1858 safety notch query

mykeal recently posted about how the original Remington-Beals 1858 revolver didn't have any safety slots milled into the cylinder. The slots were an innovation that were added in late 1862 to the 1861 Model production series. Some Euroarms resembled Beals models so perhaps they were trying to be more authentic by not having functional safety notches, but not leaving them totally off the cylinder either.
The Beals models had a longer threaded section of the barrel in front of the cylinder which caused them to bind up with fouling more easily. That section of your revolver isn't shown in the photo.


The Remington was a single-action, six-shot, percussion revolver produced by E. Remington & Sons, Ilion, N.Y., based on the Fordyce Beals patent of September 14, 1858 (Patent 21,478). The Remington Army revolver was large-framed, in .44 caliber, with an 8 inch barrel length. The Remington Navy revolver was slightly smaller framed than the Army, and in .36 caliber with an 7.375 inch [Beals Navy 7.5 inch] barrel length. There were three progressive models; the Remington-Beals Army & Navy (1860–1862), the 1861 Army & Navy (1862–1863), and the New Model Army & Navy (1863–1875).[2] The three models are nearly identical in size and appearance. Subtle but noticeable differences in hammers, loading levers, and cylinders help identify each model. The 1861 Remington actually transitioned into New Model appearance by late 1862, slowly transforming throughout 1862, due to continual improvement suggestions from the U. S. Ordnance Department.[3][4]....
....Another innovative feature, (first appearing in late 1862 in the 1861 Model production series) was safety slots milled between chambers on the cylinder.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remington_Model_1858
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Articap

I am not sure what I should be looking at but here are a couple of pictures. The barrel protrusion does not seem to be out of ordinary to me. I am beginning to believe that the cylinder may have other issues. It is nearly impossible to reinstall it without using something to compress the hand. I have tried all the tricks about hammer position and rolling it etc. I could find and it is still next to impossible. My other two Remingtons are not that way.

IMG_0304_zps75373de4.jpg


IMG_0305_zps877ae15c.jpg
 
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The barrel 'protrusion' is not unusual or out of the ordinary. What is different is the lack of frame relief around the barrel. Stated another way: there are only 2 barrel threads visible on a Beals, while the later Remingtons had several more threads visible; the frame was cut back quite a bit further. This extra relief allows more room for combustion gas - and thus fouling - to escape.
 
My 1858 Pietta was ordered from Cabelas in December, so I suppose the date of manufacture was recent.
My cylinder slots are machined to exactly the same spot as jb in the above photos.
I have yet to find the Mike Beliveau video on how to do a modification to get the slots to work. Maybe he never made the video, even tho' he said he would.
But I do think he had the issue, so he may have, over the years found the reason for this.
He never answered my pm.
dc
 
mykeal said:
The barrel 'protrusion' is not unusual or out of the ordinary. What is different is the lack of frame relief around the barrel. Stated another way: there are only 2 barrel threads visible on a Beals, while the later Remingtons had several more threads visible; the frame was cut back quite a bit further. This extra relief allows more room for combustion gas - and thus fouling - to escape.
Click to expand...

Thanks mykeal for correcting my mistake about the Beal's amount of barrel protrusion.
Then doesn't jlb43's frame look like it's an earlier Euroarms Beals type?
 
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I have no idea.

I like mine, but it does have that fouling issue big time. And although it has the Beals frame, it does not have a couple of other more subtle Beals-only characteristics.

On the other hand, it is a 'unique' example of the 1858 RNA design. Some folks like to be able to raise one eyebrow and say, "No, it's not an 1858 Remington New Army. It's a Remington-Beals Army Revolver."
 
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