Pietta 1851 Wedge Removal

Depending on your grip strength and how well the revolver is fit, yes you can remove the wedge with just firm thumb pressure. I made a small hard wood 'wedge hammer' sort of like a mini billy club. I drilled one end and filled with lead then plugged it. It well loosen any of the wedge's I use with just a firm tap.
 
Here is what I use on my wedges. Has six tips plastic,brass,steel ball-dome-flat-wedge. The wedge tip will barely fit the wedge slot in my guns.
 
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I cured my wedge problem it was simple I sold the pistol :mad: I won't buy another of that brand Their is no reason for it to be that hard to take down
 
Brand new gun, never fired or taken apart. The wedge was not all the way in and nothing in the world will get it to come out. I put a piece of wood over the wedge on the opposite side and smacked it with a hammer to get it to move a little and now the cylinder won't even turn, broken. Boxed up and on its way back to Cabela's, what a POS. I'll have tham send me another one and if it's like this one no more Piettas for me. :mad:
 
Happy to say mine came right out. After reading all these horror stories about some gorilla, I was deathly scared to ever shoot my '51. I am crude, cheap, and I buy these things to shoot, not to display, but I knocked it out with a steel punch. First whack with a little 6 ounce ball peen did it.

Now that I have got to go play with the '51 at the shootin' range, I would rather shoot it and clean it up than either of my '58s It's a breeze to clean. Pull the barrel off, then the cylinder, and dunk 'em both.

Guess I got the last '51 that the gorilla didn't put together. Sorry
 
Brand new gun, never fired or taken apart. The wedge was not all the way in and nothing in the world will get it to come out. I put a piece of wood over the wedge on the opposite side and smacked it with a hammer to get it to move a little and now the cylinder won't even turn, broken. Boxed up and on its way back to Cabela's, what a POS. I'll have tham send me another one and if it's like this one no more Piettas for me.
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Sounds like you inadvertently drove the wedge further into the barrel lug tightening the barrel gap, causing the cylinder to drag. That's why the cylinder does not turn.
To remove a tight wedge, support the left side of the barrel lug on a piece of hardwood in a manner that the wedge is free to move. Using a 3/8 brass punch with the tip filed to a double D shape that fits the wedge slot. Give a sharp whack with a steel hammer. I've only encountered one that need more force than that.
 
Well, here I go---I have 2 pietta "lawmakers w/steel frame and black grips. I don't even know if Pietta makes these now. But I like the way they look. Reminds me of Richard Boone "Have Gun will Travel", Hey Smoking Gun--you know. I call them "Pallidins" Anyway, I took one from the store and tried to remove the wedge. :mad: Started w/ penny--moved to brass screw, moved to (nevermind) anyway penny and brass screw didn't pull a string out of a cat's a...! But I honed it put it back in and cylinder wouldn't rotate with cock. You have to hone both sides of wedge with a stone. Is that not right? then polish wedge . You want the spring to clip right side of barrel w/out your cylinder jamming the cone of your barrel. The cheaper Piettas have tough wedges that are not user friendly. Why, I'll tell yu--- A gunsmith(BlackPowder enthusiast w b/p pistols of his own that we use to fix customers' guns) told me that the cheaper guns with ""unscrolled"" cylinders are cut w/ the tools almost worn out and the assembly is a little slack etc and made W/ less care. Kinda like a chef cuttin his last slab of beef before he has to sharpin his knife. Anyway, the most economical Pietta that we have found that is worthy, more inside polishing , fitting etc. is the 44 Navy brass that has the "Scrolled" cylinder. But The price of 1860 Army 44 is good at Cabella. BUT--it ain't as smooth as the scrolled 44 Navy brass. Oh... Madcrater- a bug told me you had a set of them Palliden grips. What you want for them?:)
The Twin
 
Pietta Reproductions

Does Pietta or other manu make a Model 1849 Colt revolver with 5 1/2 or 6 in barrel?? Don't care for pocket 4 in. model. Thanks Herb
 
Does Pietta or other manu make a Model 1849 Colt revolver with 5 1/2 or 6 in barrel?? Don't care for pocket 4 in. model. Thanks Herb
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In a word - Maybe. Dixie still lists a Palmetto pocket model with 5 1/2 inch barrel; but Palmetto is out of business AFAIK.

Pietta doesn't make 1849s.
Uberti only makes a 4 inch.
ASM made Baby Dragoons with 3, 4 and 5 inch barrels without loading lever.
CVA sold the ASM products
Palmetto made pocket models with 3, 4, 5, and 5.5 inch barrels with loading levers

AFAIK - Uberti is the only current manufacturer of '49 Pocket models. NIB or lightly used models from other manufacturers can be had on the secondary market from the gun auction sites.
 
pietta wedge removal

Gaucho Gringo - The watch hammers looked nice...do they have railroad hammers??? Thats what we needed to get one apart... BUT GOD NEWS for Pietta lovers. I got a email from Pietta home and was informed the problem had been resolved several months ago. Guess they ran out of space to store the returned ones. THANK GOD!:rolleyes::D
 
So I have been talking to a guy at Indiana Gunowners forum, who was thinking of picking up a cap and ball revolver and he ended up buying an 1860 from Cabela's. So now I just got a PM from him asking for ideas on getting the wedge out, so I sent him a link to this thread. I also suggested that since he doesn't live that far from Cabela's that he take it bake and have them get the wedge out for him, or replace the pistol.
 
If you want a good laugh (or cry) you should read the article on wedge removal on Pietta's website.
Seriously though they do seem to have corrected the problem with 2010 production. Thank God! Before that they must have been installing them with an arbor press and a few times I had to use an arbor press to get them out.
 
How about some penetrating oil and an arbor press? An arbor press can be rented and will exert ( depending on the model) up to 2 tons of pressure. (One you can carry.) Seems better than beating on it with a hammer. You can also buy a 6-ton press from harbor freight for less than 100.00 I'm sure you spent close to that already on stuff with no result.

You'll also have a really neat tool! :)
 
10 Lb Hammer and a crow bar?

:)
Delmar

Thanks for bringing this old thread up. I 've had it book marked for some time, after I ran into a couple of wedges with attitude. Loads of "fun"..

The worst wedge far was in a Pietta 1858 Remington made in 2003. It ate two wooden dowels I had trimmed to fit, two brass punches and a plastic one before I got it out.

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/categ...Id=1&subId=19&styleId=1061&partNum=TOOL-KEY-B

wedgeremovers.jpg


I picked up a couple of these Drift Punches last month and they work just fine.
 
Wedgie!

Hello Guys, Wow! who would of thought a little piece of metal like that could cause so much trouble! I have a Colt re-make 1860 army .44 from the early 1980's. When I bought it, I had to lightly tap with a rawhide mallet to start & then could be pulled out with fingers. After a few seasons of use, now I can move wedge with strong thumb push & pull out. On my Colt 1851 navy of early 1970's vintage..it still is tight enough that I still need the rawhide rap to loosen. If you have ever seen well used original Colt percussion revolvers, the right side of barrel looks like an anvil! Those guys must have used the backs of Bowie knives, horse shoes, butplates, or rocks!
 
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