Trying to understand this “short arbor” on Uberti revolvers

[Gino753]

Ok Guys I just completed the project of the Arbor correction on my new Alberti Colt Walker.I fitted a Stainless Steel shim inside the barrel bore, and slowly filed it down, until the barrel goes all the way on with maby a 0.001” gap between the barrel lug face and the face of the frame.

The wedge goes all the way through, light and smooth, right until the face of the ,..or the tip of the wedge, just lines up with the other side of the barrel.In witch case the wedge comes to a tight-very snug Stop

It then takes 2 light-Firm taps with an 8oz rubber mallet, the push the wedge the rest of the way through, until the spring just snaps over the side of the barrel

I cant get the wedge in anymore from there..I am then left with a level gap between the forcing cone and the cylinder face, of a little under 0.002”

No binding, ..the forcing cone is just about touching the cylinder face

 

[Smokerr]

To me this is a 45D or D Yager response needed.

The frame and barrel section should meet with no gap. I can think of some probabilities of possible why not but it would be speculation.

 

[D Yager]

Indeed, you want that full contact where the lug meets the frame at the locating pins. Kinda important to have as much support as possible in that area. The fit of the barrel to cylinder gap is spot on. Between the arbor being seated and having the frame supporting the lower barrel lug makes the setup work as one solid piece.

 

[Gino753]

This is what I have

 

[D Yager]

Can you see daylight through the gap? If not you should be good to go.

 

[Gino753]

Can you see daylight through the gap? If not you should be good to go.

Yes so I just checked it, and you have to look up close kind of hard, but you can see some daylight.

I then took a piece of “Receipt” paper from Stop and shop, (To give reference) and I was able to push it through in between the frame and the barrel lug…so im going to Shave another 0.001” off the shim

My Second Dragoon, where’s its wedge, bottoms out a little further in versus my Walker …The receipt does not fit between its gap however

So im assuming that once I shave a tiny bit more off the shim, that my wedge is going to bottom out a little farther as well, but I think that’s a pretty good fit because the tip of the Arbor is absolutely hitting bottom in the barrel of the Dragoon as well

 

[45D]

Yes so I just checked it, and you have to look up close kind of hard, but you can see some daylight.

I then took a piece of “Receipt” paper from Stop and shop, (To give reference) and I was able to push it through in between the frame and the barrel lug…so im going to Shave another 0.001” off the shim

My Second Dragoon, where’s its wedge, bottoms out a little further in versus my Walker …The receipt does not fit between its gap however

So im assuming that once I shave a tiny bit more off the shim, that my wedge is going to bottom out a little farther as well, but I think that’s a pretty good fit because the tip of the Arbor is absolutely hitting bottom in the barrel of the Dragoon as well

Hey Gino753, I don't pay attention to the endshake until there is contact at the barrel lug (with wedge in place!). Once that happens, there's your starting point for endshake.

 

[Gino753]

Hey Gino753, I don't pay attention to the endshake until there is contact at the barrel lug (with wedge in place!). Once that happens, there's your starting point for endshake.

Thank you Mike, im going to continue this afternoon, I ended putting that project aside for the night and quitting while I’m ahead before I ruin another shim by making it too thin

And installed the rear peep sight on my 1873 Winchester lever action, and drifted out the origional rear buckhorn sight

 

[Gino753]

Ok so i shaved a little more off the shim and the bottom block is making full contact

You can see that the right side face of the bottom block looking at the gun from the bottom, tip of trigger pointing at you, barrel pointing up in the air, that the right side of the frame, where it meets the barrel lug
It seems like that edge got a little chatters or bumped into other parts while it was being made maby, so that is where you can see a fraction of light

Because that mating surface is not as sealed as the left side , but the barrel is on streight and everything looks good

Just the wedge is able to go in by hand with a firm push, till the spring just clears

A hard push really…but if i wack it with the 8oz mallet I can seat it a tiny bit further now

That was to get the bottom block to fully seat

At the finally depth of the wedge my forcing cone gap is just about 0.002”

 

[Gino753]

What do you think about all this Mike ?

Does this sound correct? The Arbor and the bottom barrel lug are hitting home…The wedge goes in smooth, until the top of the wedge slides through the left side of the barrel..(in the case of the Walker) as the wedge comes in from the right to left

Once the tip of the wedge is flush with the left side of the barrel..i then have to push the wedge in pretty hard (Really a wack of the mallet will do, as the spring will clear and latch over the left side of the barrel.

If I wack the wedge with the mallet I can push the wedge in. Tiny bit more and thats it

Is this correct? Should I seat the wedge in as deep as it will go? Or is the spring just hooking over the left side of the barrel sufficient ?

Again both parts the arbor and the barrel bock are making contact ..The shin actually sticks to the front of the arbor after taking the barrel off, just from the tiny amount of grease on the shim

I then took the whole gun apart and stoned everything…then packed the whole inside with Mobil one red grease

It is smooth as heck…It was actually made pretty nice from the start

 

[Smokerr]

Looks like 45D endorsed all of it.

I know the Wedge can be a bit odd insert wise, once I have to clear of the far side (also a 47 Walker) I give it the smack with the mallet.

 

[Gino753]

Looks like 45D endorsed all of it.

I know the Wedge can be a bit odd insert wise, once I have to clear of the far side (also a 47 Walker) I give it the smack with the mallet.

Ok thank the lord, this was a bit of a pain in the $@& but im glad that I got it

 

[D Yager]

Sounds like you got it! Tap the wedge in with a good tap from your mallet to firmly seat it. Congratulations, you've taken a major step in making that pistol last a long long time.

 

[Gino753]

Sounds like you got it! Tap the wedge in with a good tap from your mallet to firmly seat it. Congratulations, you've taken a major step in making that pistol last a long long time.

Thank you

Is it typical of these to have maby a tiny bit more gap on one side of the barrel lug? I can see that it is pretty much from the lip being Marred a bit but

 

[Smokerr]

D Yager or Mike can answer that a lot better. I would not be surprised. The quality as you noted is generally pretty good but at the price point these are sold at, you are not going to get a S&W/Colt/Ruger. So a bit off I could easily see. Trying to get good data on that small an area let alone location is not easy.

Personally I think they target a less discerning group overall than what joins a forum like this.

The best example I came across was a small boat gear box that had issues, when all was said and done they only expected 400 hour life out of it. It was not junk but it was a low cost not intended for hard or long use (the data was 40 hours a year and expected 10 years life and it would have been sold before the original owner.

The mfg did have a beef up package for it. The Boat owner was running a 4 person charter and he got like 1500 hours out of it which astonished the rep. But he did not ham fist it either.

I don't see these as junk but if you are really going to use them, work is needed. Pietta has stopped their short arbor problem (per 45D and D Yager and I go with those guys) but you read about other issues owners have to fix or return these type guns for.

My wife gave me her ASP NMA Remington and it had a timing issue. In a stroke of luck I corrected it. While that is a 76 gun, it seems common enough for an issue. From what I seem to glean, its just a variation of issues for all of them rather than consistent short arbor on the Uberti.

 

[D Yager]

I've seen them that had a teeny gap on one side. It's more important to have full contact on the big horse pistols. You could very carefully draw file the barrel lug at the pin holes and get rid of the marred area and check the fit.

 

[D Yager]

D Yager or Mike can answer that a lot better. I would not be surprised. The quality as you noted is generally pretty good but at the price point these are sold at, you are not going to get a S&W/Colt/Ruger. So a bit off I could easily see. Trying to get good data on that small an area let alone location is not easy.

Personally I think they target a less discerning group overall than what joins a forum like this.

The best example I came across was a small boat gear box that had issues, when all was said and done they only expected 400 hour life out of it. It was not junk but it was a low cost not intended for hard or long use (the data was 40 hours a year and expected 10 years life and it would have been sold before the original owner.

The mfg did have a beef up package for it. The Boat owner was running a 4 person charter and he got like 1500 hours out of it which astonished the rep. But he did not ham fist it either.

I don't see these as junk but if you are really going to use them, work is needed. Pietta has stopped their short arbor problem (per 45D and D Yager and I go with those guys) but you read about other issues owners have to fix or return these type guns for.

My wife gave me her ASP NMA Remington and it had a timing issue. In a stroke of luck I corrected it. While that is a 76 gun, it seems common enough for an issue. From what I seem to glean, its just a variation of issues for all of them rather than consistent short arbor on the Uberti.

Just about every Remmie I have looked at had a short hand and late timing, glad you were able to fix it. 99 % of the guns that come through my shop are Colt replicas, have only had 2 Remmies come in the past 2 years.

 

[French Colonial]

Just about every Remmie I have looked at had a short hand and late timing, glad you were able to fix it. 99 % of the guns that come through my shop are Colt replicas, have only had 2 Remmies come in the past 2 years.

So what are you saying..

Lots of Colts need fixed (99%) and almost no (two) Remingtons, kind of argues for the Remingtons

 

[45D]

Thank you

Is it typical of these to have maby a tiny bit more gap on one side of the barrel lug? I can see that it is pretty much from the lip being Marred a bit but

Thanks Smokerr !!

Most barrel lug to frame fits are really good but if it's just the slightest bit of light (at the very edge of the joint), it will probably stay. There's a lot of contact right there so with the tension added by the wedge, there won't be movement.

Mike