.36 Navy Colt problem from a new guy

Hi, I'm new here and new to muzzle stuffers. I have more than a few modern firearms. I inherited some Navy Colts and I just finished building my flintlock Hawken. I have a problem that I can't figure out.

Yesterday I disassembled one of my Navy Colts to take the cylinder to the shop to check for proper sized caps. When I took the gun apart it was functioning just fine.

Today I reassembled the revolver and when I drive the wedge home it seats the forcing cone onto the cylinder face and it will no longer function.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Zonie]

Welcome to the forum.

That wedge is tapered so the further it is driven in, the further it will drive the barrel back towards the cylinder.

You're not alone. Most people think the wedge needs to be driven in all the way but it doesn't.

The hook on the little spring does not have to come out the right side of the barrel.
Actually, that hook is only there so it can catch on the screw on the left side and keep the wedge from getting lost.

I suggest that you drive the wedge back out and try inserting it again.

As you drive it in, keep checking on the clearance between the rear of the barrel and the face of the cylinder.

When there is a .005 (about the thickness of two pieces of printer paper) to .012 (4 thicknesses of printer paper) your done.

Oh, that barrel/cylinder gap is not as tight as a modern smokeless revolvers.
Fouling on the cylinders face when it is fired needs to have more clearance.

Hope this helps.

 

Zonie

Thanks for the reply. The problem I am facing with the wedge (BTW, this a Colt repro) is the wedge has a notch that catches on the right side of the frame.(I caught your disclaimer about that notch but Colt says to fully seat it) If it doesn't catch I can push it out with my finger. Yesterday I could seat it fully. Today I can't!

 

BTW, there was zero gap between the cylinder face and the forcing cone even if I didn't drive the wedge fully home

 

[Zonie]

I knew it was a Colt or open top as soon as you mentioned a "wedge".

Is there is zero clearance because although you removed the wedge, you didn't remove the barrel?

By the way, to remove the barrel after the wedge is removed place the hammer at half cock.

Then, rotate the cylinder so the loading ram hits between the chambers. Then pull the loading lever down. That will push the barrel off of the cylinder arbor.

When you put the barrel back on, make sure the bottom below the loading ram butts up against the frame.
If that joint is tight, then lightly push the wedge back thru the slot until you've got the barrel/cylinder clearance I mentioned.

You should be able to find a place where the wedge is snug but the cylinder will be free to rotate.

 

Zonie,
While I am new to muzzle stuffers I'm not new to firearms.

I have another Navy Colt that has not shown this problem.

It really is as simple as the wedge is driving the forcing cone into contact with the cylinder face. I don't understand what happened in the last 24 hours and I'm leery of following the advice of a friend that's a gunsmith and bash it with a dead-blow mallet.

If I fiddle with the wedge to the point that I can function the action, the wedge nearly falls out on its own.

Frankly, unless my maid service threw the frame against a concrete wall, I can't figure out what changed!

 

[George T.]

The wedge does not need to go all of the way in. I do want mine to go in at least far enough to have the lock tan on the outside. Are you sure that you put it in tab up? When I am shooting for small groups I push the wedge to assure that it's not backing out. Hey! It gives me something to fidgit with! :grin: Geo. T.

 

[M. De Land]

Is the arbor tight? Were there any shims or bushings on the end of the cylinder? MD

 

I took the revolver to a local shop that specializes in BP firearms. I explained to their gunsmith what happened. He spent 20 seconds looking at it and took it in the back. He came back less than 5 minutes later and everything was perfect. He wouldn't tell me what he did and he didn't charge me a cent.

I think he used a dead-blow mallet on it...

 

[necchi]

I think he used a dead-blow mallet on it...

:haha: Cha-Ching,! :thumbsup:
Kind of amazing what a skilled experianced hand can do that scares the H-E-double toothpicks out of the guns owner.

I used to hang out at a small rural shop with the owner just kickin it.
A Guy came in complaining he couldn't drift the sight over far enough to center his group.
Well, Mike took the barrel off and walked outside to his JohnDeere B tractor, he held that barrel like a baseball bat and swung with all he had at the rear tire!!
The gun owner damn near fainted!!
Long story short after all the screaming, red face and sweat the guy got his groups centered with the sight nicley centered on the barrel. :grin:

 

[M. De Land]

I heard a similar story about a guy using a crotch in an apple tree, I believe it was ,to get a shot gun shooting straight.
He didn't swing it but put her in the crotch and just leaned into it.
Nothing but an organic barrel straightener! :rotf: The tractor tire is a great idea and harmless to the bluing. MD

 

[necchi]

The neat thing about what Mike did was he didn't hesitate or pause for a second.
Now he's a big feller, 6'2" 300 pounds and it's mostly meat.
He just walked out the door, measured his stride at a glance and swung.
:shocked2:
I was kinda shocked myself until the gun owner stammered a bit and went into full on rant :haha:

 

[aeatwood]

There was a problem that Uberti's were known for from time to time. The arbor was too short. There was a how-to online for fixing. Best solution was use a #2 button for a Dillon press, drill the end of the arbor to take the button shaft, then thin it down a scootch at a time w/ a dremel tool until you could install the barrel and wedge correctly. You could then epoxy the button in place or not, depending on your preference.

 

While this particular gun is a replica, it's an actual Colt.