedge out with a block of wood and a light hammer. Mine was pretty tight until I had disassembled it once or twice.
 
Thanks 1851. OK so I should just loosen the screw and drift it out from the right to left. In other words toward the screw side? I haven't been able to move it. Thanks for your reply. Pete
 
emmab said:
Thanks 1851. OK so I should just loosen the screw and drift it out from the right to left. In other words toward the screw side? I haven't been able to move it. Thanks for your reply. Pete
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Yup, it comes out on the left, or "screw side." Unless somebody really drove it in there, the wedge should only just protrude on the right side, enough for the little lip on the spring to pop up.
 
Pancho said:
You don't have to loosen the screw at all, it's just there to keep the wedge from falling out!
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The screw is also there so that you don't have the wedge in too far. The wedge should only go in a sufficient distance to give a proper cylinder gap.

If you bang it in too far,, the gap will be too tight and you will also make the "hole" in the barrel and cylinder ping bigger than it needs to be. I think the idea is,, that over time as the pistol shoots out and loosens up,, you then can tap the wedge in farther to maintain the proper gap.

I have seen pistols where you couldn't remove the wedge without bringing the screw out more. Something like tap the wedge,, unscrew the screw some more,, tap some more,, unscrew it a bit more, tap some more,, etc.
 
Thanks Pancho, Navy and Shell. Yeah the little sucker is in there quite aways. So I guess I'll start drifting! There's no way this one would come out by hand. I didn't think it could be to hard to figure out, but the wedge hasn't moved with gentle persuasion and I didn't want to smack it the wrong way! There seems to be bit of galling on the cylinder so I assume it's dirty and the wedge in too tight. I got it from an estate sale and I think it's fairly old and hasn't seen the light of day for awhile. Thanks for the quick answers as I'm looking forward to cleaning her up and trying her out! Much appreciated. Pete
 
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Get a piece of hardwood dowel and use a hammer on the dowel like a punch to drift it out. It's likely just seized in with dried grease.
 
Thanks Clav, I'm going to get a bit of hardwood dowel as you suggest. Well I did get the pistol apart and follwed the directions to clean it up. I did notice that the cylinder pin doesn't slide into the chamber hole very easily and the wedge is pretty crunched looking. Should the pin go into the hole in the cylinder easily? I guess I'll be doing a little polishing. The whole thing was a pain in the ass to get back together. Do most people push the muzzle into a soft surface to seat the trigger group to the barrel? And lastly, what type of powder should I look for and what quantity to use? Thanks alot for the info. I can see there will be a lot to learn. Pete
 
Probably too late but here we go:

Place the revolver in half ####. Tap out the wedge until the wedge spring rests on the screw. Do not loosen or remove the wedge screw. This screw is intended to keep the wedge from completely separating from the barrel assembly. With the wedge held by the screw to the left side of the barrel assembly, turn the cylinder until a wall between two chambers is lined up under the plunger. Slowly press down the lever so the plunger pushes on the chamber wall pressing the barrel assembly away from the frame. Do not just pull the barrel assembly from the frame. When reassembling the revolver, do not tap the wedge too far in. The wedge spring should not hook on to the right side of the barrel assembly. The wedge should be flush. If it is in to far the cylinder will drag or may not turn at all.
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Thanks Ritchie. Good Info. Do you know a good link for BP besides ours? Is there an easy way to re-assemble the pistol once you have it all apart. I found info on taking it apart, but no tips on getting it back together. I did it but it wasn't pretty.
 
Anybody have any suggestions for a Uberti 51 Navy (brand new), that doesn't want to come apart too easily. The wedge isn't the problem in this case, it's drifted out nicely, I've tried using the plunger to push the barrel off the frame, but no success, I don't want to break anything by forcing too much, Am I forgeting something? Any ideas guys?
 
On the lower part of the frame were the barrel match's up
with the lower frame, there are two dowel pins made of steel.
There maybe some rust on these pins that are preventing the seperation. Try a little penitrating oil in the frame and barrel crack to get at these pins.
Also put some light oil or penitrating oil in the right side of the wedge hole were you drifted out the pin,
this will hopfully get around the end of the main cylinder pin, were it fits in barrel frame.
That is bassically all that would preventing sepperation.
Make sure that the wedge pin is as far to the left as it can go before coming out. To make sure remove for the first time.If it is not all the way to the left, the slightest bit left in the clyinder pin will prevent seperation.
 
leadslinger said:
A few of you have mentioned about propper cylinder gap on the BP pistols.
So what would the propper cylinder gap be for a BP pistol?
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Everything I've ever read about the Colt-style C&B revolvers simply says to shove in the wedge as far as it will go while still allowing free rotation of the cylinder. Not really an exact science, I know, but it seems to work.
 
1851 Navy said:
Everything I've ever read about the Colt-style C&B revolvers simply says to shove in the wedge as far as it will go while still allowing free rotation of the cylinder. Not really an exact science, I know, but it seems to work.
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That was what I have tended to do, but when I saw the other posting about "propper gap",
I was second guessing the way I was doing it.
Closest gap , but still allow free cylinder rotation.
If gap is too large, there is lots of side flash and discharge.
not too good if you are an RO in a Cowboy match.:(
 
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