My Pietta Broke

[simonkenton]

My 1860 Army is broken. Sometimes the cylinder won't advance.
I removed the barrel and cylinder. There is a little claw that sticks out, that is supposed to turn the cylinder. If you hold the pistol with the barrel aimed at the ceiling, the little claw lays back and will not stick out to turn the cylinder.
If you point the barrel at the floor, the little claw drops down, and will turn the cylinder.
I put some light oil on it, didn't help.

[alpini]

simonkenton-
  I bet the spring on the hand is broken. Pretty common fix.
  I'd order two, have a spare when it happens again.
  I'm sure any outfit like Dixie Gun Works will always have them in stock.

[alpini]

Simonkenton-
  Oh I forgot, keep your old one because you might have to file the new hand exactly like the old one to get it to work.
 
  Clayton

[Flint]

If you can't find a part for the Pietta, try a hand from Cimarron or VTI gun parts which are for the Uberti.  I'd say just buy the spring but the Uberti spring may not fit the Pietta Hand.  A Colt SAA spring can be trimmed to fit, as well.  VTI is soon to sell Pietta parts.  Also check with Navy Arms, as their Armies are Pietta.  Pietta also sells repair parts kits, check their website.  Cabelas is selling Pietta repair parts kits, for $17.00 you get a hammer, trigger, springs etc, check it out.

[simonkenton]

I looked at Cabelas online and could not find the repair kit.

[Flint]

I looked and it's gone, must have been a sell-off.  Too bad, because the price was a steal, all those parts for $17., the hammer alone should be $30.

[Dan Chamberlain]

VTI Replica Gun Parts
PO Box 509
362 Lime Rock Road
Lakeville CT, 06039

Phone:  860-435-8068


email:  mail@vtigunparts.com

Web:  www.vtigunparts.com

Good Luck

Dan C

[simonkenton]

I called VTI and they don't have parts for my gun, but they will have them in a few weeks. So, they gave me the name of EMS in California. They have the parts, $10 for the hand and spring, and $6 for shipping. That Cabelas kit is really looking good.
That is too high. So, I called the Traditions warranty line. My gun is still under warranty. They are sending a hand and spring for free, no problem.
So far the main spring and the hand spring have busted, in 4 months. I have cocked the gun about 500 times.
Thanks for all the advice. Wish I could buy that Cabelas kit.

[MOGorilla]

If the warranty falls through, try Dixie Gunworks.  They have anything a cap and ball shooter would ever need and the $5 catalog is one heck of a reference book.

[Flint]

One thing I have learned is that the Italians have never learned how to heat treat a spring.  I replace the Colt type springs with either real Colt springs, or Wolff springs.  The Remington, you are stuck.  A Colt mainspring can be made to work, but it takes some fitting and grinding, and it has a screw hole you don't need.  The Uberti springs might (?) be better than the Pietta.  The reach from the retaining screw to the trigger is longer on the Remington than a Colt, so the trigger/bolt spring won't work from that source.

[Holiday]

Check with Dixie Gun Works. That price of $10 is too high. I replaced the hand and spring on my Pietta recently and I think the part plus shipping was less than $10. I don't have the web address, but do a search for Dixie Gun Works.

[simonkenton]

I already have the current Dixie catalog, so I went ahead and ordered a hand and spring, and a main spring. This cost less than just the hand and spring from the EMS company in California. That EMS guy was arrogant, to boot. What a weird name for a gun parts company, you might as well name your company "The Police Dept.", or "Fire Dept."
Even though I already have a new hand and spring on the way, for free, from Traditions, it is obvious that it is good to have some extra springs on hand for these guns.
Thanks for all the advice.

[simonkenton]

Now I am a gunsmith.
I had never taken the guts of the gun apart. I dove into the innards with my new hand and spring on standby. In ten minutes I had replaced the hand. It is simple.