CVA 1851 Disassembly Instructions Wanted

[Ron_Harris]

Hi, I am new to this forum and bp shooting. I just acquired a .36 CVA 1851
Navy revolver. I have a exploding drawing of this revolver showing all the
parts.

I know how to remove the wedge and seperate the chamber, barrel and
frame. I also can remove the grips by removing the bottom screw and two
screws on the frame. What I need now is some detailed steps in removing
the other parts from the frame.

In my youth I had a bad experience taking apart a pellet gun revolver. I never
got it back together again. So I am too chicken to try without detailed
steps. I've read that disassembly of the 1851 is simple. Anybody got any
simple steps?

Ron Harris

[FF1090]

Having the diagram is good. This is such a simple gun, you will easily see how it comes apart and goes back together.
Just remove the trigger guard screws, and pull it off. The internal lockwork parts are held in with the screws you see in the side of the frame, and the cylinder lock spring by the big-headed screw inside the frame. There's nothing under spring tension, so nothing will fly out at you. Well, a bit of tension on the big hammer spring, but it slips right off.
You don't really need to disassemble it that far unless it get's really gunked up though.

I have this same gun (except in .44 caliber) coming from Midway. It'll replace my thirty year old 1851 Navy that I buggered up in my "young&stupid" days by hot loading. That one goes onto the display wall.

I still have an 1860 Army too, that differs internally only in having a round-wire spring instead of the 1851's flat steel cylinder lock spring.

I prefer the 1851 grips though. They have a bit more flair, and feel better in my big hands.

[Ron_Harris]

Thanks for the information. After shooting i intend just remove the cylender,
barrel and frame. I will clean these with soap and water with a boiling water
rense. Then I will wipe down and dry with one of my wifes hair dryers.
When the guns dry I will apply wd40 to it and put it back into my safe.

After several shooting sessions I will remove the gribs and rinse the gun in
soap and water and repeat the above process.

Don't know when I'll need to tear down the entire gun to clean, but the information that you have provided will make me feel better about doing it.

Glad these springs are not under any pressure and there is nothing to jump out at me when I take this gun aparts.

I only shoot once a month (about 30 rounds a session). Any other cleaning and maintainence advise would be appreciated.

Ron

[mec]

http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/php...5a5e22a78ab5b6

See the above link and the stickynote at the top of the page.

The above advise is right. you can also remove the front grip/trigger guard and expose the action parts to get at the lockwork for cleaning. Everybody has a different method for cleaning here's one that works for me.

Dismount as above and:
1. use a spray bottle filled with soap - I use a mix of equal parts alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and murphy's oil soap- to reach all of the lockwork parts and frame recesses;
2. loosen fouling/soap with a pipe cleaner or other object;
3. rinse under hot water making sure the stream gets to all parts of the action/gun;
3. submerge all of the cleaned parts in a pot of boiling or near boiling water.

4. Removed, the very hot parts will start to dry immediately. I start running oil into the barrel and chambers immediately and into all parts of the gun even before the drying is complete. - Nipples soaped cleaned and given the hot water treatment separately.

While you can maintain your revolver in perfect working order as above, it is occasionally necessary to take it completely apart - like when you need to fit and replace worn action parts or replace the hand spring.

Some generic colt parts and especially springs will either fit your gun or can be modified to do so. I'm not sure whether Uberti or Pietta parts are closest to your revolver and it will be a trial and error thing to find out. If you find that you break a lot of trigger/bolt springs- the easiest one to replace, you can look into the music wire replacement from Heinie. Get it either from Brownelles or Numrich Arms.

[vega]

R_H - Where did you purchase your CVA? Is that the steel frame or brass one? Mind if I ask how much?

vega