I bought a 1851 confederate navy colt a while ago, about 3 years ago for christmas and never got around to fire it. so i was looking up on cabelas website how to clean it(they have a short movie) and i wanted too take out the wedge that keeps the cylender in, it just wont come out. Now, i dont have a rubber wedge punch or rubber mallet, but anything else i use that i think would work dosent, it just doesent want too come out! my question is, well theres two of them, first one is, i can load and shoot without taking it apart, but i can still clean it without taking it apart right? and my second question is, cabelas reccomedns too put lube over the cylenders too keep the gun from misfiring the other rounds, what did the soldiers in the war use for this? thanks for any help!!
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my 1851 problem
- Thread starter laubert75
- Start date
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Try a wood dowel, or any other piece of wood so not to disturb the finish. Put some grease where the wedge protrudes on the right side, before you smack it.
I have a 1860 that I had a tough time with, but they will come out. Sometimes that keeper spring will catch on the lip, and make it a bear :cursing:
You need to get the pistol apart for proper cleaning.
I use crisco over the rounds once loaded to "prevent" a chain fire. Back in the ole days, most surely relied on the ball fitting tight enough to seal the cylinder.
I have a 1860 that I had a tough time with, but they will come out. Sometimes that keeper spring will catch on the lip, and make it a bear :cursing:
You need to get the pistol apart for proper cleaning.
I use crisco over the rounds once loaded to "prevent" a chain fire. Back in the ole days, most surely relied on the ball fitting tight enough to seal the cylinder.
MuleBrain mentioned it but I'll mention it again. There is a flat spring on the barrel wedge that is there to keep the wedge in place when the gun is fired. The tab on the end of that spring needs to be depressed while you work the the wedge out. It can be a bear but if your patient you'll get it out eventually.
Good Luck,
Don
Good Luck,
Don
Your best bet for removing the wedge is to get some penetrating oil and spray it into the wedge slot on both sides and let it rest for a day or so.
Try to buy one of those plastic head mallets or something similar to pound with. They won't mar the finish.
If your wedge retaining spring is actually hooked on the flat side of the barrel, someone drove the wedge in a little further than it really needs to be and that could help explain your problem.
It is my understanding that spring is there to grab the retaining screw on the left side when the wedge is driven out. This keeps it from getting lost.
As for shooting the gun without disassembling it for cleaning, don't.
All sorts of fouling collects on the cylinder pin which the cylinder rotates on. In fact, it has a bunch of grease grooves on it which are supposed to be filled with grease to help keep the fouling out, but they don't work very well.
Anyway, you will need to clean this pin and the hole thru the cylinder as well as the barrels bore, the frame behind the cylinder and the chambers after you get done shooting.
The only way to do this is to disassemble the barrel from the frame.
zonie
Try to buy one of those plastic head mallets or something similar to pound with. They won't mar the finish.
If your wedge retaining spring is actually hooked on the flat side of the barrel, someone drove the wedge in a little further than it really needs to be and that could help explain your problem.
It is my understanding that spring is there to grab the retaining screw on the left side when the wedge is driven out. This keeps it from getting lost.
As for shooting the gun without disassembling it for cleaning, don't.
All sorts of fouling collects on the cylinder pin which the cylinder rotates on. In fact, it has a bunch of grease grooves on it which are supposed to be filled with grease to help keep the fouling out, but they don't work very well.
Anyway, you will need to clean this pin and the hole thru the cylinder as well as the barrels bore, the frame behind the cylinder and the chambers after you get done shooting.
The only way to do this is to disassemble the barrel from the frame.
zonie
im starting too lose my cool. I dont even really care about maring up the finnish now, all i want is too get this darn wedge out! its being so stubborn! I meen im done babying it. i took a flathead screwdriver and a hammer too it with not even a budge. Does anyone know of a name brand of a good penettrating oil!? also, if i shoot it, do you think that might loosen it up or not?
If you shoot it and then still can't get the wedge out then you have real problems as the gun may be ruined by rust. Just to be certain, you do mean the wedge that goes through a slot in the barrel to hold the barrel on don't you? They can be tight, but not so tight you can't knock them out with a hammer and a wooden drift. Is there any way you can post a pic of it showing us a close up of both sides of the barrel where the wedge goes through?
Russ T Frizzen
70 Cal.
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Remove the wedge retaining screw, just on the chance that it is too big and is jamming up the wedge. Removing the wedge should not be a big job, so it would seem that something is really wrong here.
A hunting buddy gave me the same gun a few years ago and I had the same problem.
Hopefully you have a vise you can use. Wrap the gun in cloth put tightly in vise. Use a soft mallet and tap the end of the barrel toward the cylinder. (Sometimes the barrel moves away from the cylinder causing even more tightness on the wedge). Then use mallet and screwdriver on the wedge with someone else on the other side of the wedge with a vise grips and pulling while you hit with screwdriver.
I hope this helps, it is frustrating!!
Hopefully you have a vise you can use. Wrap the gun in cloth put tightly in vise. Use a soft mallet and tap the end of the barrel toward the cylinder. (Sometimes the barrel moves away from the cylinder causing even more tightness on the wedge). Then use mallet and screwdriver on the wedge with someone else on the other side of the wedge with a vise grips and pulling while you hit with screwdriver.
I hope this helps, it is frustrating!!
