Another Colt Newb wedge question

N

Nate1778

New member
So I got my '51 Colt, trying to do the initial cleaning of the gun and the wedge is being stubborn. My question is are you guys whacking the entire wedge, or just the smaller wedge "spring" out? I just want to make sure I am shoving the right thing.
 
Nate,

If the spring is all the way thru and latched, and IF you HAVE a thumbnail, try pressing the spring down while you push the wedge. Also, a smack to the muzzle with the ball of the hand will sometimes give a bit of clearance.

Wedge should never have to be hammered out. If the spring IS hooked, and you eat your nails, take any thing you can find of plastic and press the spring down and thumb the wedge out.

Cheers,

George
 
take a screw driver a medium sized one about what are they 7 inches long. hold it by the metal use the plastic end and whack the wedge with the plastic. when its flush you should be able to pull it from the other side. if not you have the screw drver to put on the wedge and hit with your palm
 
Pocket Wedge removal tool I've been posting since 2005(Plastic teflon handle)
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get a small pair of needle nose pliers, use the tips to squeeze the small spring downward, then while holding it down, push inward and "start" the spring into the slot. Once the spring is compressed, use a proper sized drift to drive it out, without marring/scratching/nicking the sides of the barrel.

you can also get just the right sized wooden or plastic drift, and hit inward and DOWNWARD in the spring tip, and usually it will compress the spring and hit the wedge out simultaneously- without scratching the barrel surface

shoot a Colt long enough, the spring in the wedge may get worn out, and stay down- then you can just tap the end of the wedge with a wooden peg or wooden hammer handle, and pull it out
 
I just place a guitar pick over the wedge and tap it lightly with a small hammer, to put it back in I push the spring against the top of the slot and push in...then a very very light little tap with my small lil hammer with the guitar pic used as a guard on the end of the wedge so it doesnt mar the surface. works for me :p
 
I did end up getting it with a good whack. Smoking Gun, your wedge comes out the other side quite a bit. Mine only comes flush with the frame and no further. It leaves a lot coming out the other side (screw side). Is this normal or should it go through the frame and be well exposed on the other side?
 
This is how the wedge looks on an 1851 .36 that was made in 1862. The barrel/frame connection is still very tight.
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The Italian and Belgium replicas can't hold a candle to the original 1800's guns. The Colt 2nd-3rd gen guns are a better effort, but still not as good as an original.
 
I did end up getting it with a good whack. Smoking Gun, your wedge comes out the other side quite a bit. Mine only comes flush with the frame and no further. It leaves a lot coming out the other side (screw side). Is this normal or should it go through the frame and be well exposed on the other side?
Click to expand...

That is pretty normal for reproductions. If I'm fitting a new wedge I like to have about 1/16-1/8 inch sticking out. The thin spring is the keep the wedge from falling out completely when the barrel is removed. The repro's are not like the originals in that respect.


The Italian and Belgium replicas can't hold a candle to the original 1800's guns. The Colt 2nd-3rd gen guns are a better effort, but still not as good as an original.
Click to expand...

That's a load of male cow manure. The Centaure's are made from some very good steel, just ask anyone who has worked on one. The same for the 2nd and 3rd gens.
 
The Italian and Belgium replicas can't hold a candle to the original 1800's guns. The Colt 2nd-3rd gen guns are a better effort, but still not as good as an original.
Click to expand...

I thought that the 2nd and 3rd gen. Colts were made by italian manufacturers and then inspected by colt. I'm probly wrong....just wonderin...I'll bet Fingers McGee could tell me.
 
The made in Italy rumor well never die, it's on the internet and everything on the net is fact, right?

Val Forgett and Lou Imperato supplied parts to Colt. These parts included rough castings and semi-worked parts acquired from both American and Italian subcontractors as well as in-house fabrication. So yes, some of these parts were fabricated in Italy to Colts detailed specifications.

There is a Colt document, a 120 page "Summary of Operations" that specifies every part of the manufacturing process for the cap and ball revolvers. Machining, fitting, polishing, bluing, color case hardening, roll engraving and on and on, was done right here in the USA.

That's how Sam did it back in the day, he used subcontractors, and he even used imported parts, heaven forbid.
 
Thanks guys for your replies, seams even a wedge question can bring a troll around. Got it back together, although I spent a half an hour looking for the trigger spring screw, ended up being in the cuff of my pant.......:rolleyes:
 
Smoking Gun, your wedge comes out the other side quite a bit. Mine only comes flush with the frame and no further. It leaves a lot coming out the other side (screw side). Is this normal or should it go through the frame and be well exposed on the other side
Click to expand...

That's normal and more on Piettas than say Uberti Colts. Most of my newer Revs the wedge is flush and not thru to the spring clip catchin'.
 
This prompted me to take a look

I just examined all of my Colt or Colt style revolvers I have four in which the wedge extends beyond the surface of the barrel on the right hand side. On all of these revolvers (Euroarms, Pietta, Navy Arms and FIE) I can push the wedge out with my fingers. No tools needed. On two, (Centaure and Pietta) the wedge does not extend outside the barrel. Probably because the Pietta is new and the Centaure was just rehabbed.

I know that the situation changes over time with wear, (at least I assume it does because I never really paid attention) but that is my situation right now.
 
So, I just bought an 1851 navy, the non-historical .44 cal by Pietta. Nice lookin' gun, like the feel...however:

I tapped out the wedge, and I feel like I must be doing something wrong now because I cannot get the barrel off. What gives? Anyone have any ideas? :confused:
 
OPPS need more, the loading lever should sit
on the edge of the cylinder then push down on
the lever and it will move forward.:D
 
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