Stuck nipples in 1851 cylinder. Unknown maker.

[Deep Creek Dale]

I get these all the time in my shop or at reenactments. If I can't release the nipples after applying some liquid wrench, some mild heat and trying to remove the nipples with a well fitting wrench MADE FOR THAT NIPPLE SIZE, with the cylinder secured on a plate with two pins inserted into the cylinders, I hand it back and tell them they need a new cylinder and set of nipples. Unfortunately, that is usually more than the gun is worth.

 

[Treestalker]

I always soak stuck screws, etc. in Marvel Mystery Oil. Great stuff. Been around forever. I know because it used to have pictures of pyramids on the can! LOL! But my auto mechanic daddy used it since he started working for the Dodge Corporation in Dallas Texas about 1927.

 

[Zonie]

When all has failed to remove a stuck nipple from a Colt style C&B revolver the last trick to do is to drill the nipple out.

When you do this, you will want to be using a 3/16" drill bit and you do the drilling from inside the cylinder.
To do this, place a piece of rag around the cylinder and lightly clamp it into a vise. Then, using a 3/32" or 1/8" drill bit and using the hole in the nipple to pilot the drill bit, drill maybe 1/16" to 1/8" deep into the bottom of the nipple. Then switch to the larger 3/16" bit and proceed to drill out the remainder of the nipple.

When you use a regular drill bit and drill the nipple out from inside the cylinder, the direction of rotation of the drill will be trying to turn the nipple in a direction that will unscrew it from the cylinder. At the same time, the drill bit is removing material just inside the minor diameter of the thread so the thread will lose it's strength, often allowing it to break free and unscrew.

Unfortunately, if the stuck nipple is in a Remington cylinder the idea of drilling it out from inside the chamber doesn't work well. That's because the Remington nipples come into the chamber at an angle so, you will have to drill it out from the outside of the cylinder.
To get the same "unscrewing" effect of the drill bit in this case you will need to buy a LEFT HAND DRILL BIT.
These left hand drill bits do their drilling when the drill is running "backwards" or in the "reverse" direction.
With the drill turning in the reverse direction as it tries to drill out the nipple, it will be trying to unscrew the nipple at the same time.
Here again, the force needed to drill out the material will be enough to cause the stuck thread to break free and unscrew on its own.

If the nipple fails to unscrew and you end up drilling the threads completely out, never fear. You have not really removed the actual threads in the cylinder. You just removed the nipple. Once done, the remaining nipple threads will have very little strength and usually the remains can be picked out by using a sharp awl or even a sharpened nail.

Yes, it is a lot of work but it is a lot cheaper than buying a new cylinder for the gun.

 

[HandyAndy]

Great advice.

In my opinion, cobalt drill bits are the best for dealing with stuff like that. I use them for working on old cars. It's usually better to drill with a slower speed, not much pressure and use some type of lubricant.