1842 aston

[linus9]

i bought an 1842 aston pistol that needs a lot of work. i sort of have a weakness low priced basket cases and the price was right so i figured i take a project on. the stock is worthless (possible even an old replacement) the brass is good, the barrel is fair-good and the lock is very good. im going to get a repro stock and ramrod. because its not going to be worth enough to worry about, my plan is to shoot it.

now my question. the nipple needs replacement and its rusted in place. more like fused to the barrel. how do i get it out? or do i just take it somewhere to have it drilled out and tapped?

thanks in advance,

mike

 

[LeMat1856]

.
. july 5 / 23:10

you're not the first guy to run into this problem so i will recommend that you do a search here for other threads with additional ideas.

first is soak it in kroil or another super penetrading oil for at least 24 hours.

next is to try heat: a small tourch or even the high setting on a hair dryer combined with the tightest fitting wrench you can find.. it might even be necessary to try hitting the wrench as you apply pressure to create an snapping impact to loosen it.

there are other methods (vice-grips, home made socket bits, etc.) but, when all else fails, be prepared to eventually buy a replacement.

good luck... this can be a real b***h.

:thumbsup: ~d~

 

[linus9]

ok, ill try that. when you say buy a replacement, do you mean a replacement barrel?

thanks for the help,
mike

 

[Zonie]

While your letting your barrels breech soak in the kroil (or other oils specifically made for breaking down old rust), every so often take a small steel hammer and very lightly tap the end of the nipple. Not hard enough to risk shattering the cone but hard enough to get its attention.

This will sometimes "jar" the rust causing it to crumble and allow the penetrating oil to get deeper into the threads. After doing this, let the oil do its job before you try to remove the nipple.

 

[LeMat1856]

.
. july 8 / 0235


no, not the entire barrel (hopefully), but the last time i had to go that route it ended with a vice-grip clamped onto the cone and a slow twisting that destroyed the nipple but preserved the threads.

since they're only a few bucks, that's a small price to recover an entire weapon.

:thumbsup:
~d~

ps. one tip i forgot to mention: make sure you have the penetrating oil coming from both directions - drip both inside and outside the barrel.

 

[msuspartan]

Something that worked for me is 'RustBuster' You get it from a HVAC supply house. Most times an apartment supply store will have it. soak it like crazy. Worked for me for my a/c work. Tapping the nipple is a great idea too!! Nice advice.

Cheers, Don

 

[linus9]

ive been soaking it in "pb blaster" for about 36 hrs now, and ill give it more time.

mike

 

[linus9]

does anyone know what the thread size and pitch are for the nipple in this pistol?

mike