next stupid question

[GBob01]

How do you drive out a VERY stubborn wedge. Tried today and broke a couple wood dowls and it never moved.
Thought I was being smart and went to a 3/16" brass pin punch (padded of course) and bent it; the wedge never moved.
What can I try now, any suggestions?

 

[WRussell]

Heat, cool, repeat. Heat gun or hair dryer, then freezer, etc.

 

[Smokin6Gun]

Smack it hard with a hard rawhide, teflon, or rubber mallet it will come out. Probly a Pietta shipped that way from factory. Also can relieve the angle of the clip if sticking out the right side of barrel.

 

[peashooterJoe]

Did you remove the screw first? That might help a lot before tapping the wedge out. If you dont, screw could shear off with other damage.

 

[AZ-Robert]

Check the screw on the left side, just above the wedge. On some models, the screw head has a flat side that has to be aligned to give the wedge clearance to move. On other models the screw has to be completely removed. Once you take care of the screw, good stiff thumb pressure should pop the wedge lose; use the wooden dowel and hammer trick if that is not enough.

 

[philo426]

I use a Stanley nailset on stubborn wedges.But be careful!the hardened steel of the nailset can damage the wedge if too much force is used in driving it out.

 

[GBob01]

Thanks for all of the advice guys, appreciate it. I had already removed the wedge screw, thinking that it might have been holding it tight. It was new gun and had never been apart before, so it came that tight from Pietta.
FINALLY got the damned thing out tonight. Maybe not quite the way you're supposed to but it worked.
Wound up tapping (beating) the wedge with the hammer (padded of course) the opposite direction and back just a little a couple times. That loosened it up enough so that I could use my bent punch and knock it back through the slot. 'Bout darned time I got it apart to clean the oil out so that I can shoot it. Hopefully this weekend I'll let a couple balls rip.

 

[musketman]

It was new gun and had never been apart before, so it came that tight from Pietta.
FINALLY got the damned thing out tonight.

I suggest (while you got it out) to polish the wedge and the slot the wedge fits into with emery cloth, remove any burrs and also visually check the wedge, sometimes they get bent and take a set, this makes them a real bugger to remove...

When reinstalling, add a thin coating of wax to the wedge, this will help it slip when you need to remove it again...

 

[Norskie]

Obtain a short length of 3/8ths brass rod and grind two flats on one end until you have a wedge shaped punch. The nose should be full width, but only as thick as the wedge. Now after you fix what's wrong with your barrel key, you'll never need it again. :grin:

 

[Zonie]

Interesting.
You used the same methods I was told to use with plumbing.
An old plumber saw me trying to loosen a pipe which had been in place for years and said words to the effect of:
"You'll just twist it off trying to loosen it off right off the bat. First tighten it just until it starts to move, then unscrew it." Darned if he wasn't right.

zonie