Pietta 1858 Stainless Target problem....

[railshot]

Some of you may remember that I purchased this one late one evening in the dark and did not see a couple of things.... the deal I got was very good, but I think I may have an issue that I cannot rectify easily.

I have already had to replace all the nipples, and as I was doing that noticed another potentially dangerous problem, and come here for some wisdom.

See picture below, and please offer up any suggestions......
Yeah, it is pretty beat and not looking all that safe to shoot.

If nothing else, and if I can find one, I just may replace the barrel... but so far I have not found a stainless barrel, let alone a stainless target barrel.
If not, I may part it out and purchase a new in box one....... sadly.

 

[rafterob]

Corroded yes, beat up? Not terrible in less the inside of the barrel looks like that. If it is just that corrosion clean the best you can with a brass brush. Then if it was me I would get the barrel out and clean up the threads with a file and hone the face. Then just keep it clean and well oiled. the barrels are not terribly hard to get out but make sure you pad the vice and the wrench with leather.

 

[SDSmlf]

Pyrodex used and improperly cleaned. Stainless steel means it stains less, but it still stains and corrodes. Maybe soak it in Evapo-rust and see what’s left. Good luck.

 

[arcticap]

I can't tell if that's rust or not.
Some people have said that CVA Barrel Blaster Foaming Bore Cleaner had saved their guns from hard fouling that looked like it would never come out.--->>> https://www.muzzle-loaders.com/accessories/cva-barrel-blaster-foam-ac1688.html

If that's rust, then consider soaking it in a safe product that's widely available named Evaporust.

A new stainless target barrel with target sight and loading lever retainer is listed at VTI Gun Parts for $157.--->>> http://www.vtigunparts.com/store/sh...68&cat=Pietta+1858+Stainless+Remington+Target

 

[railshot]

Great link arcticap!
Saved to my favorites....
Now to decide if this one is worth saving, or to just get a new one.....

 

[arcticap]

VTI has an email list that they use to offer discounts.
I'm not sure how to sign up for it, but it would be worth asking them to put you on it.
I don't know if a person needs to have previously purchased from them or not to get on the list.
Maybe just sending them an email asking about parts will get you on their email list?
But they offered a 20% discount and free shipping for veterans last Nov. through X-mas.
Another person received a 10% discount through an email promotion.
They're very knowledgeable about answering any questions involving parts.

 

[hawkeye2]

Great link arcticap!
Saved to my favorites....
Now to decide if this one is worth saving, or to just get a new one.....

Is it just the lighting in the photo or do I see bluing on the gun? If so then it isn't stainless. Potentially dangerous problem, no, the worst you might see would be a little more gas leakage at that point. Take it out and shoot it before you do anything. If it shoots good leave it alone. If need be and the bore is good what you see there can be repaired by setting the barrel back one or two threads, facing the back off and cutting a new forcing cone.

 

[railshot]

That is the reflection from huge my monitor on the stainless you are seeing.
It will be shot, I like that suggestion... it just may be fine, as the bore is good.

 

[sawyer04]

May not have anything to do with shooting residue. Some stainless deteriorates from inside out. Has to do with the quality of steel. The threads look good in the barrel. I would polish the chamfer delicately and fire it up if the bore looks good.

 

[Brian W]

Some of you may remember that I purchased this one late one evening in the dark and did not see a couple of things.... the deal I got was very good, but I think I may have an issue that I cannot rectify easily.

I have already had to replace all the nipples, and as I was doing that noticed another potentially dangerous problem, and come here for some wisdom.

See picture below, and please offer up any suggestions......
Yeah, it is pretty beat and not looking all that safe to shoot.

If nothing else, and if I can find one, I just may replace the barrel... but so far I have not found a stainless barrel, let alone a stainless target barrel.
If not, I may part it out and purchase a new in box one....... sadly.

View attachment 8074

Taylors and company can help you.

 

[ASMman]

Hello railshot,

It's repairable, probably not worth having it done. Barrel needs to be faced then set deeper.
I have no idea who does this, maybe Gary Barnes at Cartridge Conversions.
http://www.cartridgeconversion.com/Home_Page.phpGood example of the fact that Stainless Steel doesn't corrode.

AntiqueSledMan.

 

[Gun Tramp]

Good example of the fact that Stainless Steel doesn't corrode.

It doesn't?

 

[ASMman]

It doesn't?

Sure looks like corrosion to me, must be seeing something I'm not.

AntiqueSledMan.

 

[M. De Land]

Great link arcticap!
Saved to my favorites....
Now to decide if this one is worth saving, or to just get a new one.....

It's corrosion for sure. Check the bore to see if it is the same and if so pitch it. If the bore is good I would pull the barrel, lathe turn and set it back one thread , re-cut the forcing cone , barrel face, move the loading lever latch stud farther up barrel and your good to go with a slightly shorter barrel. Even if you buy a new barrel it most probably will not index top dead center and still need to be adjusted by lathe turning.
The 1/1/2 to two barrel threads that show corrosion at the back will not be completely gone with a one turn set back but they can be cut a bit deeper to clean up the pits as they do not actually hold any thing when the barrel is fully installed.

 

[TNBandit]

Call me crazy but I believe if it was mine I'd choot it.. The corrosion isn't structural. You can see that the threads further forward where it meets the frame are clean & shiny. And it dosn't need to contain the explosion so if the bore is good and the cylinder is fine I see no harm in keeping it and shooting it. Maybe not a tack driver and if that's what you want buy another but realistically what would you get for it by parting it out ? This is my personal opinion and I'm not a gunsmith. Of course I rebuilt a 240 year old Nepal Brown Bess that was in horrible condition and I fired it on the 4th of July.

 

[TNGhost]

Call me crazy but I believe if it was mine I'd choot it.. The corrosion isn't structural. You can see that the threads further forward where it meets the frame are clean & shiny. And it dosn't need to contain the explosion so if the bore is good and the cylinder is fine I see no harm in keeping it and shooting it. Maybe not a tack driver and if that's what you want buy another but realistically what would you get for it by parting it out ? This is my personal opinion and I'm not a gunsmith. Of course I rebuilt a 240 year old Nepal Brown Bess that was in horrible condition and I fired it on the 4th of July.

I agree. It looks ugly, but if the rest of the barrel and bore, and the cylinder and chambers look OK, I don't see the problem in taking it out and seeing what it'll do. Some guns I have had that have had the ugliest bores, have proven to out shoot others with "perfect" bores.

Also in looking again at the OP's photo, some of that seems to be corrosion, but some also seems to be build up on top of the metal. He should take a wire brush to it.

 

[M. De Land]

One of the most important parts of accuracy potential is the cone and that one is badly pitted. The rest just looks bad but none of it exhibits any catastrophic failure potential.
Interesting how the barrel pitted up and the frame remained unscathed.

 

[SDSmlf]

Interesting how the barrel pitted up and the frame remained unscathed.

Different type or grade of stainless, plus frame is easier to wipe clean than the threads. See the same type of corrosion of stainless in specific areas on guns that we don’t talk about here that are shot with Pyrodox. Don’t seem to find it on same make and model guns that use black powder or some of the other subs, whether gun is stainless or blued steel.

 

[Bill M.]

I personally would shoot it and see what it does, Pretty expensive gun. I would consider having the barrel set back and re chambered but have no idea how much that would cost or if someone would do it or if that barrel would actually come out. The target model would be important to me since I cannot shoot with the little notch in the hammer,

Tough luck on your purchase. But that is "buying and selling" overhead., Happens to most of us at some time, I am shooting a Ruger .41 Mag with a real bad looking barrel face but it shoots just fine, At some point I am going to look at wether it can be "cleaned up" at a price I would pay. The blackpowder gun may be cheaper to get worked on because of shipping costs.