Quality Issues With Small Frame 5 Shot Revolvers

[smoothshooter]

I have 2 Uberti 1862 Pocket Navy revolvers I bought new 3 or 4 years ago, and have had nothing but problems with them, one worse than the other one. After replacing mainsprings and nipples on both, I have finally gotten one of them to fire most of the time, with 2 or more cap jams on each cylinder. The second one is still so bad I have relegated it to spare parts donor status.
The other two Ubertis I have, an 1860 Army and 1851 Navy are flawless once I replaced the factory nipples, and in fact are as nice as any revolvers I have ever owned.
My question is, has anyone out there ever gotten any pocket models that were good out of the box?
I had actually bought a third new one, but returned it when I discovered that the barrel assembly was mounted on the frame so crookedly that it pointed to the side about 10 degrees. The quality on my admittedly small sample is so sub - par compared to my generally positive experience from this manufacturer that I wonder if the small frame guns are made in a separate Uberti facility manned by workers and inspectors with little experience or training.
I just finished shooting the better of the two again about 10 minutes ago, with more cap jams and other cylinder rotational issues, and have concluded I need to take the Dremel tool to the shield part of the frame and deepen the circular groove that is supposed see the guide the fired caps around clockwise to where they can fall off as the cylinder is rotated.
These small - framed guns were purchased several months apart and are probably not from the same lot number.

 

[azmntman]

I bought an FIE 1848(?) on GB and it was as new (but had one short nipple that wouldn't fire reliably). No issues at all other than that nipple which I have a new one for now. No caps falling in action, and VERY accurate for what it is. At 30 feet I was hitting pepsi cans nearly every shot.

 

[ZUG]

I got a 1849 Uberti and have no problems with it. It was purchased 7 months ago. Are you using the right size caps? I have been using #10 Rem with no issues so far. look for "duelist1954" (Mike Beliveau) on YouTube and look for tuning a percussion revolver he shows how to fill the safty notch in the hammer to prevent caps from 'sticking" - may help you.

 

[Don]

I have an 1848 pocket colt by Uberti and I've pretty much given up on it. It won't shoot reliably and timing is off. Tried replacing the hand and spring but to no avail.

Don

 

[smoothshooter]

Don't seem to be having issues with the safety notch. Caps jam up between recoil shield and rear of cylinder. Besides, I like having the safety pins / notches functional. I carry all my percussion guns fully loaded with hammer securely seated on one of the pins, in full flap holsters, and feel perfectly safe.

 

[M. De Land]

I picked up a used 62 Police with a six inch barrel, five shooter in .36 caliber and had to file the ratchet teeth and smooth up the hand nose to get it to cycle smoothly and reliably.
It still gets gummed up with fouling but have not noticed it snagging caps any more than my other open framed gun.
I suspect the reason they get harder to cycle when fouled, than a six shot, is because of the mechanical advantage lost with the smaller diameter ratchet star.
Another thing to look at is how much cylinder gap you have. If over about .010 the hand pushes it forward far enough each time at the rear to allow the spent cap to fall into it.

 

[desi23]

I have a uberti 31 pocket that has worked perfectly since I bought it, no issues at all. Also picked up a used CVA 36 brass frame pocket police that works very well. Only one I had that had problems was one of the Remington 31 pocket models. Needed some de-burring before it would work smoothly. Guess I've been lucky.

 

[PRM]

Sorry to hear your having issues with the pocket guns. Years ago I had a Uberti Pocket Police. It was/is a great little gun and gave near perfect performance. My son still owns it. I have an 1862 Colt, 2nd Generation Navy, and the 1862 Colt, 2nd Generation Pocket Police. I've shot and carried both of these guns since the early 1980s. All I have ever done to either was replace an occasional spring and changed the factory OEM nipples out for Tresco nipples. My Pocket Police is darn near perfect in performance. My Pocket Navy may have a cap jam on the average of one out of every hundred or so shots. Not frequent enough to be a concern. I use the #11 German caps and pinch them slightly before loading.

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

I have a Uberti 1862 Pocket Police revolver. No problems at all with it. It runs like a sewing machine. :thumbsup:

 

[nkbj]

Smoothshooter,
Got a great little .31 with a six inch barrel.
Problem was that the chambers were the same as the bore diameter in the barrel!
:haha:

 

[rodwha]

Why was that an issue?

 

[M. De Land]

Bore diameter is land diameter not groove diameter.
Usually revolvers respond their best to a ball or bullet being at or .001 over groove diameter.
The chamber mouth regulates the the ball diameter before the forcing cone puts it's influence on it.
With a ball, I have found short, steep forcing cones of about half a ball diameter to be most accurate. The ball should sink into it about half way before it stops.
With bullets I have found longer forcing cones with less steep angles to be more accurate.

 

[nkbj]

Sometimes the balls would ride the lands and the shots grouped. Sometimes the ball would sink into a groove and sling a bit off to the side.