Pietta wedge getting tighter

C

chaz12

New member
I got a Pietta 1860 army a few months ago which was my first BP revolver.

I have probably shot about 300 rounds thru it now.

When I first got it, you could remove or install the wedge with your fingers.

Lately it has gotten a lot tighter so I have to tap it in and out with a hammer.

Is there some common thing that causes this? Can it be reversed? I can't figure out by inspection what is causing it. It's not a big problem to use the hammer. Mostly I would like to understand what caused the change.

Thanks

Chaz
 
Haven't seen that problem yet.

On any of mine, if I push em in, I can wiggle em out later. If I tap em in, I have to tap em out. (I usually tap, just 'cause.....well, it's what I do.)
I haven't had one bind up in there after pushing in. :)
 
As much as you've shot it, there's a good chance that the wedge now goes in farther that it once did, metal on metal wear. That means you've worn out the "sweet spot" and are using fresh metal on the wedge. Sorta like breaking in shoes...only in reverse.
 
chaz12 said:
I have probably shot about 300 rounds thru it now....
...Mostly I would like to understand what caused the change.
Click to expand...

There's probably slight wear around the periphery of the wedge & all of the slot areas from being fired. And just like when the foundation of a house begins to settle into place, the gun parts now need to be coaxed a little bit more.
If you didn't fire 300 shots then how the parts fit together probably wouldn't have changed either.
Sometimes a burr can form on the connecting slot surfaces, but if the wedge or barrel assembly aren't getting stuck on the arbor then that doesn't seem to have resulted.
So it seems that the parts have just begun to mate themselves into place.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top