Can anyone recommend a book on tuning and repairing (gunsmithing) Colt and Remington Cap and Ball revolvers?
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Cap and Ball Revolver Servicing...
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Check this thread for some "tuning" links,
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/279680/
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Thanks, I've read those and they are helpful. Looking for even more and in book form.
Try: The Colt single action revolvers: A shop manual--volumes I & II [Paperback]
Jerry Kuhnhausen (Author). For the most part the parts are the same for the cartridge and percussion guns.
One word of caution... in many instances if you change one part it effects the function in other areas. Proceed with care.
Jerry Kuhnhausen (Author). For the most part the parts are the same for the cartridge and percussion guns.
One word of caution... in many instances if you change one part it effects the function in other areas. Proceed with care.
Try these links:
http://www.scorrs.org/gunsmith.htm
http://www.theopenrange.net/articles/Tuning_the_Uberti_Open_Top_Revolvers_Part_1.pdf
http://www.theopenrange.net/articles/Tuning_the_Uberti_Open_Top_Revolvers_Part_2.pdf
http://www.theopenrange.net/articles/Tuning_the_Uberti_Open_Top_Revolvers_Part_3.pdf
http://www.theopenrange.net/articles/Tuning_the_Uberti_Open_Top_Revolvers_Part_4.pdf
Jerry Kuhnhausen's books are fantastic but contain far more information than you need to know and may actually scare you off :grin: . Parts for these guns are easy to get and not too expensive if you make a mistake so go for it.
http://www.scorrs.org/gunsmith.htm
http://www.theopenrange.net/articles/Tuning_the_Uberti_Open_Top_Revolvers_Part_1.pdf
http://www.theopenrange.net/articles/Tuning_the_Uberti_Open_Top_Revolvers_Part_2.pdf
http://www.theopenrange.net/articles/Tuning_the_Uberti_Open_Top_Revolvers_Part_3.pdf
http://www.theopenrange.net/articles/Tuning_the_Uberti_Open_Top_Revolvers_Part_4.pdf
Jerry Kuhnhausen's books are fantastic but contain far more information than you need to know and may actually scare you off :grin: . Parts for these guns are easy to get and not too expensive if you make a mistake so go for it.
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zimmerstutzen
70 Cal.
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About 35 years ago, The NRA put out some books about firearms disassembly and assembly instructions along with schematics. There were two or three volumes. One of the volumes had one or two model Colt C&B models and the Remington. Only two or three pages for each but still helpful even as to repros
Unless one wants to change out springs it is really a matter Of smoothing and polishing for many revolver jobs. The one exception is the timeing. One thing I have learned is to use caution and go slowley. The number of small burrs that are found on new firearms even the high dollar ones is disappointing. Good luck on your quest! Geo. T.
I did find the namesake of this request and ordered a copy today. Will look into the others as well and yes, me needs to go slower! 
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Jerry's books are a favorite of mine and I have half a dozen of them for various guns. MD
I'd like some others to jump in here about what type of tune up is most appropriate. The bolt can be adjusted to pop up in the leade so it doesn't score the revolver, that's a common problem. Another is a gun that locks up- bolt into notch but then you still have to pull the hammer back a ways before it comes to full cock. After locking up you should only have to have the hammer move back slightly. THEN there are guns that cock BEFORE the cylinder locks up but a lot of shooters don't realize this because they pull the hammer back as far as it will go.
SO.... for the newbie that wants to smooth up and tune a percussion revolver, what do a lot of you think are some good places to improve?
SO.... for the newbie that wants to smooth up and tune a percussion revolver, what do a lot of you think are some good places to improve?
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It totally depends on the individual gun and it's deficiencies. Most all need bolt deburring and the window and bolt notch corners cleaned up with a diamond lap paddle.
Virtually all I have tuned need a trigger job as well. Most have considerable creep and a pound or two, to much pull weight.
You can waste a lot of time trying to get the bolt to drop in the lead in notch but it is one of the least important of mechanical deficiencies.
Retarded bolt lift is far more important and is routinely over looked by shooters who have no clue unless it binds the cylinder up.It will show up as a shiny, slightly buggered back edge of the bolt notch as the hand tries to turn the cylinder before the bolt is totally clear.
There is a whole book of stuff that needs to be checked over and looked at but those are a few of the more common issues. MD
Virtually all I have tuned need a trigger job as well. Most have considerable creep and a pound or two, to much pull weight.
You can waste a lot of time trying to get the bolt to drop in the lead in notch but it is one of the least important of mechanical deficiencies.
Retarded bolt lift is far more important and is routinely over looked by shooters who have no clue unless it binds the cylinder up.It will show up as a shiny, slightly buggered back edge of the bolt notch as the hand tries to turn the cylinder before the bolt is totally clear.
There is a whole book of stuff that needs to be checked over and looked at but those are a few of the more common issues. MD
Good point, the top corner of the notch will get beat up.
On the early pop up. I've been told if you polish the top of the bolt you won't get the visible line around the cylinder that wears away the bluing but that hasn't been my experience. That's the main reason I am sort of a fanatic about the bolt popping up in the leade. That and the hammer going to full cock just a tab away the cylinder locks up.
On the early pop up. I've been told if you polish the top of the bolt you won't get the visible line around the cylinder that wears away the bluing but that hasn't been my experience. That's the main reason I am sort of a fanatic about the bolt popping up in the leade. That and the hammer going to full cock just a tab away the cylinder locks up.
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One of the tests I always make when looking a revolver over is to drag your finger on the off side of the cylinder and see if the bolt will drop fully in each of the notches.
If double action then test again in that mode.The hand needs to be both wide and thick enough to accomplish this and yet not jamb up against the bolt in the notch at full cock. When the hand and ratchet are right the bolt will drop, lock the cylinder and the hammer will still move back a bit more. Hand width is just as important as length and especially so if the set up is camming at the top as in most modern revolvers. It's not quite as important when the hands have double hooks where the top one initiates and the bottom completes the rotation. MD
If double action then test again in that mode.The hand needs to be both wide and thick enough to accomplish this and yet not jamb up against the bolt in the notch at full cock. When the hand and ratchet are right the bolt will drop, lock the cylinder and the hammer will still move back a bit more. Hand width is just as important as length and especially so if the set up is camming at the top as in most modern revolvers. It's not quite as important when the hands have double hooks where the top one initiates and the bottom completes the rotation. MD
In regards to hand width, do you mean for single actions too? Just had to make one a little thinner as it was binding against the arbor.
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Yes, because the hand works across the width of it's face against the ratchet tooth as the cylinder turns in a circle.It also changes it's contact position on the tooth as the cycle progresses.
Six chambers and the movement is one sixth of the circumference of the ratchet. Five chambers and the hand has to push farther with each lock up which slightly changes it's initial compound purchase angle at the beginning of the cycle, from the six shot models.
That first part of the ratchet contact with the hand on initial lift is what was buggered on this sheriffs model I've been working on.
It's about as good as I can make it without taking to much tooth off but feel it could and should have been set up better from the factory
I could certainly stand to learn more about hand and ratchet relationships in the various models but this is what I think I know about them to this point. MD
Six chambers and the movement is one sixth of the circumference of the ratchet. Five chambers and the hand has to push farther with each lock up which slightly changes it's initial compound purchase angle at the beginning of the cycle, from the six shot models.
That first part of the ratchet contact with the hand on initial lift is what was buggered on this sheriffs model I've been working on.
It's about as good as I can make it without taking to much tooth off but feel it could and should have been set up better from the factory
I could certainly stand to learn more about hand and ratchet relationships in the various models but this is what I think I know about them to this point. MD
I'm a slow learner and have a lot of trouble visualizing how all the parts are supposed to work together.
The books came in today and it's full of a wealth of information for both the beginner and amateur gunsmith. It shows how to make a couple of jigs so you can get the parts working together off the gun; at least that's how it reads to me.
The books came in today and it's full of a wealth of information for both the beginner and amateur gunsmith. It shows how to make a couple of jigs so you can get the parts working together off the gun; at least that's how it reads to me.
