Is it just me? Pietta rant

[denster]

Just finished fitting a wedge to a new Pietta 1860 Army for a guy. Not too difficult on this one as I was able to get .022 of taper in the end of the arbor without having to lengthen the wedge slot in the barrel window. Only about .006 of taper to mill off the wedge on the side facing the cylinder and enough meat on the side facing the muzzle to get that taper matching the new one in the arbor without having to make a new wedge. Sticks through a little farther than I'd like but it locks with a tap and releases with a tap.
I just don't understand why Pietta and ASM for that matter can't seem to understand that flats have to meet with flats and tapers engage tapers. Uberti can get it right why not them unless they just don't want to lay off Luigi the gorilla wedge setter. I mean it's a simple thing and Pietta has brought their quality way up in recent years why let something as simple as properly fitting a wedge slip? Beats me.

 

[Jimbo453]

Good point Dennis I had to do the same on my Pietta revolvers, maybe the large numbers they are making now dosnt allow the time for hand fitting

 

[denster]

You would think they could at least make an attempt and put some kind of a taper into the end of the arbor instead of making it at 90 degrees to the arbor and then expecting it to work with a tapered wedge.

 

[Norinco]

I too fitted my Pietta Colt 1851 that I bought a few weeks ago.

 

[slowpokebr549]

I have had to do some type of fitting on most every Pieta I have ever owned.

 

[denster]

It wouldn't tick me so much if it was just the usual smoothing and tuning of the innards. Heck you have to do some of that with most Ubertis.
It's just the method they use for the wedge fit is so counter intuitive. It would cost almost nothing to do it properly as Uberti does and you would have a much better product. And they could fire Luigi the gorilla wedge fitter.

 

[Norinco]

I wish they didn't put it in there so tight in the first place.

 

[denster]

With the way they make it they pretty much have to put it in tight to get it too work at all. When the wedge is in it is only contacting the near corner of the arbor rather than the entire width. To get it to clear the window in the opposite side nearest the cylinder they have to put a taper on that flat also. That jams up things pretty good.
There is no way with this arrangement that you can get that nice fit where you just push the wedge in with your thumb and give it a light tap and it is solidly locked and a light tap on the opposite side releases it.
Wedges have been used to lock things in place since before the ancient egyptians. It just amazes me that the principals escape the folks at pietta.

 

[slowpokebr549]

Yep, they clearly didn't understand the term "wedge".

 

[nkbj]

Like when they've hammered the wedge in so hard the cylinder won't even come back off.
Mucchio di sterco.

 

[gjr902]

I just bought the 1851 Navy 8" and the 5 1/2" sheriff. The 8" is great. No issues other than the wedge. The 5 1/2" took me an hour to remove the barrel, and now it doesnt want to go all the way back on. Although the wedge on this one poped right out. I'll need to do some "touch up" on it to get the barrel to come on and off with out issue. Also, 3 nipples on each cylinder were plugged with red grease. Took me awhile to clean both guns up. Hopefully I'll get to shoot this weekend. They are nice looking guns, and the price was right. I guess you do get what you pay for.

 

[denster]

Yeah! Kind of aggravating isn't it. Don't get me wrong the Piettas are decent guns in the last few years and are good shooters and a value for the money. The last major hurdle they need to overcome is their misinterpretation of how the wedge system is supposed to work. What would take them a few seconds to do right takes the end user an hour or two, if you can salvage the wedge, mostly spent filing the taper into the end of the cylinder arbor wedge slot. Throw in another hour if you have to make a new wedge.

 

[rawhide]

my work sells lots of the peitas. the biggest conplant is the wedge pin on the colts. some of the remingtons or the same way realy thight. :idunno:

 

[denster]

Well I guess it isn't just me on the Colt wedge issue. Actually I'm a big fan of the Pietta Remingtons though. Occasionally you'll find one where the cylinder pin is a bit tight but that's a quick and simple fix. They are generally a real value for the money.

 

[madcratebuilder]

A small arbor press makes tight wedges from hell a 5 second removal job. Wedges and arbor fitting has always been the down fall of the replica's. I just acquired a Cimarron Uberti 62 Pocket and about had a heart attack. It was as near perfect as I have seen from a Italian manufacturer.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I think we expect a heck of a lot from a 200 dollar revolver. Considering that there is MUCH more machining involved in a Colt style percussion revolver than in a single action cartridge gun, like a Ruger Blackhawk, I think it amazing what we get for our money. Certainly the loss of value of our dollar has given a dramatic rise to the cost of imports but one still gets a lot for the dollar in a percussion revolver.
I do see what you're saying, it wouldn't seem to cost the maker any more to get the wedge slot right than to get it wrong. I'm just saying "be thankful that is all you have to complain about".
:grin:

 

[Norinco]

I'm still amazed that they can be that cheap.

 

[denster]

Aw heck Joe I can find a lot more to complain about. You are correct that you do get a lot for $200. As to more machining than a Ruger Blackhawk. I don't know about that. Both companies use a lot of mim (metal injected molding) parts and cnc machines for the machining so I doubt there is a great if any difference.
Anyway it does make for an interesting discussion and I wonder how many C&B revolver shooters were under the impression that the way Pietta fit their wedges was the way it is supposed to be?

 

[Sham66]

I got the $179.00 deal on an 1851 Colt from Cabelas. Same issue with the wedge, if anyone's keeping score.

I like the gun, and now it is engraved with my own personal "frustration etching"!

James

 

[Norinco]

Same, I used a piece of aluminum and a hammer to knock the wedge out.

I'm ****** I ordered mine right before they had the $5 shipping.