1860 Army problems.

[barebackjack]

As some of you know, I got a Pietta 1860 army clone a few weeks back. Everything has been fine until today.

All of a sudden there is "play" in the trigger with the hammer down. If I **** it, sometimes the hammer locks, sometimes not. Sometimes it locks at the half-**** position, sometimes not.

All the screws were present, although the furthest forward of the four screws does get loose after a couple cylinders, or just "playing" in the living room cocking the hammer repeatedly.

If I put some pressure on the trigger by pushing it forward, everything works fine.

Whats wrong? Is there a spring in there that supposed to apply this pressure? Just how complicated is the trigger/hammer mechanism?

Thanks for any help.

 

[biliff]

Sounds like the trigger/bolt spring is loose or broken. You'll need to take the trigger guard off to check. There will be a flat spring with two arms underneath, held in place by a screw. One arm will rest on a shelf on the trigger, the other rests on the bolt. It may be nothing more than the screw holding the spring in place has loosened. If its broken it will be pretty obvious.

 

[Robert an saa fan]

Sounds like the trigger/bolt spring is loose or broken. You'll need to take the trigger guard off to check. There will be a flat spring with two arms underneath, held in place by a screw. One arm will rest on a shelf on the trigger, the other rests on the bolt. It may be nothing more than the screw holding the spring in place has loosened. If its broken it will be pretty obvious.

Bakeoven Bill probably has it nailed. Also, the trigger/bolt spring could just have a crack and not work properly. Suggest you take off the backstrap and loosen the mainspring screw before taking off the triggerguard. This makes it easier.

Another possibility is that the spring leg has come off the trigger notch (shelf as Bill termed it). In this case it can be put back in place.

The action is not super complicated but it is intimidating when you first work on them. Might try a litte bit of locktite type stuff on the frame screw that works loose.

Let us know what you find and we will help more if needed.

 

[Zonie]

I couldn't find my previous posts about this so, here goes:

To disassemble your Colt you will need to have a medium sized screw driver that fits the slots in the screws and counterbore in the frame/grip backstrap.
You will need a larger screw driver that fits the mainspring screw.
You will need a few pieces of masking tape.

Once the tools and tape are ready you need a clean table to work on.

Unscrew the two screws on the grip frame which are on both sides of the hammer. Stick these screws onto one piece of masking tape.
Unscrew the one screw that is at the bottom of the grip strap. Stick it on the same piece of masking tape.

Grab the grip and the barrel and pull the grip to the rear. Set it next to the masking tape with the 3 screws. Do not try to remove the brass or steel backstrap from the wooden grips. Removing the wood may chip it and replacing the metal backstrap into the wood can be difficult so, leave it as one assembly.

Use the larger screw driver to loosen the mainspring screw. It doesn't have to be totally removed.
Push the end of the mainspring up by the hammer to the side to disconnect it from the hammer.

Remove the three screws that hold the trigger guard to the frame. Place the two aft screws side by side on another piece of masking tape. Place the third screw on the same tape.

Looking into the bottom of the frame you will see a flat spring with one screw holding it in place.
There are two fingers on this spring, one on the cylinder bolt and one sitting on a little flat on the front of the trigger.
I suspect that this finger is not engaging the trigger flat because it is broken.

Dixie Gunworks sells new springs. Just make sure the one you order is for the Colt 1860 or 1851. The Dragoon or the 1849 pistols springs will not fit.

When replacing this flat spring you will note that the finger on the trigger flat side is curved and it comes to an abrupt end like a finger tip. This end should belocated on the trigger flat so that only the end of the spring is touching it.
If you install the spring upside down, the back of the curved finger will be touching the trigger flat and the gun will not work properly.
Remember, only the tip of the finger touches the trigger flat.

You will not have to remove the screws that hold the trigger, the cylinder bolt or the hammer to do this job.

Once the spring is replaced reassemble the pistol in the reverse order.

Have fun.

 

[rebel727]

If you use Loctite get the blue not the red unless you never want to disassemble it again.

 

[Robert an saa fan]

If you use Loctite get the blue not the red unless you never want to disassemble it again.

Thanks for adding that rebel727. Forgot about the difference when I posted about the Loctite.

:hatsoff:

 

[barebackjack]

Thanks for the help guys.

Ill be tearing it apart when I get home tonight. Ill let ya know what I find.

 

[slowpokebr549]

Taylor's will have any parts you might need and they are a pleasure to deal with. I recently got a cylinder bolt from them for a .36 cal 61.

 

[barebackjack]

Thanks for all the help guys. You were right, the one "ear" on that spring that engages the trigger is broke off.

Looks like ill be taking a break from making smoke for a bit.

 

[barebackjack]

Now, just to be sure, this is what I need?
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_434_435_441&products_id=1146


I believe taylors calls it a "trigger and bolt spring"?

 

[slowpokebr549]

You got it correct. :thumbsup:

 

[Zonie]

barebackjack
Because they aren't very expensive you might want to order two of them.
As you noticed in the link, they will fit all of the mid sized Colts and for some reason (like the idiots didn't temper them correctly) these springs have a habit of breaking.

If your adventuresome you might want to hold the spring with a pair of pliers a little way from a heat source. Carefully watch the spring while you do this. It will change color right before your very eyes!

As it heats it will turn straw yellow, then brown, purple, blue, gray.
When it gets to the blue color, before it goes gray drop the spring into a little motor oil to cool it off.
That way you know it has been tempered and it should never break again. :grin:

PS, you never want it to get into the gray area. That would soften it too much and it wouldn't "spring back" when its deflected.

 

[mykeal]

Here's another option.

Heinie makes a music wire trigger/bolt spring the Colt SAA that fits all the cap and ball Colts as well. It's available from Brownell's. It results in a smoother trigger pull and lasts virtually forever. It is not, however, period correct for the 1860 Army, so if that's important you don't want this option.

Heinie Colt SAA trigger/bolt spring

 

[DanChamberlain]

They all break from time to time. Even my Colt Single Action Army has had to have a couple replaced over the years.

I keep a few on hand just in case.

Dan

 

[mazo kid]

Heinie makes a music wire trigger/bolt spring the Colt SAA that fits all the cap and ball Colts as well.
Heinie Colt SAA trigger/bolt spring

In an emergency, or just to get shooting again while waiting for your spare part(s) to arrive, try making a spring out of a safety pin. They come in several sizes and can be cut to length and bent to fit.

 

[mykeal]

They all break from time to time. Even my Colt Single Action Army has had to have a couple replaced over the years.

Dan - your post was a reply to mine. Do you mean to say that you've had Heinie springs break?

 

[Leatherbark]

Dont take this as gospel. But I put a Heinie wire spring in my Uberti SAA and I tried it in a Pietta 51 Navy and it was too short to reach the step on the trigger.......That was 5 or so years ago. So I'll try it again and make sure.
If it is too short one may straighten out the little ends to make it reach the trigger..........I'll report back...................Bob

 

[Zonie]

To All

Folks, the big computer in the sky that runs this site likes to think we are answering another post with our latest posts.

It automatically assumes that a new post is addressed to the last person to post so it puts their name at the top of your post preceded by "In response to".

Mykeal's has a good question but his assumption that DanChamberlin was responding to him may or may not be correct.

Anyway, when reading a post that follows yours please remember that it may not be directed to you. :hatsoff:

 

[DanChamberlain]

Mykeal

No, sorry. I meant the flat springs that come on all Colt/Colt clone style pistols are prone to breakage.

Dan

 

[mykeal]

To Zonie....

Umm... I only know of one way to add a post in an existing thread, and that's to click on a reply button in one of the other posts. I try to pick the one that I'm replying to, even if I have to go back to the very first one. I just assumed that others did the same; apparently some just use the latest post and 'reply' to that. I'll keep that in mind.

The reason I asked was that I've never heard of a Heinie spring breaking, so if Dan knew of one, that would be a first for me.