36 caliber "COLT" 1861 navy

bjmanersr · December 8, 2005, 01:42 AM

I finaly figured out how to tear it down today and i'me disapointed at what I found.One of the niples(dont know what they are called) that protrudes from the front of the frame and sticks in the bottom of the barrol assembly is broken off.(There are 2 of them)There are a couple of safety pins that are buggered up and the part on the hammer that strikes the nipple looks like it may need to be replaced.The barrol is fine and otherwise the gun is really tight but I guess it has been abused.Where should I take it or what should I do to repair it?
Thanks

Smokin_Gun · December 8, 2005, 02:15 AM

Well if you do your wn work, and can get the pins out , and maybe stone or clean up the hammer face a little you can get replacement parts here at VTI.
http://www.vtigunparts.com/
It won't hurt anything to shoot it that way as long as you still have one pin in it. The wedge is what takes the beating when firing. The hammer face probably looks worse than it is if it fires ok not much to worry about. I hope this helps you some...if not find a good Black Powder knowledgable Gunsmith.

SG

MPP1423 · December 8, 2005, 02:36 AM

bj,
you can get spare parts from cabelas if its a pietta for 1/2 the price of vti.and if you have to send it to a gun smith,you probably be better off just buying a new one because they are'nt that pricey but smithing is.thats just my opinion.you can get these pistols at cabelas as well.

Remington kid · December 8, 2005, 07:30 AM

If you could post some pictures of the damage we could talk you through the repair if it's not to bad. It will save you a bunch of money or you could just buy another . The broken nipple and the banged up hammer sounds to me like someone did a lot of dry fireing of this piece.
One good thing about buying a new one from Cabelas as MP1423 suggested is that they back them up and you would have an extra cylinder and some spare parts. EMS has them on sale for $190.00 I believe and they are a good outfit to deal with also. Mike

mec · December 8, 2005, 08:00 AM

I have several Uberti revolvers and most of them have these locator pins loose enough that they can fall out when I heat the gun for cleaning. Haven' broken one off yet but I do kind of like take a punch and burr the frame hole before tapping them back in . This seems to work.

Sometimes the barrel catch is loose in the dovetail and I tighten it up with the same steel prick punch

bjmanersr · December 8, 2005, 01:04 PM

Are you guys telling me i can buy a REAL COLT for under $200.00?Thanks

MPP1423 · December 8, 2005, 01:11 PM

no bj,most likely not.we are talking about repo's.the real colts are pretty dern high unless you just get a good deal.if your gun is a real colt and you and it has history i'd fix it for sure.let some the pro's here help ya like rem kid,dragoon,steve, or george.they all can really help you with work on these weapons.they can save you a lot of money too.hell,i owe some of these guys so much now i could never pay them back!lol.

bjmanersr · December 8, 2005, 02:29 PM

the best I can Make.Maby you guys can see enough to help me out.

Remington kid · December 8, 2005, 02:46 PM

Well, This is just my openion but it looks to me like you have a star broke off on the cylinder as well and that means a new cylinder. Can't tell a whole lot about the hammer in the picture but it would be a good idea to replace that also. The loctor pins should also be replaced. I haven't seen any of the springs or how smooth the action is but if it was mine I would replace it with a new one. EMF has a Pietta 1861 all steel for about $190.00 or $199.00 if I remember right on sale right now. Cabelas has a Pietta for $209.00.
Now if this is a real colt then you may want to have a really good gun smith look at it and see what he would charge to fix it. The problem is that If he has to do much work on it the value will be really lowered and it may not be worth fixing because of that.
Not trying to discurage you here but want you to be safe and not broke

You can check out that new 1861 .36 here:

http://www.emf-company.com/1861-model-navy.htm

Old Dragoon · December 8, 2005, 03:06 PM

RK,
I think the star is ok and that is glare in the picture. The broken locator pin in the front of the frame can be drilled out carefully and possibly a small hole drilled into the pin and use an easy out to remove it, find piano wire the sma dia or a bit bigger, cut to length and replace, and peen with a punch the nipples look great, but the safety buttons look like a couple have been dry fired upon. I cannot see the hammer well either, pehaps a 3/4 view(twit the gun a bit from this position(picture of hammer) and shoot again. . . You didn't say if you had shot this piece, how does the cylinder turn, lockup etc.
If there is a cut in the hammer it can be welded up and ground back to shape.
Hope this helps.

OD

Remington kid · December 8, 2005, 03:55 PM

Dragoon, You may be right about the star. It sure looked like it was chiped off,A good gun smith could fix that with a litle welding and grinding.
Like you, I can't see the hammer well enough to tell anything and he never said how it runs when it's togeather. Kind of hard to tell someone whats what without it being in my hands and being able to eyeball and feel it

That's what happens when you get old, never sure of anything except that
dieing gets closer every day.I wonder if God will issue us Remingtons or Colts?

bjmanersr · December 8, 2005, 03:58 PM

The gun locks up 100% and the action is smooth as silk.Just the problems i described.

Remington kid · December 8, 2005, 05:09 PM

If that's the case then I would buy new nipples, new hammer and new pins and your all set. It wont be to much but I can't give you an exact figure.
You may have a great shooten iron there pardner

Old Dragoon · December 8, 2005, 05:29 PM

I don't think the nipples look bad at all. I think the nipples he was talking about were the locator pins.
rst of the gun looks pretty good to me what we can see of it.
Who made it? If it is a second or third gen Colt it is really an Uberti. as Uberti built the Second(most of them) and the third Gen. as the colt factory that built them burned down in the late sixties or 70's.

bjmanersr · December 8, 2005, 08:40 PM

Old Dragoon · December 8, 2005, 08:59 PM

Did you get paperwork and a manual with it. I'm almost positive that it is an Uberti. Colt had to go to Uberti hat in hand when their factory burned down to build Colt BP pistols. Even if it is a real colt before the fire I believe Uberti parts will still interchange.

I thought it looked pretty good in the pictures. Well worth fixing I'm thinking, especially if you still have the original box and papers. If the manual says Uberti it is a later one. I don't know the exact date Uberti started making Colt BP guns for Colt. I know for sure that 3rd Gen Colt BP guns are Uberti.

Now if you don't want to fool with it you could send it to RK, or myself, we'll fix it and "test" it for you for a couple years to be sure it's fixed..then return it. LOL

Wayner · December 8, 2005, 09:09 PM

All you really need is one good safety pin on the back of the cylinder. File the bad ones off so you don't use them. Stone or diamond file across the face of the hammer. It's alright as long as it busts caps.You should recaseharden the hammer after you file on it so "Kasinet" casehardening will work for that. The frame peg/pin? Gotta get the old one out and use a piece of drill rod or spring steel to replace it. Ifin you can't be sure of getting the broke one out without harming or deforming the hole then take it to a machine shop or gunsmith that has the tools to do it without buggering it up. Your gun isn't messed up bad at all really.

December 8, 2005, 01:42 AM	#1
bjmanersr Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2005 Location: Tennessee by way of AL. Posts: 161	36 caliber "COLT" 1861 navy I finaly figured out how to tear it down today and i'me disapointed at what I found.One of the niples(dont know what they are called) that protrudes from the front of the frame and sticks in the bottom of the barrol assembly is broken off.(There are 2 of them)There are a couple of safety pins that are buggered up and the part on the hammer that strikes the nipple looks like it may need to be replaced.The barrol is fine and otherwise the gun is really tight but I guess it has been abused.Where should I take it or what should I do to repair it? Thanks __________________ B J Maner sr

December 8, 2005, 01:04 PM	#6
bjmanersr Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2005 Location: Tennessee by way of AL. Posts: 161	Ime a little confused here Are you guys telling me i can buy a REAL COLT for under $200.00?Thanks __________________ B J Maner sr

December 8, 2005, 03:58 PM	#12
bjmanersr Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2005 Location: Tennessee by way of AL. Posts: 161	Thanks for the advise The gun locks up 100% and the action is smooth as silk.Just the problems i described. __________________ B J Maner sr

December 8, 2005, 08:40 PM	#15
bjmanersr Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2005 Location: Tennessee by way of AL. Posts: 161	Its a 2nd generation colt __________________ B J Maner sr

December 8, 2005, 09:09 PM	#17
Wayner Senior Member Join Date: December 8, 2005 Posts: 116	36caliber "Colt" All you really need is one good safety pin on the back of the cylinder. File the bad ones off so you don't use them. Stone or diamond file across the face of the hammer. It's alright as long as it busts caps.You should recaseharden the hammer after you file on it so "Kasinet" casehardening will work for that. The frame peg/pin? Gotta get the old one out and use a piece of drill rod or spring steel to replace it. Ifin you can't be sure of getting the broke one out without harming or deforming the hole then take it to a machine shop or gunsmith that has the tools to do it without buggering it up. Your gun isn't messed up bad at all really.

December 8, 2005, 02:15 AM	#2
Smokin_Gun Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2005 Location: Mojave Desert, CA Posts: 1,195	Well if you do your wn work, and can get the pins out , and maybe stone or clean up the hammer face a little you can get replacement parts here at VTI. http://www.vtigunparts.com/ It won't hurt anything to shoot it that way as long as you still have one pin in it. The wedge is what takes the beating when firing. The hammer face probably looks worse than it is if it fires ok not much to worry about. I hope this helps you some...if not find a good Black Powder knowledgable Gunsmith. SG

December 8, 2005, 02:36 AM	#3
MPP1423 Senior Member Join Date: September 10, 2005 Location: GOODLETTSVILLE,TN Posts: 298	bj, you can get spare parts from cabelas if its a pietta for 1/2 the price of vti.and if you have to send it to a gun smith,you probably be better off just buying a new one because they are'nt that pricey but smithing is.thats just my opinion.you can get these pistols at cabelas as well.

December 8, 2005, 07:30 AM	#4
Remington kid Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2005 Location: South Central West Virginia Posts: 611	If you could post some pictures of the damage we could talk you through the repair if it's not to bad. It will save you a bunch of money or you could just buy another . The broken nipple and the banged up hammer sounds to me like someone did a lot of dry fireing of this piece. One good thing about buying a new one from Cabelas as MP1423 suggested is that they back them up and you would have an extra cylinder and some spare parts. EMS has them on sale for $190.00 I believe and they are a good outfit to deal with also. Mike

December 8, 2005, 08:00 AM	#5
mec Junior member Join Date: December 6, 2001 Posts: 1,536	I have several Uberti revolvers and most of them have these locator pins loose enough that they can fall out when I heat the gun for cleaning. Haven' broken one off yet but I do kind of like take a punch and burr the frame hole before tapping them back in . This seems to work. Sometimes the barrel catch is loose in the dovetail and I tighten it up with the same steel prick punch

December 8, 2005, 01:11 PM	#7
MPP1423 Senior Member Join Date: September 10, 2005 Location: GOODLETTSVILLE,TN Posts: 298	no bj,most likely not.we are talking about repo's.the real colts are pretty dern high unless you just get a good deal.if your gun is a real colt and you and it has history i'd fix it for sure.let some the pro's here help ya like rem kid,dragoon,steve, or george.they all can really help you with work on these weapons.they can save you a lot of money too.hell,i owe some of these guys so much now i could never pay them back!lol.

December 8, 2005, 02:46 PM	#9
Remington kid Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2005 Location: South Central West Virginia Posts: 611	Well, This is just my openion but it looks to me like you have a star broke off on the cylinder as well and that means a new cylinder. Can't tell a whole lot about the hammer in the picture but it would be a good idea to replace that also. The loctor pins should also be replaced. I haven't seen any of the springs or how smooth the action is but if it was mine I would replace it with a new one. EMF has a Pietta 1861 all steel for about $190.00 or $199.00 if I remember right on sale right now. Cabelas has a Pietta for $209.00. Now if this is a real colt then you may want to have a really good gun smith look at it and see what he would charge to fix it. The problem is that If he has to do much work on it the value will be really lowered and it may not be worth fixing because of that. Not trying to discurage you here but want you to be safe and not broke You can check out that new 1861 .36 here: http://www.emf-company.com/1861-model-navy.htm

December 8, 2005, 03:06 PM	#10
Old Dragoon Senior Member Join Date: October 31, 2005 Location: The Republic of Californi Posts: 581	RK, I think the star is ok and that is glare in the picture. The broken locator pin in the front of the frame can be drilled out carefully and possibly a small hole drilled into the pin and use an easy out to remove it, find piano wire the sma dia or a bit bigger, cut to length and replace, and peen with a punch the nipples look great, but the safety buttons look like a couple have been dry fired upon. I cannot see the hammer well either, pehaps a 3/4 view(twit the gun a bit from this position(picture of hammer) and shoot again. . . You didn't say if you had shot this piece, how does the cylinder turn, lockup etc. If there is a cut in the hammer it can be welded up and ground back to shape. Hope this helps. OD

December 8, 2005, 03:55 PM	#11
Remington kid Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2005 Location: South Central West Virginia Posts: 611	Dragoon, You may be right about the star. It sure looked like it was chiped off,A good gun smith could fix that with a litle welding and grinding. Like you, I can't see the hammer well enough to tell anything and he never said how it runs when it's togeather. Kind of hard to tell someone whats what without it being in my hands and being able to eyeball and feel it That's what happens when you get old, never sure of anything except that dieing gets closer every day.I wonder if God will issue us Remingtons or Colts?

December 8, 2005, 05:09 PM	#13
Remington kid Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2005 Location: South Central West Virginia Posts: 611	If that's the case then I would buy new nipples, new hammer and new pins and your all set. It wont be to much but I can't give you an exact figure. You may have a great shooten iron there pardner

December 8, 2005, 05:29 PM	#14
Old Dragoon Senior Member Join Date: October 31, 2005 Location: The Republic of Californi Posts: 581	I don't think the nipples look bad at all. I think the nipples he was talking about were the locator pins. rst of the gun looks pretty good to me what we can see of it. Who made it? If it is a second or third gen Colt it is really an Uberti. as Uberti built the Second(most of them) and the third Gen. as the colt factory that built them burned down in the late sixties or 70's.

December 8, 2005, 08:59 PM	#16
Old Dragoon Senior Member Join Date: October 31, 2005 Location: The Republic of Californi Posts: 581	Did you get paperwork and a manual with it. I'm almost positive that it is an Uberti. Colt had to go to Uberti hat in hand when their factory burned down to build Colt BP pistols. Even if it is a real colt before the fire I believe Uberti parts will still interchange. I thought it looked pretty good in the pictures. Well worth fixing I'm thinking, especially if you still have the original box and papers. If the manual says Uberti it is a later one. I don't know the exact date Uberti started making Colt BP guns for Colt. I know for sure that 3rd Gen Colt BP guns are Uberti. Now if you don't want to fool with it you could send it to RK, or myself, we'll fix it and "test" it for you for a couple years to be sure it's fixed..then return it. LOL