58' Remington Target Buffalo NOS

[Swampy75]

Super excited and feeling like a kid in a candy store with money to burn! My NOS 58' Buffalo just got delivered! I've used BP for years but mainly in modern inline rifles/pistols. This is my first cap and ball. I just recently moved behind the Iron Curtain, (that state they call California) and I was super stoked to discover I can have these shipped straight to my door! I just need to scrounge up some powder, (or make some) make some caps when that kit arrives and head to the range. I'll upload a picture once I figure out how to. Steel frame,manufactured in 95' and still had the heavy film of packing grease on her

 

[windini]

My NOS 58' Buffalo just got delivered!

Prove it!!

(We need pics! )

 

[Swampy75]

Here she is! Question for the group. There is a set screw on the front strap. Is that for spring retention or is that for spring tension adjustment on the hammer?

 

[windini]

Gorgeous! Thanks for posting!

 

[45 Dragoon]

It's a tension screw nowadays but I believe the originals had it just for retaining.
When I set up a Remington I keep it flush with the slot vertical.

Mike

 

[Swampy75]

It's a tension screw nowadays but I believe the originals had it just for retaining.
When I set up a Remington I keep it flush with the slot vertical.

Mike

Nice, thanks for the info. I know on cartridge Colt/Colt SA copies you can tune by stacking leather washers on the mainspring but this is my first Remington.

 

[expat_alaska]

It's a tension screw nowadays but I believe the originals had it just for retaining.
When I set up a Remington I keep it flush with the slot vertical. Mike

I have a Navy Arms/Pietta Spiller & Burr (BL/1998) that has an atrociously stiff mainspring that takes nearly two thumbs to cock it. I am toying with buying a replacement Pietta S&B spring and lightening the spring in a shallow "H" shape lengthwise. I have also been told that I can drill and tap a hole in the front of the frame, ala Remington 1858, and use a Remington spring with some modification to adjust the spring tension.

I am at a loss here. Comments?

Regards,

Jim

 

[Swampy75]

I have a Navy Arms/Pietta Spiller & Burr (BL/1998) that has an atrociously stiff mainspring that takes nearly two thumbs to cock it. I am toying with buying a replacement Pietta S&B spring and lightening the spring in a shallow "H" shape lengthwise. I have also been told that I can drill and tap a hole in the front of the frame, ala Remington 1858, and use a Remington spring with some modification to adjust the spring tension.

I am at a loss here. Comments?

Regards,

Jim

Hey expat_alaska, how is that spring mounted in the grip?

 

[entropy]

It doesn't look 58 feet long to me. But it's still a nice looking '58.

 

[DocRock]

Very cool. Congratulations! I’d love to see some chronograph data from that awesome revolver. I bet with ball and a max load of good 3fffg 1150 FPS is possible.

 

[Swampy75]

It doesn't look 58 feet long to me. But it's still a nice looking '58.

LOL, it starts to feel like 58' holding it out at arms length for ant amount of time

 

[Swampy75]

Very cool. Congratulations! I’d love to see some chronograph data from that awesome revolver. I bet with ball and a max load of good 3fffg 1150 FPS is possible.

I just need to make some caps and scrounge up some powder. Seems to be in short supply out here in Cali.

 

[45 Dragoon]

I have a Navy Arms/Pietta Spiller & Burr (BL/1998) that has an atrociously stiff mainspring that takes nearly two thumbs to cock it. I am toying with buying a replacement Pietta S&B spring and lightening the spring in a shallow "H" shape lengthwise. I have also been told that I can drill and tap a hole in the front of the frame, ala Remington 1858, and use a Remington spring with some modification to adjust the spring tension.

I am at a loss here. Comments?

Regards,

Jim

Jim, keeping the sides parallel would be better. Nothing wrong with making it adjustable if that's what you want.
Here's a secret, I've been taking down the belly of the spring for some time now with excellent results. Don't disturb the back of the spring!! If you have a belt sander you can remove the guard at the top (bench belt sander) to gain access to the top roller section. Holding at the bottom with small adjustable pliers, you can feed the belly over the radius and remove material full length (stopping just shy of the pliers) and cooling in water with each pass. Try and be consistent to keep it as smooth/level as possible. I started using this method long ago when mains were rather thick. By the time you get them light enough ( using the old method) they were so skinny !!!! So, I developed this method to leave a respectable width (thus stability) and going for a thinner spring. Compressing the belly is fine but disturbing the grain on the back and then stretching it is a no no!!

Mike

 

[expat_alaska]

I am leaning more toward the "H" sided spring as I really don't want to make the trigger guard side of the frame to look like a Remington. That would be the last resort, to me. I am still digesting what you said about the belly and back of the spring. I am in no hurry and plan to think it out. I have heard that Wolff makes a lighter spring but I have not been able to find it on their website. I think I am going to order a Pietta S&B replacement spring from VTI for $5 and try that first. The originally spring is a bear to pull back, so I am going to go (at first) with the Pietta spring.

Thanks!

Jim

 

[45 Dragoon]

Well, you got me too, I have no idea what an "H" sided spring is either!! Lol
If you look at a spring (a main spring), the belly would be the part that would be looking at the trigger guard and the back would be the part looking at the "back" strap. Likewise, holding the revolver as if shooting, the forward facing part of the spring would be the belly and the back of the spring would be facing your hand. So, you would remove material from the trigger guard side of the spring and not touch the back part of the spring at all.
I thought you were describing the hour glass type of shaping the spring but the "tried and true " method is taking down the sides (the ones facing the grip panels) and keeping them straight making a skinnier version of what you started with.

Mike

 

[paul harm]

I have four regular and two Buffalo 58s. Also one I converted to a 3" Bulldog. Make sure the small adjustment screws on each side of the rear sight are tight. One of mine was loose and I lost the rear blade - had to buy another one [ two, just to be safe ]. 20grs will shoot good groups, but then who buys a 12" revolver to shoot light loads ? You can get up in the mid 30s for a full load. I use some Corn Meal for filler with lighter loads - under 30 - to keep the ball up near the top of the cylinder. The CM compresses better than Cream of Wheat as some suggest. Go over to the www.1858remington.com forum and learn a lot. Keep us posted how the first time out with it goes.

 

[Swampy75]

I have four regular and two Buffalo 58s. Also one I converted to a 3" Bulldog. Make sure the small adjustment screws on each side of the rear sight are tight. One of mine was loose and I lost the rear blade - had to buy another one [ two, just to be safe ]. 20grs will shoot good groups, but then who buys a 12" revolver to shoot light loads ? You can get up in the mid 30s for a full load. I use some Corn Meal for filler with lighter loads - under 30 - to keep the ball up near the top of the cylinder. The CM compresses better than Cream of Wheat as some suggest. Go over to the www.1858remington.com forum and learn a lot. Keep us posted how the first time out with it goes.

Thanks for the info! Once the supply and prices stabilize a little, I want to pick up the regular 8" as well as the 5" version. I snagged this one for $350 so I couldn't pass it up Also, I've tried to register at the 1858 forum but have been waiting for a couple of days for the admin to approve.