Pietta .44 1851 Navy stress marks?

[denster]

What the OP shows still looks like a lack of finishing not metal upset. One way to find out is to look at the screw side of the wedge to see if it shows the same marks if it does then we have metal upset if not poor finishing. In any case what Mike said is correct the wedge should be snug which with a properly fit arbor locks the revolver into one solid unit and precludes all kinds of problems.

 

[TrapperDude]

That's exactly what the screw is for. Pietta wedges tend to have too long of a spring so the wedge can escape before the lip of the spring can catch the head of the screw. The end of the spring should be about flush with the end of the wedge. Uberti gets them right.

Mike

Thanks for another piece of insight. It would be convenient if it actually held the wedge, but having the wedge come all the way out isn't an issue. My Trapper's wedge comes all the way out, and it was the first black powder pistol I ever had with a wedge, so I thought all wedges did the same.

 

[45D]

I forgot to mention but you can fix it if the lip isn't too far past the end of the wedge. The screw head typically won't meet the barrel because of the incomplete threading where the shaft meets the head. If you Chuck the screw up in a drill motor you can file that area down below thread height and that will allow the screw head to seat against the barrel. Now it should stop the wedge as designed.

Mike

 

[TrapperDude]

I forgot to mention but you can fix it if the lip isn't too far past the end of the wedge. The screw head typically won't meet the barrel because of the incomplete threading where the shaft meets the head. If you Chuck the screw up in a drill motor you can file that area down below thread height and that will allow the screw head to seat against the barrel. Now it should stop the wedge as designed.

Mike

I like that idea. I think I can secure the threaded end of the screw into the chuck on my drill and let that unthreaded area lightly rotate against a file.

 

[fishmusic]

Yes, and that's why I asked the.op. His is a new Pietta and it should have a more or less correct arbor. Material moving in back of the wedge slot indicates a loose wedge. The wedge needs to be in tight so the assemblies don't move when the revolver is fired. Finger tight doesn't get it. Smack it with a plastic faced hammer.

Mike

Agreed, my first experience with the wedge on my 1851 I inserted it finger tight and could move the barrel side to side. Whacked it lightly with a plastic mallet to make it snug.