1851 pietta hammer chewing up firing pins on R&D

w_houle · May 23, 2008, 02:35 PM

Think of a cheap diamond set, you know where it has a diamond the size of a grain of sand surrounded by a quarter inch of chiseled metal. That is what the firing pins on my R&D cylinder are starting to look like. The hammer on my pietta has an eighth inch notch cut where the hammer hits the nipple. I have fired about 200 rounds through it and think it isn't going to get any worse, but not 100% on that.

long rider · May 23, 2008, 04:01 PM

Hmmm my 58 in 44 it to as a notch in the hammer,
but the firing pins are still fine, everything else is
working fine. Any other probs with your r&d?

I thnk i have put at lest 500 rds in my r&d.

w_houle · May 23, 2008, 04:13 PM

There is one other problem. The firing pins will get stuck if you rest the hammer on an empty cylinder, but the notch between the cylinder works fine.

long rider · May 23, 2008, 04:42 PM

Thats not happend to mine yet,
but i had to make a screwdriver to fit the
firingpins, after so many shots they tend to
back out under recoil, i did not know this till i
could not rotate the cylinder, thats the only
prob i have yet encounterd, hopefully thats all.
Lets hope we both do not get big probs.

long rider · May 23, 2008, 04:53 PM

To not put to much stress on the cylinder and my gun
i load my owen 45s, 25grns of 3f goex bp top of with
corn meal and a 454 rd ball, shoots good and not to
much recoil, so i am hopeing that the cylinder will last
a long time.

Hawg · May 23, 2008, 05:38 PM

The hammer notch fits over the safety pins on the percussion cylinder. Sounds like the firing pins are too soft.

long rider · May 23, 2008, 05:48 PM

I think the pins on my cylinder are much harder
than the hammer, the hammer as a notch were
it strikes the pins.

Smokin_Gun · June 14, 2008, 02:39 PM

What I on My Colt Dragoon was that the pins were a hair too long for the hammer drop. I just stoned the edges till it stopped peening...could get a set of new pins jus in case from R&D. Then file down the length of the pins. Take a meas't and see what you got. Can use Kasnet to reharden if need be.
Good luck.
SG

May 23, 2008, 02:35 PM	#1
w_houle Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2007 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 1,391	1851 pietta hammer chewing up firing pins on R&D Think of a cheap diamond set, you know where it has a diamond the size of a grain of sand surrounded by a quarter inch of chiseled metal. That is what the firing pins on my R&D cylinder are starting to look like. The hammer on my pietta has an eighth inch notch cut where the hammer hits the nipple. I have fired about 200 rounds through it and think it isn't going to get any worse, but not 100% on that.

May 23, 2008, 04:01 PM	#2
long rider Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2008 Posts: 669	Hmmm my 58 in 44 it to as a notch in the hammer, but the firing pins are still fine, everything else is working fine. Any other probs with your r&d? I thnk i have put at lest 500 rds in my r&d.

May 23, 2008, 04:13 PM	#3
w_houle Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2007 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 1,391	There is one other problem. The firing pins will get stuck if you rest the hammer on an empty cylinder, but the notch between the cylinder works fine.

May 23, 2008, 04:42 PM	#4
long rider Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2008 Posts: 669	Thats not happend to mine yet, but i had to make a screwdriver to fit the firingpins, after so many shots they tend to back out under recoil, i did not know this till i could not rotate the cylinder, thats the only prob i have yet encounterd, hopefully thats all. Lets hope we both do not get big probs.

May 23, 2008, 04:53 PM	#5
long rider Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2008 Posts: 669	To not put to much stress on the cylinder and my gun i load my owen 45s, 25grns of 3f goex bp top of with corn meal and a 454 rd ball, shoots good and not to much recoil, so i am hopeing that the cylinder will last a long time.

May 23, 2008, 05:38 PM	#6
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,380	The hammer notch fits over the safety pins on the percussion cylinder. Sounds like the firing pins are too soft.

May 23, 2008, 05:48 PM	#7
long rider Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2008 Posts: 669	I think the pins on my cylinder are much harder than the hammer, the hammer as a notch were it strikes the pins.

June 14, 2008, 02:39 PM	#8
Smokin_Gun Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2005 Location: Mojave Desert, CA Posts: 1,195	What I on My Colt Dragoon was that the pins were a hair too long for the hammer drop. I just stoned the edges till it stopped peening...could get a set of new pins jus in case from R&D. Then file down the length of the pins. Take a meas't and see what you got. Can use Kasnet to reharden if need be. Good luck. SG