Pietta Products

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herb

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If you're having any problems what-so-ever with your Pietta shooter and your gun-monger :D doesn't get it right email Mr Puzzo at Pietta in Italy. Address is: alfpuzzo@tin.it I've had great success through him. :)
 
Clem... I know about the GORILLA....but they sent me replacement wedges and a Pietta Cylinder Loading Stand for the cost of postage from Italy. :D They do state they fixed their GORILLA starting with fall of 2009 production...we'll wait and see. :D
 
That is great news! I have had some Piettas in the past where I had to drill out the nipples because the gorilla at the factory put them in so tight that they broke several nipple wrenches AFTER being soaked in penetrating oil for several days! Same with several screws as well.
 
I got my 1858 and a second cylinder this past Christmas, and I'm pretty certain it's a 2009 year production. I had exactly zero problems getting the nipples out of either cylinder. I know it's only a sample of 2, but perhaps this is indicative that they have addressed some of that problem.
 
[They do state they fixed their GORILLA ]

That's always good news from a gun company - I often wonder if T/C ever fixed their sight screw & scope mount plug screw GORILLA.
It seems like an automotive impact wrench was used for installation, the screws were in so tight.

.
 
I m ready to retract a statement

Some time ago, I made the statement that if the nipples won't come out of a pistol it is because the pistol was abused. At that time I was talking about cleaning the weapon. My reasoning was that shooter behavior that did not include regular cleaning and removal of the nipples was (in my opinion) so dastardly, that it could be blamed for stuck nipples.

Today I acknowledge that there is another potential reason for stuck nipples and that would be the gorilla you guys are refering to.

Tnx,
 
Well, I'll add my guns to the "no gorilla" refrain. I got my 1858 in December and the 1860 in January and, though I approached the nipples and wedge with trepidation, they came out smooth as silk. Now I have nobody to blame but myself.
 
I obtained a Pietta 1858 Remington Navy last summer and didn't have a chance to use it yet. Last night, I took it apart and did a thorough cleaning of it prior to returning to Michigan for the summer in the hopes of getting some shooting in with it. Of the six nipples, three came out without too much torque on the nipple wrench. The other three - well, the Gorilla must have put them in prior to going on a coffee break. I didn't have to soak them and I didn't break a wrench but it was tough getting them broken loose. Upon examining them under a magnifying glass, I came to the following conclusion. First, the mating surfaces on the bottom ridge of the nipple and the area in the cylinder surrounding the threads were well machined with tight tolerances. Second, I could find no evidence that the threads of the nipples had any type of lubrication on them prior to installation. I think that if they had, they would have "broken loose" much easier. Just my thoughts and observations and I could be wrong. I oiled the threads before reinstalling them and I always remove nipples as part of the cleaning process. This is often overlooked by those who shoot percussion longarms as well. I have worked on quite a few longarms over the years and the majority showed evidence of corrosion in and on the nipple as well as internally in the drum or bolster because they weren't thoroughly cleaned on a regular basis. I know a lot of fellas don't always remove their nipples (don't take that the wrong way) :D but I agree with Doc and the others that it should be a regualar step in the cleaning process. Just my 2 cents worth which aint worth much! :D
 
BedBug

You said' "I agree with Doc."

You are obviously a person of high intelligence, monumental accuracy, and true wisdom.

Tnx,
 
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I rarely remove my nipples. I initially install them with an anti-seize grease, I prefer the one from the auto shops with an aluminum base. Every three or four shoots I will turn each nipple a quarter turn and then back. I have never had one of my guns stick. On the other hand I have an ASM that was a gift that I have ruined the cylinder because it sat for 15 years after being fired with the nipples tight. I don't know how many wrenches I broke but after I gave up on the wrenches and drilled an access hole, I broke 3 "easy outs" and still do not have the remnants of the nipple out.
 
On the other hand I have an ASM that was a gift that I have ruined the cylinder because it sat for 15 years after being fired with the nipples tight. I don't know how many wrenches I broke but after I gave up on the wrenches and drilled an access hole, I broke 3 "easy outs" and still do not have the remnants of the nipple out.
Click to expand...

I was given an 1851 with rusted in nipples and broke three wrenches even after soaking...I finally figured out what to do. After all, I wouldn't lose anything if my solution didn't work. ;)


I have one of those little butane backpacker stoves and put the cylinder on it after throughly cleaning all the liquid wrench out of it and heated the end where the nipples are up red hot. I've heard that rust can be loosened with heat, and metal expansion can help loosen things... I then pulled it off the flame and into a wooden vise where I could hold it (it started to burn the wood a bit) but the nipples loosened right up- but I also modified a nut driver by cutting the sides out of it with a dremel and hardened it so I could use in instead of a regular nipple wrench- that did the trick.
 
I've had pretty good luck with stuck nipples by boiling for 5 to 10 minutes and then getting after them while they are still very hot. I hold hot cylinder with two pieces of wood in shop vice.
 
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