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Old December 12, 2010, 11:55 AM   #26
napp
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Doc,
If you decide to sell, don't forget the obligatory, "Appears unfired...cylinder has been turned".
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Old December 12, 2010, 02:55 PM   #27
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Frame after clean-up

I have the frame cleaned up to the point where I feel I can work on it to get the actrion functioning. The locating pin for the arbor was not missing it was indeed driven further into the frame. I set it a little deeper with a punch and then centerpunched the frame just above and below the arbor in the hammer channel. This tightened it up. I want to emphasize it was not very loose to start with.

Here is the left side of the frame.



Here is the rfight side. Note that the CVA emblem is completely gone.



Here are acoupla shots inside the frame.







And in these shots I tried to show the side surfaces inside the frame.



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Old December 12, 2010, 07:38 PM   #28
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Lookin Good Doc. You are indeed a craftsman.
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Old December 13, 2010, 09:10 PM   #29
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Thanks Doc.
1 year ago everyone lookin for c/b in our store wanted the brass 44. Now, not really sure why, but it's all steel frame 36c. Um, I ordered them regularly and sold them but I still have 4 left no one is wanting at this time But, I think all 4 in a nice display box would make a nice gift to someone out there for Chistmas. I want to clear them out. But I kinda am fond of the Tex 58 though. Tex 1858 at top-- the 2 sherriffs in middle and the Reb Navy underneath would make a good display. Tell your friends. They are all unfired Piettas w/box and papers and will now sell for $569. Is that a good price? Remember the Tex should be worth some what more than the rest. And the round barrel sherriff was always the most popular of them all.

WB HICKUP HARDY
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Old December 14, 2010, 09:44 PM   #30
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doc,
lookin good!! when i first came across it in that old box, i never would have thought that it would ever even start to look that good. really glad that i passed it along to you.
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Old December 14, 2010, 11:54 PM   #31
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Starbuck

I will try to do it justice.
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Old January 1, 2011, 11:25 AM   #32
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Update

Here are some photos of the finishing of the barrel.

The first three photos are of the unfinished side (I worked on the left side just for a comparison.) Note the two rings on the barrel where the lathe advanced abruptly. It is far less noticable but there are some pretty bad tool marks for the entire length of the turned part of the barrel.

Also no attempt was made either at the factory or by the original assembler (the pistol was a kit) to smooth out the barrel. In a different thread I talked about the lines in the contours of the lug end of the 1860/61 barrel. To me these lines make the pistol look unfinished. I think that gradual transition are vital in giving the 1860 its graceful appearance.







I worked on the left side of the barrel with a file and with some course paper. Obviously the metal is not ready for blueing but at least the rings and lines are gone.





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Old January 1, 2011, 12:27 PM   #33
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Doc Hoy

Just let me say that I am impressed with the progress you are making. Take that as a compliment; because I am not easily impressed.
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Old January 1, 2011, 01:11 PM   #34
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Lookin good Doc. Is it still gonna say ASM Italy when you get through?
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Old January 1, 2011, 01:39 PM   #35
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Lookin' gooooood Doc! You worked wonders on that barrel! Don't forget to take some time off to celebrate New Years! And Happy New Years by the way, to you and all!
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Old January 1, 2011, 01:53 PM   #36
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Three at once

Thanks Napp.

Hawg,

The ASM stamping near the bottom of the barrel will stay. The stamping was well executed all letters being stamped to the same depth.

BBB,

I am celebrating New Years by working in the shop.
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Old January 1, 2011, 02:14 PM   #37
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Very pleasing re-contouring -- ASM wasn't even close!
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Old January 1, 2011, 07:38 PM   #38
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Zippy

I have a pistol exactly like this already finished. Only difference is that it did not start out as a kit pistol. The finish on the barrel is way better.
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Old January 9, 2011, 01:16 PM   #39
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Did a little more work on the ASM 1860

I did a little finishing on the barrel and cylinder but that part of the project has a little ways to go. I'll save that for later.

I also worked on the action a bit. Perhaps you remember from the first post that for the most part the action of this pistol did not work. I cleaned up and replaced several of the internal parts including the trigger/bolt spring, the trigger, and the hand. I still could not get the pistol to remain in full cock, nor could I get the cylinder to advance when I cocked it.

The problem with the cylinder advance was that the replacement hand (Pietta) was too long. The hand was not retracting far enough for the tip of the hand to slip off of the ratchet so it could catch the next ratchet. I ground it down by about thirty thousandths and that corrected the cylinder problem.

As for the failure of the pistol to remain at full cock, I found that the ASM hammer did not match up quite right with the Pietta trigger. I had worked on an ASM 1863 Remington some months ago in which I had to adapt parts from Pietta to fit it and found the same situation. In that case I reworked the contours of the trigger. But in this case, the problem was with the hammer. I have included a comparison of the ASM hammer and the Pietta hammer. You can see that the ASM hammer which is on the top has a full cock ledge which is not nearly as deep as the Pietta ledge. (It is worn from being worked without lubrication too.) In addition you can see the radius of the ASM hammer below the full cock ledge is more rounded and would interfere with the trigger depending upon the shape of the trigger.



I went to work in the ASM hammer with a file to deepen the full cock ledge, change the angle of the ledge slightly so as to more positively engage the trigger sear and also changed the contour of the hammer below the full cock ledge so as not to interfere with the trigger. The second photo shows a comparison of the two hammers after the work was done on the ASM (left).



This was a gradual process. First I got the pistol to remain at full cock. Then more work on the hammer was done to adjust the trigger pull. It started out at about half a pound. (Way too dangerous). I finally wound up with the hammer looking as it does in the photo and the trigger pull is right at three pounds.

My original action on this problem was to simply replace the ASM hammer with a Pietta hammer. This actually made the pistol work, but as it happens the ASM hammer is about .02 thicker than the Pietta hammer and so it fits the pistol better.
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Old January 9, 2011, 04:22 PM   #40
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Here are some photos of the finishing process

The barrel polished



The barrel blued



The pistol partially reassembled




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Old January 9, 2011, 04:34 PM   #41
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Doc,

You do beautiful restoration work! It's hard to believe it's the same gun you started with.
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Old January 9, 2011, 04:52 PM   #42
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JM1

This is my first try using the Van's bluing. I think I like it.

BTW Thanks for the compliment.
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Old January 9, 2011, 07:33 PM   #43
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doc,
you truly are a very skilled craftsman
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Old January 9, 2011, 07:55 PM   #44
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Fellas,

Hey... Its just a file and some sandpaper...

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Old January 9, 2011, 08:01 PM   #45
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Quote:
Its just a file and some sandpaper
Yeah..yeah... thats what they all say...

... NICE!!!
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Old January 10, 2011, 06:53 AM   #46
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Some lessons I learned

I am learning a lot about trigger pull working on this revolver.

I have also determined that I like testing trigger pull buy simply removing the nipples. I think Mykeal recommended that technique.
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Old January 10, 2011, 09:15 AM   #47
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Nice work Doc! What kind of bluing process did you do? I have an old Pietta 1860 that I have been thinking about re-finishing just for fun. The gun looks OK but, I like metal finishing and rust bluing. I thought about trying to CCH the receiver if I can find an economical furnace.
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Old January 10, 2011, 12:52 PM   #48
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MRAPPE

I used Van's Bluing. It provides a color which is very much like the blue on the Colt second and third generation pistols. It is a deep shiney transparent grey rather than the black that you find on some of the replicas.

This means that surface prep is very important since the blueing hides absolutely nothing.

As far as CCH, that is in my future but I think I will use charcoal and bone with air blown in to raise the temp. I have a lot of research to do on that topic before I start and it will be on a piece of scrap rather than on a good steel frame.

Thanks for the compliment and the continuing conversation
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Old January 10, 2011, 08:22 PM   #49
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Doc:

Where would an individual obtain the "Van's Bluing" you mentioned???
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Old January 10, 2011, 09:59 PM   #50
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The company has a link to buy it on their home page:

http://www.vansgunblue.com/
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