Colt Navy Revolver problem.... rust (?)

[RoostRider]

New member here.... my first post would have been an introduction, but it took forever just to get my registration in order so I could post (thanks to whoever the admin was that registered me).... and I have been toying with this gun for too long at this point..... I guess I'm just not patient enough, so, yeah.... Hi everyone....

I just got a Colt Navy style cap and ball revolver. Distributed by Navy Arms Company, made in Italy. It was a "kit gun". Purchased in the early '80's(?).... I found the foundry marks but no letter coded date mark.

I would love to shoot this thing, but it came to me in kind of rough shape... which leads me to a good cleaning before shooting.... the problem is I can't get the barrel off to clean it and the cylinder.... you are supposed to remove a screw and wedge in front of the trigger assembly and then "pull the barrel off", but it won't budge after I removed the wedge... not a bit...

I am afraid to pry it off (don't want to tweak anything), and I tried tapping it with a plastic hammer (beating on it actually).... I think there is rust in there where the cylinder shaft enters the front frame/barrel assembly..... When I pulled the wedge I had to hammer it out with a plastic hammer, and it was slightly rusty....

The cylinder rotates fine and the finish is in good shape (no pitting in the barrel or cylinder), but the wedge that holds the barrel on was rusted, and I can see some corrosion in there. I have sprayed it with Liquid Wrench several times. I put tape across the wedge hole on one side, flipped it over and filled the wedge hole with Liquid Wrench and let it sit for two days..... it's all still in there (not sure if thats a bad thing or a good thing)...

Would it cause harm to heat that part of the gun with a heat gun/oven/torch?.... I am sure it would be best to use some precise method for cooling if I did use a torch..... and ideas?

I know this gun isn't all that valuable (right?), but I really want to be able to shoot it.... and I don't dare unless I can get it apart to clean it.....

Thanks in advance,

Mike

 

[BigG]

If you can turn the cylinder, turn it halfway between two chambers and use the rammer to lever off the barrel.

 

[Old Fuff]

If you can turn the cylinder, turn it halfway between two chambers and use the rammer to lever off the barrel.

No! Don't do this!!!

It is the correct procedure when the barrel isn't stuck fast, but if it doesn't want to move you can mar up the cylinder face.

Instead get a thin piece of brass about 1/8" thick and slip it in front of the cylinder but behind the rammer, and underneath the cylinder base pin. Drop the bullet rammer handle far enough so that the face of the rammer is against the brass strip, and then gently tap on the end of the handle with a plastic-headed hammer. If or when the barrel starts to move forward, give it an additional shot of penetrating oil.

After the barrel has moved forward about 3/16" it will clear two little pins in the forward/bottom part of the frame. At that point the barrel can be rotated on the base pin, which should further loosen it up.

Notice that this method does not require that the cylinder be unlocked and rotated. I have found that this little trick even works on 19th century antiques that are really rusted up.

 

[RoostRider]

Thanks for the advice. I will give it a shot, but I am not very hopeful about this approach, as I have already beaten on downward on the barrel with a plastic mallet and a brass rod and tried prying in many ways.

I'll let you know what comes of it.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[scrat]

Roost rider you should have posted this in the black powder forum. You can get a lot of help there. A bunch of us can help you out.


Go with what OlD Fluff posted though. He is a good BP MEMBER.

 

[scrat]

Another way you can do this. Spray some penetrating oil on the bottom where the pins meet in the frame. All around that area. IN the Wedge hole and Between the cylinder and barrel. Then put a good rag around the
barrel and put it in a vice. Then use a Long 3/8 Wooden down. Down the barrel all the way and tap the wooden down between the cylinder. Kinda like what you did or were told to do before. Except easier on the parts.

 

[RoostRider]

How could I have not thought of that?

Thanks for the input!