Author Topic: What's with this barrel wedge on an 1860 Colt???? (Read 1673 times)

JS44 · « **on:** January 22, 2004, 02:17:11 PM »

Hi
I just got my new Pietta 1860 Colt .44 from Cabela's today. This is my first Colt but I have an 1858 Rem .44 too. Taking the Colt apart to clean off the oil has been a bear! It would appear that the spring in the wedge has to be depressed first to knock the pin out. I did that somehow with only two hands. I don't know if I could duplicate that task again. I was cussing so much I couldn't hear myself think. That wedge is VERY tight. Will this break in with time so it's not so tough? Also, what's the purpose of that wedge screw. I took it out before getting the wedge out. I didn't know if that was neccessary or not. The owners manual is not real specific about exactly how to take the wedge out. It just says knock it out without mention of the screw or that leaf spring in the wedge.
Any input on the wedge question would be appreciated. I'd like to be able to take this apart non-destructively if at all possible.
Thanks.
JS

Dutch Canyon Red · « **Reply #1 on:** January 22, 2004, 02:39:11 PM »

JS44,
Pietta drives the wedge in way to tight! You don't need to take out the screw. It is there so that the wedge won't come all the way out. When you drive out the wedge with a brass punch, be careful not to drive the spring part or you might break the small pin that holds the spring to the wedge. This spring seems to be a Pietta thing... it's there to keep the wedge from falling out and getting lost. When you break one, you can get a replacement from:

http://www.vtigunparts.com

MOGorilla · « **Reply #2 on:** January 23, 2004, 01:46:02 AM »

I would recommend picking up a little item, it is a brass punch that comes with a screw top that contains a nipple pick. They are handy and a light tap with a hammer drives my super tight wedge right out. I picked mine up in a very small BP section of the local Dick's sporting goods, not sure what they were called, but very handy. I own three pietta's, a 1851 navy in .36, a 1860 army and a 51 in .44. The 51 in .44 I can pull the wedge out with my hand. The others require a tap. The 51 in .44 is the least accurate of the three as well, I think you want that wedge fairly tight, keeping the cylinder gap minimal.

Dalton Masterson · « **Reply #3 on:** January 23, 2004, 05:40:53 AM »

I use a plastic mallet to knock my wedge pin out. One whack, and I can grab it with my fingers and pull to clear the cylinder pin. I noticed on the 3 I got from Cabelas recently, that they are extremely tight. DM

JS44 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 23, 2004, 12:50:16 PM »

Thanks for all of your help. So it looks like I don't need to squeeze that leaf spring tab down when I tap the wedge out. It looked to me like the tab on the end of the spring that holds the wedge in would wear down on the metal at the edge of the wedge hole if I just push/knock it through.
I'll be taking it shooting on Sunday :grin:
It seems like I had another question but I can't remember what it was now.
Thanks again.
JS

JS44 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 26, 2004, 02:25:18 PM »

Seems to shoot pretty good. I was using 30 grains 3F with a .454 Hornady ball. It shoots high at 25 yards like I knew it would. Oh well. I didn't do any bench shooting to see how accurate it really is but offhand shooting I was pretty much able to put them where I intended or close enough. Only problem I found was later on when I was cleaning it. I discovered one of the pins between the nipples had been broken part way off

. I don't know how I did that but it wasn't that way before I shot it.
JS

Singing Bear · « **Reply #6 on:** January 26, 2004, 07:56:38 PM »

That wedge screw not only retains the wedge, but also helps in barrel/cylinder gap adjustments. The further the wedge is driven in, the tighter the gap. If you remove the screw, it's possible to drive that wedge too far in where the cylinder will not rotate. Btw, don't bang on that wedge once it's butt up to the screw head. Those screws crack real easy.

simonkenton · « **Reply #7 on:** January 31, 2004, 07:33:39 AM »

After you bang that wedge in and out a couple dozen times it will "break in".
Not knowing that, I took a file to mine a little bit, when new. I also filed that little knob on the end of the spring, just a little.
After that, I was on this forum asking the same question you just asked.
Anyway, you mess with the Colt a little, and you can see why these are called "primitive weapons." They are not machined like a Beretta 92F.
Fortunately my gunsmithing didn't do much damage, and that wedge still works fine.

JS44 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 01, 2004, 12:42:47 PM »

Thanks. It seems to be getting a little bit better. I've taken it out shooting twice now.
JS