Wedge stuck on an 1851 Navy

[M. De Land]

!st I'd check for any indentation in both sides of the wedge from barrel and arbor slots. If present there will usually be an accompanying swelling of the wedge thickness at these points. If so I just make a new wedge of 0-1 or A-2 tool steel and not fool with reshaping ( forge out) the original which will wind up thinner and longer.
Also when reducing the lower lug height I make brass centers that snug slip fit into muzzle and forcing cone of the barrel (pull the pins if necessary) and take "very" ( read scratch cuts) light lathe cuts to square with bore axis and remove needed amount of material . This can be braced to reinforce but I have not found it necessary to this point.

A good tip I use for pulling stuck lug pins is a bit of torch heat to expand the lug holes then pull them fastened to a good bench vice with soft iron/steel jaw inserts. You won't bend or flatten them this way pulling straight out of the bench vce with a hand held machinest vice on the other pin ends. I need to be more specific as I'm actually describing two slightly different methods. With the first I'm pulling on the barrel with the pins only in the bench vice jaws lined with soft iron/steel, with the second the barrel is in a padded bench vice jaws and I'm pulling the pins with a small machinest vice with soft steel jaws,
You can check for lug face square after lathe "swing" turning with a dial indicator and ball probe.
If no lathe is available they can be filed and checked for square against the barrel breech face with a machinest flat plate or block and feeler gauge. Very accurate work can be and is done by spot fitting with Dykem and simple hand tools in the right hands!

 

[M. De Land]

A good tip I use for pulling stuck lug pins is a bit of torch heat to expand the lug holes then pull them fastened to a good bench vice with soft iron/steel jaw inserts. You won't bend or flatten them this way pulling straight out of the bench vce with a hand held machinest vice on the other pin ends. I need to be more specific as I'm actually describing two slightly different methods. With the first I'm pulling on the barrel with the pins only in the bench vice jaws lined with soft iron/steel, with the second the barrel is in a padded bench vice jaws and I'm pulling the pins with a small machinest vice with soft steel jaws,
You can check for lug face square after lathe "swing" turning with a dial indicator and ball probe.
If no lathe is available they can be filed and checked for square against the barrel breech face with a machinest flat plate or block and feeler gauge. Very accurate work can be and is done by spot fitting with Dykem and simple hand tools in the right hands!

Lug lowering can be accomplished very accurately in a mill as well but I have found my lathe as accurate and easier to set up. Remember very light cuts are necessary especially in the lathe so nothing is bent out of alignment. It would be a good idea to machine some jig braces if one is doing much of this kind of work.

 

[Mad L]

Bought a used 1851 Navy about 3 weeks ago and finally got it out to the range for 9-10 shots yesterday. When I went to diassemble it to clean it, I could not get the wedge out to remove the barrel. I have watched a few YouTube videos about how guys pop it out with clothespins and other wood objects, but nothing helped. The old Infantryman in me says get a bigger hammer, but I don't want to damage the gun. Tried punching back in some more and it wouldn't move. The screw is loose. Thought about squirting Ballistol on the screw hole. Am I doing something wrong? Seems like such an easy task to punch the wedge out.

Thompson or Traditions used to sell these as a "3 in One Tool". However I think I heard the maker stopped making them, not sure if anyone makes something similar.
When your out on the range or dont have access to a mill, files, or a torch - it has served me well.

It is made of brass, used to knock out stubborn wedges, has a hidden nipple pick screwed into the handle end, and (as advertised) useful for removing stubborn caps.
I just used it the other day to remove the wedge on my wife's 1851 Navy. Just got the wedge to point your photo shows, laid pistol on my lap (working in back yard), lined up the tool and WACKED it with a pair of old pliers (they were handy as my tools were 467 miles away).

Sorry, I tried to find an add for you, but....keep an eye out for one or something similar for future use.

 

[Boston Bill]

This is from Track of the Wolf
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/117/1/TOOL-KEY-B

 

[Mad L]

This is from Track of the Wolf
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/117/1/TOOL-KEY-B

That should be easy enough to file a notch in the center so as not to strike the spring!