R&D Conversion, 3 cylinders wont fully cock

Doc Holdem · March 6, 2008, 11:46 PM

Hi all,

Just registered today, but been perusin the site for a couple weeks. I picked up an 1858 Remington clone (pietta) and ordered a conversion cylinder for it.

C&B cylinder works fine, but when I put the conversion cylinder in the revolver will only cock on 3 of 6 cylinders, feels like it is right at the edge on the others but won't go that extra bit to allow full cock.

If I am thinkin right, this means the hand is a hair too long right?

If so, would I need to file down the last notch on the hand?

any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Doc

mykeal · March 7, 2008, 07:13 AM

Don't modify the hand if the gun works ok using the percussion cylinder. And the fact that it works on 3 chambers with the cartridge cylinder says it's the cylinder that needs to be fixed, not the hand. Modifying the hand could result in problems with the percussion cylinder.

I don't fully understand your description - there is nothing I can think of that would prevent the hammer from going to full cock on half the chambers. Do you mean to say the hammer won't go all the way back, or that the cylinder fails to stop in battery?

If the former, I'm not sure what's going on. If the latter, then yes, shortening the hand would be a likely solution. For those three chambers on that cylinder, but why mess it up for the other chambers? The real problem is in the notches on the back of the cylinder - look for burrs in the notches and file them down.

By the way, you need to keep that percussion cylinder even if you never intend to use it again. If you ever sell the gun you need to sell it with the percussion cylinder installed and sell the cartridge cylinder separately. Technically, when you put the cartridge cylinder in the gun you've 'manufactured' a new gun, which is legal as long as you keep it for personal use and don't sell it that way. If you do, you must buy a tax license from BATFE first. Selling it with the percussion cylinder avoids that little legal issue.

Doc Holdem · March 7, 2008, 09:11 AM

Thanks,

I did some more looking at the gun, with the percussion cylinder in, and the pistol at half cock, the ram did not fully line up with the bottom cylinder and the bore was off just a touch. With the conversion in place, the hammer was just missing going to full cock on 3 out of 6 cylinders.

It appears that the depth of the grooves on the conversion cylinder is a few thousandths less then those on the percussion cylinder.

So, I took it apart, and inspected the hand and other parts. I found a few machine burrs on the hand where it engages the cylinder, I lightly filed the burrs off and took a fine stone to the rest of the top of the hand to clean it up. Again, the only real metal removal was the machine burrs. The rest was polishing.

Once back together both cylinders line up properly and the revolver now fully cocks on all cylinders for both the percussion and conversion. The loading port lines up now at half cock also.

thanks

Doc

sundance44s · March 7, 2008, 10:56 AM

Nice going Doc . I`ve noticed on all the conversion cylinders I have the lock up notches are shallow and sometimes a little narrow compaired to the cap and ball cylinder , I`ve done a little stoneing of parts to make them index and lock up tight , it doesn`t take much as you found out , glad you were able to do the fix yourself ....I know I just hate sending my guns off to get work like that done , even when they will do it for free .

Doc Holdem · March 7, 2008, 08:34 PM

Thanks,

Yeah, I am kinda learning as I go, not gonna go too far too fast, but I have always been one of those guys who likes to take things apart and figure out how they work. I have found figuring out how they work is the first step to figuring out how to fix em.

Doc

March 6, 2008, 11:46 PM	#1
Doc Holdem Junior Member Join Date: March 6, 2008 Posts: 5	R&D Conversion, 3 cylinders wont fully cock Hi all, Just registered today, but been perusin the site for a couple weeks. I picked up an 1858 Remington clone (pietta) and ordered a conversion cylinder for it. C&B cylinder works fine, but when I put the conversion cylinder in the revolver will only cock on 3 of 6 cylinders, feels like it is right at the edge on the others but won't go that extra bit to allow full cock. If I am thinkin right, this means the hand is a hair too long right? If so, would I need to file down the last notch on the hand? any advice would be appreciated. Thanks Doc

March 7, 2008, 07:13 AM	#2
mykeal Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 2,772	Don't modify the hand if the gun works ok using the percussion cylinder. And the fact that it works on 3 chambers with the cartridge cylinder says it's the cylinder that needs to be fixed, not the hand. Modifying the hand could result in problems with the percussion cylinder. I don't fully understand your description - there is nothing I can think of that would prevent the hammer from going to full cock on half the chambers. Do you mean to say the hammer won't go all the way back, or that the cylinder fails to stop in battery? If the former, I'm not sure what's going on. If the latter, then yes, shortening the hand would be a likely solution. For those three chambers on that cylinder, but why mess it up for the other chambers? The real problem is in the notches on the back of the cylinder - look for burrs in the notches and file them down. By the way, you need to keep that percussion cylinder even if you never intend to use it again. If you ever sell the gun you need to sell it with the percussion cylinder installed and sell the cartridge cylinder separately. Technically, when you put the cartridge cylinder in the gun you've 'manufactured' a new gun, which is legal as long as you keep it for personal use and don't sell it that way. If you do, you must buy a tax license from BATFE first. Selling it with the percussion cylinder avoids that little legal issue.

March 7, 2008, 09:11 AM	#3
Doc Holdem Junior Member Join Date: March 6, 2008 Posts: 5	Thanks, I did some more looking at the gun, with the percussion cylinder in, and the pistol at half cock, the ram did not fully line up with the bottom cylinder and the bore was off just a touch. With the conversion in place, the hammer was just missing going to full cock on 3 out of 6 cylinders. It appears that the depth of the grooves on the conversion cylinder is a few thousandths less then those on the percussion cylinder. So, I took it apart, and inspected the hand and other parts. I found a few machine burrs on the hand where it engages the cylinder, I lightly filed the burrs off and took a fine stone to the rest of the top of the hand to clean it up. Again, the only real metal removal was the machine burrs. The rest was polishing. Once back together both cylinders line up properly and the revolver now fully cocks on all cylinders for both the percussion and conversion. The loading port lines up now at half cock also. thanks Doc

March 7, 2008, 10:56 AM	#4
sundance44s Senior Member Join Date: February 6, 2006 Location: Hernando , Ms. Posts: 579	Nice going Doc . I`ve noticed on all the conversion cylinders I have the lock up notches are shallow and sometimes a little narrow compaired to the cap and ball cylinder , I`ve done a little stoneing of parts to make them index and lock up tight , it doesn`t take much as you found out , glad you were able to do the fix yourself ....I know I just hate sending my guns off to get work like that done , even when they will do it for free .

March 7, 2008, 08:34 PM	#5
Doc Holdem Junior Member Join Date: March 6, 2008 Posts: 5	Thanks, Yeah, I am kinda learning as I go, not gonna go too far too fast, but I have always been one of those guys who likes to take things apart and figure out how they work. I have found figuring out how they work is the first step to figuring out how to fix em. Doc