Gunsmith book for cap/ball revolvers
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The exploded diagrams are very useful, to show where parts go (and where they came from). Also, this forum, The High Road forum, and the Voy forum are great sources of info when you're stuck. Mec has a book out but I have not seen it yet (it's on my list), so I'm not sure of the technical content (Mec?). Rifle (aka Wayne, Wayner) has a noggin-full of info that should be on paper...
I got stuck putting my Paterson back together once (little more complicated than the average Colt/Remington) and the exploded diagrams just did not help me. I finally found the solution in a copy of an original Colt patent.
How about using a digital camera as you strip it down, or just diagram every part's location...
I got stuck putting my Paterson back together once (little more complicated than the average Colt/Remington) and the exploded diagrams just did not help me. I finally found the solution in a copy of an original Colt patent.
How about using a digital camera as you strip it down, or just diagram every part's location...
I would not recommend buying the book if you want large, state of the art photographs. Those are in the realm of the mass market publishing companies. Instead, take a look at the essential sticky on thehighroad.org
here's one:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=137102
and there's another one on remingtons
paterson
Dismounting the Paterson is an evil chore- necessary for thorough cleaning and replacement of worn or broken parts but evil non-the-less. Necessary tools include a brass drift punch and a kit of gunsmith screwdrivers. It is desirable to provide some means for keeping tension on the mainspring during removal. This reduces stress on the hammer strut. Careful attention to the positioning of parts is essential for successful reassembly.
Start by removing the back strap from the grip frame. There is a screw at the bottom of the grip frame and two others at the top/back.
Apply enough tension to the main spring to take pressure off the swinging hammer strut. We cock the hammer and tie the spring to the grip frame front with a leather strap. Lower the hammer, swing the strut away from the spring then position a brass drift against the short leg of the main spring and tap downward to remove. The spring goes back on much easier as spring tension is non- critical at that point.
Remove the standing breach held in place by the screw visible at the bottom rear of the frame behind the trigger and the screw within the frame structure on the opposite side.
Remove the screws at the bottom front of the frame (front of trigger) and lift off the action block. This exposes the internal lock work. Disassembly to this point and simply loosening the action block (cover) is sufficient for cleaning.
Remove the hammer .
Removal of the bolt-sear spring and the handspring are unproblematic, as is removal of the trigger, sear and bolt. Getting them back in is a different story. A magnifying glass and flashlight are very useful here.
Note that the handspring and sear/bolt springs attach with a single screw at the bottom inside rear of the frame (under the hammer). The up-curving leaf of the bolt spring engages the bottom of frame while the leftward leaf rides underneath the sear providing upward tension. The handspring sits atop the bolt spring with its long upper leaf riding inside the breach and behind the hammer-mounted hand. Initial insertion of the springs is fairly easy while aligning them with the threaded hole and the screw is not.
With the hammer all the way forward, insert the leaf inside the breach and behind the hand. Rotate gently until it goes into place. Then align both springs with the threaded hole and replace the screw.
Assure that the bolt, trigger and sear are in proper relationship and functioning properly. The split arms at the rear of the cylinder locking bolt fit in front of the cam on the right side of the hammer. With the action block back in place, the bolt should move in and out of the notch as the hammer moves and the small peg at the back of the cylinder arbor will rotate-also with hammer movement.
At times, during the assembly process or routine dismounting for loading or, as mentioned above, actual firing, the action will lock up. The usual cause is a slight misalignment of the hand with the internal ratchet. Attempting to apply force may result in broken parts but at times, force becomes necessary to take the frozen revolver apart. The object is to remove the cylinder from the indexing peg at the back of the cylinder arbor and rotate the peg /pall slightly until the hammer will again move freely. Then replace the cylinder aligning the peg at the rear of the arbor with the slot in the back of the cylinder.
We found two sources for spare lock parts for the Uberti Paterson. VTI Gun Parts of Lakeville, Connecticut was able to supply all springs and internal lock work except for the sear spring. Cimarron Arms of Fredericksburg, Texas supplied all lock parts and springs with no omissions.
here's one:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=137102
and there's another one on remingtons
paterson
Dismounting the Paterson is an evil chore- necessary for thorough cleaning and replacement of worn or broken parts but evil non-the-less. Necessary tools include a brass drift punch and a kit of gunsmith screwdrivers. It is desirable to provide some means for keeping tension on the mainspring during removal. This reduces stress on the hammer strut. Careful attention to the positioning of parts is essential for successful reassembly.
Start by removing the back strap from the grip frame. There is a screw at the bottom of the grip frame and two others at the top/back.
Apply enough tension to the main spring to take pressure off the swinging hammer strut. We cock the hammer and tie the spring to the grip frame front with a leather strap. Lower the hammer, swing the strut away from the spring then position a brass drift against the short leg of the main spring and tap downward to remove. The spring goes back on much easier as spring tension is non- critical at that point.
Remove the standing breach held in place by the screw visible at the bottom rear of the frame behind the trigger and the screw within the frame structure on the opposite side.
Remove the screws at the bottom front of the frame (front of trigger) and lift off the action block. This exposes the internal lock work. Disassembly to this point and simply loosening the action block (cover) is sufficient for cleaning.
Remove the hammer .
Removal of the bolt-sear spring and the handspring are unproblematic, as is removal of the trigger, sear and bolt. Getting them back in is a different story. A magnifying glass and flashlight are very useful here.
Note that the handspring and sear/bolt springs attach with a single screw at the bottom inside rear of the frame (under the hammer). The up-curving leaf of the bolt spring engages the bottom of frame while the leftward leaf rides underneath the sear providing upward tension. The handspring sits atop the bolt spring with its long upper leaf riding inside the breach and behind the hammer-mounted hand. Initial insertion of the springs is fairly easy while aligning them with the threaded hole and the screw is not.
With the hammer all the way forward, insert the leaf inside the breach and behind the hand. Rotate gently until it goes into place. Then align both springs with the threaded hole and replace the screw.
Assure that the bolt, trigger and sear are in proper relationship and functioning properly. The split arms at the rear of the cylinder locking bolt fit in front of the cam on the right side of the hammer. With the action block back in place, the bolt should move in and out of the notch as the hammer moves and the small peg at the back of the cylinder arbor will rotate-also with hammer movement.
At times, during the assembly process or routine dismounting for loading or, as mentioned above, actual firing, the action will lock up. The usual cause is a slight misalignment of the hand with the internal ratchet. Attempting to apply force may result in broken parts but at times, force becomes necessary to take the frozen revolver apart. The object is to remove the cylinder from the indexing peg at the back of the cylinder arbor and rotate the peg /pall slightly until the hammer will again move freely. Then replace the cylinder aligning the peg at the rear of the arbor with the slot in the back of the cylinder.
We found two sources for spare lock parts for the Uberti Paterson. VTI Gun Parts of Lakeville, Connecticut was able to supply all springs and internal lock work except for the sear spring. Cimarron Arms of Fredericksburg, Texas supplied all lock parts and springs with no omissions.
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those springs look like they should go in upside down and I had a hard time figuring that out too. That passage is part of the book and in the next book I remarked that I found it useful after several months when I went at a paterson again. Along with that I expressed a hope that it would be helpful to others along with the advise to pay close attention to the original arrngement of parts and alert to other surprises the design might throw at you.
There's only one right now. Deals with single shot pistols and revolvers. We are working on another one. Mainly aimed at revolvers with more of them covered than in the original.
Also more load data and variations. The pictures in the next one will be larger than in the first but they will still be old -tech and I encourage anybody who insist on photographic paper and /or color images not to buy either of them. There are plenty of slick books put out through Krause publications and our goal was to provide information that you don't seen in any previously published source.
This one is available by title search on Amazon.com/ Barnes and Noble and a number of discount internet sites. They can be ordered by ISBN at any book store but are far enough under the radar that they arn't normally stocked
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (July 20, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0595357962
ISBN-13: 978-0595357963
Also more load data and variations. The pictures in the next one will be larger than in the first but they will still be old -tech and I encourage anybody who insist on photographic paper and /or color images not to buy either of them. There are plenty of slick books put out through Krause publications and our goal was to provide information that you don't seen in any previously published source.
This one is available by title search on Amazon.com/ Barnes and Noble and a number of discount internet sites. They can be ordered by ISBN at any book store but are far enough under the radar that they arn't normally stocked
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (July 20, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0595357962
ISBN-13: 978-0595357963
I haven't seen this one but it could be the ticket. If it shows disassembly of the Colt Single Action, the colt percussions are virtually identical.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0873497694/ref=pd_cmp_a_img/102-4596543-0497739
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0873497694/ref=pd_cmp_a_img/102-4596543-0497739