Problem with 1858 Remington

[mhdishere]

I thought I'd put one out for the black powder gurus.

I have an 1858 Remington .44 cal C&B revolver. It was made by Navy Arms (who by whoever made them for Navy Arms). It's been a while since I shot it, but I wanted to ask about a problem I had whenver I did.

When clean, the gun would work smooth as silk. After the first shot though, I couldn't turn the cylinder just by cocking the hammer, I had to help the cylinder with my other hand. I tried oiling the cylinder pin as someone recommended to me, but that didn't help. It seemed like something was binding.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[Cap n Ball]

For the gun to foul after the first shot you must be using some sort of petroleum based lubricant on the cylinder pin. My guess anyway....

 

[RON in PA]

Try using a so-called "natural" (non-petroleum) lube on the cylinder pin. Are you using a full charge like 35 grains of powder? Try 28 grains with a wonder wad or corn meal fill between powder and bullet.

In my experience Remington replicas are prone to cylinder pin fouling and I always clean the pin and pin hole between cylinders. Colts are much better in this regard. Aside from the superior sights of the Remington I think that Colts are the superior weapon. Reports from the cap and ball era suport this with many complaints about Remingtons fouling.

 

[mainmech48]

A couple of thoughts: you might want to check your cylinder gap for clearance and consistancy. 0.006" is a reasonable median; less could cause binding from fouling to happen in just a couple of shots. Whatever the gap, it should be pretty much the same for all chambers. Too small a gap could cause the problem you describe.

Make sure that both the inside of cylinder axis and the center pin are clean and free of burrs or roughness. A little light polishing is in order if you need it. A little polishing or lapping compound on a patch works well.

I use plain ol' white lithium grease on both my 1860 Colt replicas and my Remingtons with good results. I've seen people use everything from Crisco to Ballistol successfully, so try whatever you have on hand first. Don't forget a dab on the cylinder ratchet and the area where the rear of the cylinder rides against the recoil shield too.

If you bought it NIB and find that the problem stems from too small a cylinder gap or other mechanical flaw, contact Navy Arms. They should offer to fix it for you.

Hopr this is of some help.

 

[mec]

We have one (pietta) that requires the manual assist to turn the cylinder. The problem is that somebody got light on the centrifugal clutch when they threaded the nipple hole and one nipple sticks up high. This decreases the already minimal rear head space and allows the cap fragment to tie things up.

 

[docfubar]

I use crisco on my cylinder pin and had no binding after 36 or so shots.

 

[Old Fuff]

I cheated a bit and turned shallow grooves in the pin's center portion. The cylinder is supported at both ends. I pack the groves with water-soluble grease and generally have no problem with the cylinder binding up.

 

[mhdishere]

Thanks folks, I'll give lubing with Crisco a try first, then take more drastic action if needed.

First I have to find a place to shoot it though, the closest outdoor range is about an hour drive away, and I think I'd cause a stir if I set the puppy off at an indoor range.

 

[Cap n Ball]

I shoot at an indoor range quite a bit and there isn't any problem. I wet down the lane I'm using with the hose and I'm usually on one of the end lanes close to the exhaust fans. I'll bet that if you ask about shooting BP they will allow it. Almost every time I'm shooting one of my guns there are several other shooters that are curious when they hear that distinctive BOOM! and want to know more about BP.

 

[Navy joe]

I use Ballistol on the pin, no bind over a 100 round session. Also cap fragments can bind you up, flip the muzzle up near vertical as you go to cock.