Mechanically correct way to engage safety notch on Remington 1858

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lagerratrobe

lagerratrobe

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Hi All,

Just signed up to this forum because I like the informative responses and general tone of the conversations I've read so far. I have a question related to a new Pietta replica of the 1858 Remington. Specifically, I'd like to know what the correct procedure is to lower the hammer into the safety notches on the cylinder. Can this be done from both half and full-cock?

Please note that I am NOT asking whether it is safe to use this feature. I merely want to know:
  1. whether it's ok for me to continue dropping the hammer from half-cock
  2. whether I can decock from full-cock and index the cylinder to the safety notch position
Item 1 is what I've been doing, Item 2 appears to be listed in the Ruger Old Army manual as the correct way to use the notches.

Thanks.
 
I've been dropping the hammer (typically) from half cock. I've not heard that it was incorrect or otherwise bad. But that could merely be ignorance...

What I do know about the Pietta model (I have one too) is that the notch is too small for the hammer nose to fit well. If you look you'll notice that it barely engages the hammer. I filed and sanded the nose of my hammer and it now sits flush and has about twice as much contact surface.

Mine is a late 2013 model after retooling so I assume things haven't changed yet...
 
Ok, good to know that you do it too. Would you mind taking a picture of your hammer so that I can see how you modified it? And also, is there a way to infer the year of mfg from the serial number, or from the original box.

Thanks!
--

rodwha said:
I've been dropping the hammer (typically) from half cock. I've not heard that it was incorrect or otherwise bad. But that could merely be ignorance...

What I do know about the Pietta model (I have one too) is that the notch is too small for the hammer nose to fit well. If you look you'll notice that it barely engages the hammer. I filed and sanded the nose of my hammer and it now sits flush and has about twice as much contact surface.

Mine is a late 2013 model after retooling so I assume things haven't changed yet...
Click to expand...
 
The 2 letter code in the box denotes year. Mine was bought prior to Christmas from Cabelas and they go rather quickly.

I'll take a pic, but I'm not sure there is much you can really see.
 
I can't get my phone to zoom in on the hammer all that well. I tried for an angle so that what was filed could be seen better. It's really not that much and didn't take long.

I just filed a little at a time until I felt it was more secure, something I was told about them. Then I sanded it with fine sandpaper.

%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i67.tinypic.com/6hi9dw.jpg%5B/IMG%5D
 
I found this that dates them up to 2014. Mine is CL making it a 2014 despite being bought late 2013....
 
Out of curiousity I tried full cock and setting it to a safety notch and found the cylinder won't turn despite releasing the hammer. Guess it's the only way to do it, which seemed best and safer to me anyway.
 
Mine has code CP, which appears to mean it was made this year. I also verified once I got home that the ONLY way in which I can drop the hammer into a safety notch is from half-cock. As rodwha points out, there is no way to turn the cylinder to the safety position from full cock. Seems to be fine doing that though, as the bolt stays fully retracted and the action to drop the hammer from half-cock is smooth.

Thanks for eliminating some FUD I was having.

In case anyone is thinking of buying one of these, I will say that I think the quality of mine is extremely good. I haven't fully torn it down yet, but so far the only issues I see are that all the metal edges are new and extremely sharp and that the inside of the brass trigger guard hasn't been polished. I'm looking forward to taking it to the range.
 
My hand and bolt were rather sharp and were smoothed a bit. My bolt was also peening the slot so I took a bit off.

My chambers, as is typical, were undersized so Fly reamed and chamfered them.

The grip panels didn't fit flush (and I didn't care for the redish stain) so I sanded and refinished them.

I shoot my custom conicals which called for opening up the loading port. This will need to be done to shoot about anything but a ball in a Pietta model using the loading lever.

Mine shoots a bit left and I'm thinking of pulling the front sight and dovetailing an Uberti sight in so it can be adjusted, though I was told I could possibly turn the barrel to fix this. I'm not so sure I want to readjust the loading lever catch too though, assuming it will adjust the POI enough.
 
This forum sure looks better on the eyes after that "upgrade".

Never lower your hammer from the half cock position. Always bring it to full cock and then release the hammer to keep the gun in time and not to unduly stress the internals which you certainly will by dropping the hammer from 1/2 cock.

With the hammer down, bring the hammer back just enough to drop the cylinder bolt stop and rotate the cylinder just enough to drop the hammer into a safety notch. Soon as you do that the bolt will come back up and rest against the cylinder but that's ok as it's not going anywhere until you pull the hammer and the bolt will drop and not mar up your cylinder if the gun is in proper time.
 
What Swathdiver said is not correct.
Nothing at all will happen by letting the hammer down from half cock. He doesn't seem to understand the the bolt arm hasn't fallen off the cam yet. Absolutely no damage to the action parts will result .
This is how misinformation gets continually passed on!!

If you will take the trigger guard off and watch what actually happens when you do this, you'll see for yourself . I've been telling Swath for years to do this but apparently it's easier to keep spreading false information .

Mike
 
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I believe I came across this argument in a previous post, hence the question. I will be fully disassembling the gun this weekend to ease and polish the internals.

I'll see what I can infer then, but it's odd to me that this topic is so poorly documented.
 
Well, there's no argument. If you understand how the action works in a S.A., that's all you need.

I don't want you to take my word for it , that's why I said, take the T.G. off and look for yourself . But, I've asked Swathdiver to for yrs yet he still promotes ignorance .


Mike

Btw, "polishing the internals " is how many end up as wall hangers. I'm only saying that since you asked the question you asked.
Do yourself a favor and Google - pettifogger open range.
 
Sorry Swath, if you're the wrong person then, I will apologize for the "for yrs" part. I was going on the post itself sounding so familiar. I don't have time to sift through all the posts.
Needless to say, the only safe way to use a safety pin (Colts) or the safety notches of others, is to do so from half cock, NOT drawing the hammer back "far enough " for the bolt to drop out of the locking notch . . . . that's exactly how "accidental scratches" happen !
What would be damaging about lowering the hammer from half cock to the designed safety ? Makes absolutely no sense . . . . .


Mike
 
The only way to get it in the notch is from half cock. Turning the cylinder after letting the hammer back down is what scratches the cylinder with the bolt. Normally it's a no no to not go to full cock before letting a hammer down with a single action but in this case you have to line up the cylinder safety notch with the bolt disengaged and then let the hammer down in the notch. Normally the bolt will release before the hand tries to turn the cylinder from that point when you cock the hammer and not result in scratching the cylinder.
 
That's right C.C.

Best thing concerning S.A.s is always let the action turn the cylinder. The action knows exactly where the cylinder should be. The only time the off hand needs to touch the cylinder is for loading and unloading (done at half cock for you non-S.A. folks).

Mike
 
After reloading I have set the safety from half cock. Otherwise I have just lifted the hammer far enough to turn the cylinder to set it. That's what I read of Swathdiver's statement.
 
Holy cow, ok, I'll spell it out for everybody then.
In his first statement he stated ". . . unduly stress the internals which you certainly will . . ." . OK, how?!

In his second statement " . . . seen too many guns buggered up from folks letting the hammer down from half cock " . Again, how?!!

Maybe you missed those lines?

Letting the hammer down from half cock in a S.A. does nothing at all detrimental to the action parts.

In your own statement you admit lifting the hammer "just far enough " to turn the cylinder . . . . that is where the accidental "cylinder beauty rings" come from.

Again, the action itself (when used as designed ) will not do damage and keep the cylinder " ring free" in a S.A. with a Colt type action.

Hope this is clear enough . . . . . .

Mike
 
Thanks Mike, that's very clear. Also appreciate the pettifogger link. I was using it as my guide already, but it's always nice to get confirmation that something is worth using.
 
I wasn't intending my statement to be disagreeable. Sorry if it wasn't clear.

Quite frankly I've never seen it said there was a right or wrong way, but then I was always an autoloader kind of guy.

As my revolvers aren't a Colt style gun I suppose your statement doesn't apply? My Remington has a nice etch mark all the way around, but it has been there from the beginning and I attributed it to the sharp edges on both the hand and the bolt for the various markings. I played with it always going to full cock and easing the hammer down. Many claim this shows out of time locking and many others claim it's just how it is. Quite frankly, as it goes clear around I can't see it being aiming issue. But then I'm not all that familiar. Maybe I'll have to watch the parts in motion.

Judging by your rhetorical questions nothing is being damaged (maybe just the finish?) by setting the safety in this or any other manner. Right?
 
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