Pocket Remingtons

[MISSEDSHOT]

I'm looking for some expert , educated, professional , opinions on the Pietta brass-framed and the steel-framed model.Does Uberti make one? I know to stay away from Palmetto. I've read of fellers using a lathe to ream out the cylinder for using larger balls because of loading lever issues.Please address this also.I want someone to tell me they are wonderfull ..I also want a Uberti .31 Pocket with four-inch barrel and I think this is probably a superior piece, but don't tell me that, PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT THE REMY!!!MISSEDSHOT!!!!!

 

[mec]

I have a steel framed Pietta remington by choice but I believe the brass frame would be just as good. I shot .320 balls (chambers are more like .313-several thousanths smaller than the Colt/uberti 31s) Maximum charge was 12.5 grains or gr/vol equivalent. This worked very well until I used the same measure for the dense swiss powder and broke the loading lever from excesisve force. got a new lever from VTI and would be inclined to follow the practice of many owners of these revolvers and use a ball starter instead of the lever. the lever is just fine if you don't try to pack too much powder into the chambers.

The revover is well timed, smooth and functional. It is also even smaller than it looks in the pictures. Mine and others ive heard of shoot about a foot high at 30 feet and are fairly challenging to shoot with any accuracy.
link to relevent thread:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=258192

 

[flibuste]

Hello,

I have 3 brass Remmy pocket but shoot only with one (ASM). 2 are Armi San Marco and one is a new Palmetto. By luck the Palmetto is very well made (it can happen !!).

I shoot at 25 meters and at rest can group all balls within a circle of 40 cm diameter.
The sights had to be adjusted : the front sight has been raised and the barrel turned within the frame to compensate for windage (before that I could not touch the target at 25 meters and so started to shoot at 15 meters)
The 0.315 ball was not seized in the chambers hence the 0.319 ball (Lee ball mold) was used : a slight circle of lead is cut when pushing the balls but it is not optimum and I would recommend a slightly bigger ball : 0.322 might be perfect but not tried yet.

As for the powder : BP (PNF2) full in the chamber less the room of the ball, i.e: 10 gr.

So : 10gr of BP, 0.319 ball, vegetable grease for french potatoes on top(crisco ? in the US ) and that's it. Recoil is very pleasant and it is a lot of fun.

Some improvement could be possible because the chamber seems a bit tight compared to barrel groove bore and with some gunsmithing a 25 cm circle grouping at 25 meters might be attainable.

You'll have a lot of fun with these small gun (be easy on the loading lever)

Bye

 

[MISSEDSHOT]

FLIBUSTE, thanks for the reply. Can you describe the barrel turning procedure, did you use a torch to lightly heat the frame? 40cm. is roughly 16 inches here if I am reading my ruler correctly. The 25 meter distance is probably farther than I will shoot but that gives me a good idea of what to expect. I ordered the brass-framed Remington pocket from Bass Pro , it should be a Traditions which is a PIETTA unless things have changed. It should arrive in two to three weeks.MISSEDSHOT....

 

[flibuste]

Hello,

I turned the barrel by seizing it in a vice (with some protection not to damage it) and turning by hand the frame.
Actually you may use a wrench (not sure of the name of the tool) to have more strengh.
I am not expert in metal properties but if steel is getting brittle when cold and soft when heated, it is the contrary for brass so I would strongly recommend NOT to heat the brass frame because it could break more easily.

Some expert of the forum could explain/confirm it better than me...........

Contrary to steel frame, brass is soft and it is easier to turn the barrel in a brass frame compared to steel frame.

Enjoy your gun

regards

 

[MISSEDSHOT]

What is the proper nipple wrench to use on the '63 ? The same for the '58 in .36 and .44 ??MISSEDSHOT......

 

[flibuste]

Hello,

As for the nipple wrench, the pocket model of Dixie is OK.

I have just shoot my Rem 31 pocket with some cal 0.322 balls and it is perfect because bigger balls would stress too much the loading lever which is quite fragile.
I could not improve on my previous 40 cm diameter grouping at 25 meters, only confirm it. A lot of compensation has to be done when sighting because it shoots too high.

One must be very careful when loading because there can be a lot of variability in BP dose from one chamber to the other if not rigorous, with consequences on accuracy.

Last time a collegue was shooting near me with a Walker : the dwarft and the giant !!!

Have fun

 

[Jim K]

Hi, mec,

"well timed, smooth and functional"? Why is the trigger sticking out of the frame that way? Either it is broken or not made right.

Jim

 

[O.S.O.K.]

protruding trigger

Jim, the triggers that I've examined on new pocket remingtons all stick out that way when the hammer is cocked. They drop back into the recess of the trigger guard spur when the hammer is down.

 

[O.S.O.K.]

protruding trigger

nt

 

[mec]

I can't claim expertise on the matter having examined only one of these closely but as O.S.O.K said, the trigger is flush with the hammer all the way forward. When it is placed on half-cock as it is in the picture, the trigger "jut's" out. At full cock, the trigger is only a bit farther forward than in the hammer down position. I also took a look at my Uberti 58 remington. Placing it on half-cock caused the hammer to "jut' forward more than at hammer down or full cock.

The reason I said that the revolver is well-timed is that it carries up completely with the bolt engaging the lock just as the hammer reaches full cock. the chambers are well aligned with the bore.

FLASH!
Amazing and astounding discovery!!!
I got out my USFA PreWar Single action army. I looked at the trigger. The hammer being down, the trigger was pretty far back in the trigger guard. I advanced the hammer into the "safety" notch. ShaZAAAM! The trigger was a little farther forward. I put the gun on full cock. EUREKA! The trigger was right in the fecundating MIDDLE of the trigger guard ! I pulled it back to full cock and, ZOUNDS! the trigger was back to the rear of the trigger guard.
I wonder if the curved surface of the trigger and the placement of the various notches might have something to do with this? I've been shooting these things for almost fifty years and the importance of all of that has escaped me until just now.

 

[Old Dragoon]

I have an original New Model Pocket Model sold as a conversion. The Recoil plare and the cylinder have different s/n than gun, gun has an earlier bbl with a different number. however all parts have the same conversion number. All the conversion cylinders and their backing plates had the same S?N but different from the Gun's s/n. because they were sold to C & B owners as "Drop-in" conversions. This one also had a blued hammer, rammer and TG. as all have the conversion number of 15 on all the parts.

Said all that to say this, the trigger on the original acts the same way as the reproduction one does on halfcock. Away from the spur. Back where is should be("??) on fullcock and parked on an empry cyl. or in the safety notches.

 

[MISSEDSHOT]

Fellers, I got the Pocket Remington and they don't call it that for nothing, it was so small or my hands were so big,,, that I could not manipulate(pull back) the hammer with one hand. It was a Pietta and timed well and had very good craftmanship but I sent it back...I saw all the pictures comparing it to other revolvers such as a snub-nosed Smith and a Colt pocket but I thought I could still use it....Guess I'll try the little Colt..MISSEDSHOT.....