Pistol Repair advice sought

[glw]

I’ve received another brother-in-law gun: a short barreled (6” ?) .45 cal pistol of unknown maker (yet). I haven’t looked at it much except to note that the hammer does not strike the nipple properly. The nipple ends up over near the edge of the hammer face so that if a cap is on, it doesn’t hit the cap squarely and did not set it off the one time I tried it.

Also, the wedge is missing so the barrel is loose in the front.

1) Any idea how difficult it will be to find a wedge?
2) Can I heat the hammer with a MAPP gas torch and bend it back and, if so, do I need to quench it to make sure that the hammer face remains hardened?

 

[Rusty_Nail]

I would ensure the lock isnt too tight, not tight enough, or off kilter because 1 loct bolt is in too far, before you go about changing the hammer itself. And make sure the tumbler is fit square, and the hammer is not canted a bit on it. And also make sure the nipple tip isnt bent.

All the above are much easier to do than trying to reshape or realign the hammer.

As for wedges, even most big box sporting goods stores I have been in have wedges. Might need to file it a bit to fit, might not!

And Muzzy shops such as Dixons or Ft. Chambers, have a few to choose from. And TOTW has them.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Heating red and bending hammers is a simple thing and often required. But check to make sure the lock is properly set in the inlet before removing the hammer and bending it. It is not necessary to reheat and quench your hammer, in fact it is not recommended! :idunno:

 

[frogwalking]

If you have a file, hacksaw, vice and some scrap steel or brass, you can make a functional wedge in a half an hour. It does not have to be just like a store bought one to work well. Previous advice concerning hammer is right on.

 

[M. De Land]

I don't agree with that thinking about leaving them soft. They came hard for a reason and should be returned to the same state of hardness they were made, in my opinion.
They will eventually wallow out in the nose cup and square tumbler hole if they are soft enough.
I made the wedge on a 60 Colt Pietta from O-1 tool steel and hardened it. They are not that hard from the factory but this one does not batter and slides in very easily because it maintains it's shape and is smooth on the load edge. Mike D.

 

[glw]

Thanks for the advice.

I took this pistol apart this weekend and I’m not sure I want to mess with it any further. The lock is not inlet into the stock at exactly the right spot so that the hammer and nipple don’t line up. It seems to be a problem of bad woodworking. I guess I could try and bend the hammer out a bit; that would be easier than scooting the entire lock forward by 1/16” of an inch (which is what I estimate it would take.)

Because of the fundamental misalignment, the trigger guard is just a bit too close to the trigger and so the trigger hits it when you pull it. The hammer drops but it’s a close thing ”“ it almost won’t work at all.

I’m also not sure how much fun it is to shoot a 4” barreled pistol ”“ perhaps this would make a good wall hanger. Or maybe if I run out of projects, I can take this as a challenge. But I already have plenty of projects.

 

[Billnpatti]

Sounds like a kit gun that was built by a novice. It would be easier to move the barrel back 1/16 inch by re-cutting the breach mortise and the tang mortise than it would to move the lock forward. Using a very sharp chisel of the correct width, carefully cut away 1/16 inch of the breach mortise to allow the barrel to move back the desired amount. Then re-cut the tang mortise as needed. Of course, you will have to re-locate the barrel wedge/pin. If you have a pin, the old hole can be filled with a bit of Plastic Wood and touched up with a furniture re-touch marker. If your barrel is held in by a wedge and you have to re-cut the wedge hole, you can refill the old wedge hole with a wood patch and then cover it with a brass or German silver inlay. As far as the trigger, if you have a trigger that is long enough, just file a bit of it away to give you more clearance between it and the trigger guard.

It sounds like you may have a wonderful opportunity to learn some black powder gunsmithing. If you paid nothing for the gun and it doesn't work in its current condition, you have nothing to loose by using it as a learning opportunity. If you try and succeed, you have a gun to shoot. If you try and fail, you have a nice wall hanger. It's a win-win situation and you will have learned something about muzzleloading gunsmithing along the way.

 

[bpd303]

Really need some pictures to see if we can help more. hotoSmile: