Loading Problems Pietta Remington?

P

psantos

New member
Hello group:

I purchased a new Remington at Cabelas, it seems very nicely finished the lock up is excellent, I am new to BP.

I am confused about the proper use of loading lever, I put the gun at half cock, if I very carefully turn the cylinder, I can seat the ball fine, but if I accidentially turn a little to much clockwise the hand engages the cylinder and prevents me from turning back to center the ball.

I'm a I supposed the turn the cylinder enough for the hand to engage the cylinder ratchet, if so, some something is wrong as the loading lever does not enter the cylinder centered.

It seems timed perfectly.

Thx for posts

Paul
 
Drop the ball into the mouth of the cylinder and CAREFULLY turn the cylinder until the ramrod drops over the ball, centering it in the recess. Just let the weight of the loading lever rest on the ball while you are turning the cylinder. This helps prevent turning the cylinder too far and having to remove it from the gun.

This is a problem beginning loaders have...I still have to watch it, or the same thing happens to me. I've shot only a few thousand rounds of BP revolver rounds, so maybe I'll get it down, one of these days. :D

Pops
 
Thx!

My friend has a unique solution, he cocks the hammer just enough to slip a paper clip under it. The cylinder bolt and hand loses contact with cylinder, you can now turn the cylinder either way it spins freely.

Thx

Paul
 
Hey Psantos,

Could you draw that one out for us? I can find no position in the arc of the hammer where the indexing hand does not engage the cylinder. :confused:
 
Exactly, I've never had that situation.

The way I load my 2 Cap & Ball Revolvers is as follows...

(1) as allways be sure the weapon is truely empty of powder, ball & caps.
(2) hold the weapon in your left hand.
(3) with the hammer on the first click "half cock"
(4) pour a premeasured amount into the chamber that is to the right of the barrel.
(5) turn the cylinder till you hear 1 click!
(6) place a ball "or conical bullet over the chamber with the freshly inserted powder.
(7) turn the cylinder just slightly till it is dirrectly under the raming assembly.
(8) unlatch the raming assembly "while holding the cylinder in your left hand.
(9) carefully seat the ball "or conical bullet" into the chamber assuring that you are seated against the powder charge.
(10) repeat for the remaining chambers.
(11) insert a percussion cap onto the nipples assuring that each is seated frimly & securely.

You are ready to fire your Cap & Ball Revolver.

Be safe & have fun.
 
If you pull the hammer back just enough to fit a toothpick between frame and middle of hammer. Both the cylinder bolt and hand do not engage, the cylinder spins freely in both directions. The hand retracts just enough to let the cylinder rotate freely

As soon as you can see daylight between the hammer and frame insert a toothpick.

It works.

Thx

Paul
 
With the hammer at rest the hand does not engage the cylinder, only pull back the hammer just enough for the cylinder bolt to retract!


Thx

P
 
No worky on this Pietta Remington 58. Yours must be more worn. The hand exposes itself before the cylinder stop rises from below on mine. Ah, heck,I ain't having a problem loading anyway.
 
There is a spring behind the hand on all revolvers be it a Cap & Ball or a modern cartridge firing one, the hand's job is to rotate the cylinder to bring a new live round into battery where the bolt "or cylinder stop" engages the cylinder to lock the cylinder at the ready.

The spring behind the hand be it the coiled type like the Ruger Old Army "for example" or a flat type found in the Remington 1858 New Army, is there to keep constant forward pressure against the cylinder so as to make the hands job easier otherwise you would have to point the muzzle of the Revolver twords the ground & use gravity to keep the hand engaged to the cylinder ratchet.

If you can cock the hammer any amount, & have the cylinder rotate in both dirrections then the spring that is supposed to support the hand is worn sufficiently to where the function of the revolver be unreliable & should be repaired, even if your Remington copy & your friends is brand new, it could very well be a deffective spring on both of your revolvers & should be repaired.
 
Raider:

Thx for response, your explaination makes sense, except for the constant pressure part, how would you remove the cylinder from the gun, you need to cock the hammer a bit to get out of the way of the cylinder to remove? The hand would get in the way, it just seems to take a bit to get the hand moving.

The gun seems to index perfectly, and locks up tight. this is confusing Confusing? The spring tension on the hand seems fine.

Paul
 
...you need to cock the hammer a bit to get out of the way of the cylinder to remove? The hand would get in the way...
Click to expand...

I remove/replace the cylinder in my 1858 with the hammer in the half-cock/loading position.
All it takes is rolling the cylinder as you put it in place and it'll push the hand out of the way. Roll the cylinder clockwise ( looking at the gun from the rear ) and you shouldn't have any problem getting it out or back in with the hand sticking out. The cylinder bolt does need to be retracted however.

Oh, and at no place in my gun's hammer travel is there a spot where both the bolt and the hand are disengaged at the same time. The cylinder doesn't spin free unless something is broken, missing, or well and truly out of adjustment.

J.C.
 
psantos said:
Raider:

Thx for response, your explaination makes sense, except for the constant pressure part, how would you remove the cylinder from the gun, you need to cock the hammer a bit to get out of the way of the cylinder to remove? The hand would get in the way, it just seems to take a bit to get the hand moving.

The gun seems to index perfectly, and locks up tight. this is confusing Confusing? The spring tension on the hand seems fine.

Paul
Click to expand...

When you place the hammer in half cock "which it should be if you are trying to rotate the cylinder or remove the cylinder" you have dissengaged the BOLT not the hand.
If you remove the cylinder pin & have the hammer at half cock then all you have to do is slightly rotate the cylinder clock wise "with rear facing you" & push the cylinder out at the same time therfore removing the cylinder out of the Remigton Revolver, reinserting is just the same action except that you are pushing onto the cylinder to the left.

as far as the spring tention on the hand goes, it should be a slight dragg getting it into the opening as you insert it with the hammer into the frame, that would be sufficient pressure "or tention" for the hand to function as designed.
 
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