Pietta 1851 Wedge Removal

You can kind of see from this pic that the wedge isn't sticking out much.

WedgeRemoval012.jpg
 
Clembert that vise is what bent that brass tool... You should try hittin' the other one you have with a steel ball peen hammer that has some weight to it.
The tool is made to hit with a straight blow the side load of the vist was too much for the brass.
How much you got into that Lawman with a stuck wedge?

I do have a new unfired Pietta 1851 Navy steel frame in .44 cal. if something were to happen that you've had enough let me know.
I've had this one for 9 years never shot it.

I just realized yer's ain't the Lawman in .44 it's the .36 Navy sorry....
1851Navy44.jpg
 
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ClemBert, do you have access to an arbor press? I have encountered one wedge that would not move with hammer and punch. The arbor press took it out like a hot knife through butter.
 
Just to be clear...the tool below bent when struck hard with a hammer.

Wedge002.jpg


The above pictured brass punch is not what you are seeing in the picture below.

WedgeRemoval012.jpg


The homemade punch below and to the left is what you saw in the vice.

WedgeRemoval024.jpg
 
ClemBert, do you have access to an arbor press? I have encountered one wedge that would not move with hammer and punch. The arbor press took it out like a hot knife through butter.
Click to expand...

Nope, I don't have an arbor press. I think the best solution at this point is to shoot it like there is no tomorrow then try and take it out. If that fails then just use a dremel as Smokin_Gun suggested and buy a new wedge.
 
I thought I'd give an update on that rascally wedge from hell. I was able to get to ClemBert's shootin' range today to shoot the ever livin' crap out of the Pietta 1851 Navy. I went with 25 grains of 777 without a wad to loosen that puppy up. When I got home I took both of my brass punches and proceeded to bend them both....big surprise huh? Now they both look like the one on the right.

Wedge002.jpg


Now it was time to break out the wedge destructo tool...a big STEEL punch. With a big ol' framing hammer I hit that sucker once...no movement. I reset the punch then took another big swing and to my delight that wedge popped free. Hallelujah!!!

Got that puppy cleaned up in a hot soapy bath and baked her dry. I changed out the factory nipples with some Treso bronze nipples. Anti-seize grease on both the nipple threads and the wedge from hell. Fortunately the wedge didn't suffer too much damage from the steel punch. There's just a round dent in it where the punch made contact but not too noticeable.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions and encouragement through this saga. :D
 
Great!!! can you tell if the wedge is contacting the front of the arbor slot, and the bacK of the barrel slot, or is it contacting the front and back of just the arbor slot?
 
can you tell if the wedge is contacting the front of the arbor slot, and the bacK of the barrel slot, or is it contacting the front and back of just the arbor slot?
Click to expand...

To be honest, I didn't even look. I was just happy to have the wedge come out. It was late in the evening and I just wanted to get it apart, cleaned, oiled, and back together again. I'll try to take a closer look next time.
 
There's always comments about the Italian gorillas that pound those wedges in too tight.
But I wonder if the wedges aren't being forced in too tight because they're using a shop press?

145208_lg.gif


http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/...00332763&cm_sp=Xsells-_-Manual-_-Product Page


Especially since they assemble so many guns at a time, wouldn't want to damage the new wedges by manually pounding them in and a press would apply consistent pressure. To top it off both of Clembert's pistols had the exact same problem with the brand new wedge being stuck.
And as to whether it's right or wrong to think that Pietta could easily back off on the wedge installation pressure, maybe they feel that much pressure is necessary to form fit the wedge during it's first insertion by using a fixed amount of force.
I still think that a penny's worth of grease applied at the factory would have helped to remove it. :)
 
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I am pretty sick of seeing "Italian Gorilla" in this thread.
He may be a little heavy with the hammer but your ape fingers are a little heavy with the keyboard. ease up. :)
 
A brand called Break Free. Their add reads--"frees everything but a convict. I really don't know where to get it but maybe google it--just a suggestion

WBH
 
I just finished going through the same ordeal with a brand new Cabela's (Pietta) 1860 Colt Army (steel). I too have the bent punches and brass rods, flattened brass screws, split dowels, bent pennies and blood blisters on my hands from being pinched by the punches. That wedge would not move. ClemBert I feel your pain. I have another 1860 being shipped to me as I write this. Hopefully things work out better this time. Mr. Pietta we need to talk. NOTE: I ordered a Pietta 1858 Remington at the same time and the pistol is flawless.
 
Time to stop thinking in terms of engineering and start thinking like a mechanic. Replace the wedge; do not attempt to save it or be nice to it any more

Make a wooden cradle to hold the revolver firmly in a clamshell, take the whole thing to a milling machine and mill a hole in the wedge. Then when you whack it the metal has a place to "give" to

Then get another wedge- on Pietta's dime

When you get the wedge out, you'll be able to see what the problem was. My Pietta's wedge never had any problems so I don't have any insights as to the cause
 
robhod

I had forgot that Pietta has a website for customer service. I had bought a Remington pocket new old stock and the front sight was loose, they sent me a new front sight. Maybe a blogging of the site with the wedge complaints will result in a change!!!! or a suggested fix!!
 
I just got my first open-top cap-and-ball revolver a few days ago. It is an 1860 Pietta. The wedge was fairly tight, but not like the one in this thread, thank goodness!

Anyhow, this being my first "wedged" gun, do they ever loosen up to the point where you can remove and replace them by hand alone? I remember seeing Clint Eastwood change a cylinder with no tools in a movie once. And then there was Tuco in "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" swapping several Colt barrels in the gun store.
So what's the true scoop?
 
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