mod 1858 Rem.

[cottonmouth]

I have two model 1858 Remington`s. One of them has very light thin scratch on the cylinder just forward of the nipple area.It is not continous around the entire cylinder,what would cause this?
These pistols have not been fired.The one that has the fine scratch is the only one that I have taken down to clean all of the oil and grease that it came from the factory. I may have created the fine scratch myself
If any body has any ideas please let me know.

 

[Zonie]

The scratch is the result of rotating the cylinder.
There is a cylinder stop that sticks out of the frame under the cylinder. It's job is to pop into the notches that are machined into the outside of the cylinder thereby locking the cylinders chamber in line with the bore.

On many guns the thing that retracts the cylinder stop doesn't retract it far enough.
Left to stick out too far it will rub on the cylinder leaving the scratch you are seeing.

Without knowing what you intend to do with the gun it is hard to suggest just one fix.

If you intend to just look at it you can buy some "Cold Bluing" at the gun store. Also buy a degreaser like Denatured Alcohol or Acetone.
Clean the cylinder with this and then apply the bluing. Wash it off with water and oil the gun.
Then make a note to yourself "Do Not Rotate the Cylinder."

If you intend to shoot the gun then just ignore the scratch. It won't hurt anything at all except the cosmetic appearance.

 

[cottonmouth]

Zonie,
Thanks for the info!!

 

[mykeal]

The 'cylinder ring' present on many guns is also (and in my opinion more often) caused by people putting the hammer in half cock, then pulling it back slightly to disengage the notch and letting it down without first going to full cock. That allows the bolt to rise and contact the cylinder face in between the stop notches.

Actually, from the description I'm not sure the scratch he's describing is a 'cylinder ring' at all. If it's truly 'just forward of the nipples' it could very well have been caused by a cap fragment falling down and lodging between the frame and the bottom of the cylinder.

If it's in line with the stop notches then it probably is a 'cylinder ring' caused by the bolt.

 

[cottonmouth]

Thanks guys it is a "cylinder ring"!