remington or colt?

[Pete Gaimari]

What Zonie said.

Bottom line is with a proper wedge fit you don't need any tools to remove the cylinder.

 

[Zonie]

I guess in all fairness I should mention removing the cylinder from a Remington.

With the Remington, the loading lever provides the necessary stop to prevent the cylinder pin from moving forward out of the cylinder.

With this in mind, the first thing to do is to put the hammer at half cock.

It's a good idea to rotate the cylinder 1/2 chambers distance and then lower the loading lever. Rotating the cylinder will prevent the ram from entering a chamber which can prevent the cylinders removal.

With the loading lever lowered, pull the cylinder pin forward until the cylinder is disengaged.
The cylinder will rotate out the right side of the frame.

To replace the cylinder insert it into the frame from the right side.
It won't go in all the way unless you rotate it clockwise (aft looking forward) so that the cylinder hand that rotates the cylinder can align itself with the ratchet at the rear of the cylinder. You will feel it when the ratchet engages the hand and the cylinder will then fall the rest of the way into the frame.

Once in place, push the cylinder pin back into the frame to engage the hole in the cylinder, raise the loading lever and your done.

 

[east texas]

:bow: thars what im talkin bout! very good detailed post zonie i now got it thru my gourd! i wasnt aware the pin was relieved so the wedge could slide by! you cant tell that from the sales pics thanx mike

 

[Pete Gaimari]

 

[east texas]

hey zonie just a little humor here but if thats you in the pic it looks like you didnt watch yer top knot :blah:

 

[east texas]

imeant to say the wedge was relieved so it could slide past the screw sorry i usually just use this computer for lookin at nekkid wimmen so im not much of a typer!

 

[bdhutier]

imeant to say the wedge was relieved so it could slide past the screw sorry i usually just use this computer for lookin at nekkid wimmen so im not much of a typer!

:rotf:

 

[CaptainKirk]

my apologies sir you are correct on both counts! by the way how difficult is it to change the cylinder on a dragoon is it the pin and screw also? also you would think remington would put a bigger grip on their more bulky than the colt gun wouldnt you?

No problem. I mix up posts sometimes too.

As for the Remington grip? I'm not sure what they were thinking. It bangs my knuckle into pulp. Even with a good grip they don't point like a Colt.

A Colt doesn't come apart like a Remington. I actually like the Colt method better. I found the pin would get stuck easily when using real BP.

The Colt uses a wedge to hold the barrel on. I work on mine so I can push it on and off with my thumb. It's as simple as pushing the wedge to one side (it stays on the barrel and won't be lost). Then pull off the barrel, and then pull off the cylinder. I can do it in seconds. The advantage is you now have the barrel off for cleaning. (no water in the action) You can also easily lube the arbor.

Don't let anybody fool you into thinking the Remington is easier to change the cylinders. Get the wedge fit on a Colt just right, and it's faster.

This applies to the 51,60,61, Dragoons, and Walker. The 51/61 will be too small of a grip for you.

You need an 1860 good power. Dragoons more power. Walker most power.

Sorry, Pete. I'm callin' :bull: on ya.
I just timed myself; two and a half seconds to remove the cylinder and two seconds flat to install another on my Remmie.
No way can I duplicate that on ANY of my Colts.
I realize what you're saying is correct; a well-tuned Colt can pop the wedge with light thumb pressure and slap on another cylinder lickety-split....but I can't do it in under five seconds. No way. Not even on my '60 Army, which has a super-easy wedge pin.
And the cylinder pin thing is null and void if you use Pyrodex. I've shot over a hundred rounds in an afternoon and never cleaned the gun 'til I got home.
I've never banged a knuckle either. You must have big hands.
In the end, you should not have to swap cylinders anyway. It's dangerous, as was mentioned. If you need more firepower, add a second gun.
East Texas, here's a solution that will make everyone happy; Buy one Remmie and the Colt of your choice. Now you have twelve shots at your fingertips and you can choose whichever one you want on a particular day to be the "backup".

 

[himem777]

That sounds like good advice for easttexas. There must be somthing wrong with my remmie, cant shoot more than 12 shots without needing a hammer and wood block to open it.

 

[bdhutier]

That sounds like good advice for easttexas. There must be somthing wrong with my remmie, cant shoot more than 12 shots without needing a hammer and wood block to open it.

To remove the cylinder, or to continue shooting?

 

[himem777]

To remove the cylinder. But the advice for Easttexas to have Two guns is the best advice. Start with one and start saving for the second.

 

[east texas]

sound advice from all i always intended to buy a secondone anyway i think ill start with 60 army and buy the remmie next ....or was it the rem first and the dragoon second or.... im trying to get hold of widows son who had the uberti carbine well rest assured im orderin somethin!! :hmm:

 

[Geraldo]

As for the Remington grip? I'm not sure what they were thinking.

The average male was a lot smaller in the 1850s than today. The made them to fit the average, not the outlier.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

There are those that shoot smokeless reloads in these things with cylinder conversions for CAS. No BP fouling to deal with the block of wood & hammer! I too suffer the same problem--caked-on fouling preventing the cylinder pin from moving back to allow the fast changes like in the movies!

East Texas--don't even think about a conversion cylinder in your circumstance!

 

[Pete Gaimari]

my apologies sir you are correct on both counts! by the way how difficult is it to change the cylinder on a dragoon is it the pin and screw also? also you would think remington would put a bigger grip on their more bulky than the colt gun wouldnt you?

No problem. I mix up posts sometimes too.

As for the Remington grip? I'm not sure what they were thinking. It bangs my knuckle into pulp. Even with a good grip they don't point like a Colt.

A Colt doesn't come apart like a Remington. I actually like the Colt method better. I found the pin would get stuck easily when using real BP.

The Colt uses a wedge to hold the barrel on. I work on mine so I can push it on and off with my thumb. It's as simple as pushing the wedge to one side (it stays on the barrel and won't be lost). Then pull off the barrel, and then pull off the cylinder. I can do it in seconds. The advantage is you now have the barrel off for cleaning. (no water in the action) You can also easily lube the arbor.

Don't let anybody fool you into thinking the Remington is easier to change the cylinders. Get the wedge fit on a Colt just right, and it's faster.

This applies to the 51,60,61, Dragoons, and Walker. The 51/61 will be too small of a grip for you.

You need an 1860 good power. Dragoons more power. Walker most power.

Sorry, Pete. I'm callin' :bull: on ya.
I just timed myself; two and a half seconds to remove the cylinder and two seconds flat to install another on my Remmie.
No way can I duplicate that on ANY of my Colts.
I realize what you're saying is correct; a well-tuned Colt can pop the wedge with light thumb pressure and slap on another cylinder lickety-split....but I can't do it in under five seconds. No way. Not even on my '60 Army, which has a super-easy wedge pin.
And the cylinder pin thing is null and void if you use Pyrodex. I've shot over a hundred rounds in an afternoon and never cleaned the gun 'til I got home.
I've never banged a knuckle either. You must have big hands.
In the end, you should not have to swap cylinders anyway. It's dangerous, as was mentioned. If you need more firepower, add a second gun.
East Texas, here's a solution that will make everyone happy; Buy one Remmie and the Colt of your choice. Now you have twelve shots at your fingertips and you can choose whichever one you want on a particular day to be the "backup".

'

Call me out all you want and i'll beat you. Keep in mind that you have to do it with a dirty gun. A dirty gun has a great effect on the Remington, and no effect on the Colt. I take out the cylinders 12 times during CAS competitions. I tried it with Remingtons and it was a disaster. Smooth as silk with Colts. Besides, the Remingtons are clunky and don't point for beans. Colts won the west.

Please don't recommend a Remington to him. He's a big guy, and the Remington grip is made for girly hands. :blah:

 

[himem777]

Ok I do have girly small hands, but ther is 2 other options. 1 dixie sells kits so you can make the grip custom 2 dixie sells some of their guns with over sized grips. 3 ebay has over sized grips for sale for either gun. If you have giant monster hands. :blah:

 

[Pete Gaimari]

Ok I do have girly small hands, but ther is 2 other options. 1 dixie sells kits so you can make the grip custom 2 dixie sells some of their guns with over sized grips. 3 ebay has over sized grips for sale for either gun. If you have giant monster hands. :blah:

I'm pretty sure those oversize grips are diameter. Which would just make the problem worse. You need them longer, but even then the clearance between the grip and trigger guard is too small.

Why bother though when the 1860 Colt is perfect?

 

[Zonie]

To All:

As I read thru the comments in this Topic I'm wondering why all of the discussion about how fast a person can replace the cylinder is needed?

east texas is looking for advice on a recommended pistol to carry as a back up sidearm out in the woods. He is not asking which gun would be the best for a shoot out with the law or bad guys.

The idea that anyone would empty the 5 shots in a cap and ball revolver into a hog and then worry about reloading as fast as possible is, in my opinion, pretty silly.

If the 5 shots don't stop the hog I'm thinking the only thing on the shooters mind would be how to increase his velocity to something well under the 4 minute mile while looking for the nearest tree with low limbs.

In other words, unless he is playing shoot-um-up target games, how fast a C&B revolver can be reloaded is academic.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

It's a Remington thing Zonie. :rotf:

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Sense you said you want to hunt hogs (which need as much stopping power as you can get), and you have large hands, go for the 1860 Colt revolver.

Ideally you could use a 1st, 2nd or 3rd model Dragoon as they can be loaded with more powder behind their .45 caliber ball but carrying around a 4 1/2 pound pistol can get to be work.

Getting back to the reality of your situation, the 1860 Colt Army can be loaded with a pretty stout load and you may be able to find one in your price range. If not, keep saving and looking. You'll find one.

Jim,

You said it all right there! The man needs a Dragoon for the extra power. If you can't do it with 5 or 6 shots then the tree idea sure comes to mind!

Dave