Timing an 1858

R

RemTim

Moderator
I never could quite grasp the concept of timing a 1858 Remington. I mean the hand is attached to the hammer; there is no adjustment.
I don't have a timing problem, but plan to order an extra hand later. i got the part about sizing the new hand up with the new one; would that be considered refitting the hand or is there more to it? How do you adjust the timing if it were off? I know these may be dumb questions. Any help on this topic would be greatly appreciated,
 
RemTim said:
How do you adjust the timing if it were off? I know these may be dumb questions. Any help on this topic would be greatly appreciated,
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I'm not going to kid you.
Whether folks tell you that anyone can do that job for themself or not, the fact of the matter is that not everyone is cut out to do it.
And that's one of the reasons why there's gunsmiths.
If my gun breaks then I don't want to waste my time only to ruin it further.
I'll just take it to an expert to have it fixed.
Some folks will try and can do it, and other folks will fail trying to do it.
And not everyone in this world has the same gifts and talents.
I recognize my limitations so I won't try to do it myself no matter what anyone else says that I should be able to do on my own.
This is just a simple matter of fact. :)
 
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RemTim, as long as no other parts need to be replaced when you replace the pawl or hand all you need to do is size it up next to the old hand or a hair larger and replace it.
I have an original 1861 Rem Old Army and the timing is such so as the bolt hits the cylinder right between the slots. Which seems optimal to me cause this Rev has had the bolt striking that spot between the cylinder slots since 1862 the date it was made.
You don't want to time any Rev so that it hits directly in the slot or on the edge of the slots. This will damage the cylinder slots as you may well know.
The Bolt, legs, head, window, and the hammer, hammer cam, trigger, ... and the pawl or hand, along with the cylinder all come into play when timming any revolver.
The Best way to learn is to buy a low priced used Rev and practice on it with some literature off the Inet or from a Pard. When in doubt always ask first is a good policy, as you have done. I think I have a couple Tutorials from my Forum that may help give you some info...these are some of the type of things you can Google for more info...hope this helps some RimTim...
http://www.alliancelink.com/srrs/articles/1858disassembly.htm
http://www.theopenrange.net/articles/Tuning_the_Pietta_Part_Two.pdf
http://www.theopenrange.net/articles/Tuning_the_Pietta_Part_One.pdf
 
The vocabulary of timing.

Smokin_Gun:

Thank you for laying out some solid vocabulary!

1. Bolt, (which is comprised of ...)
2. legs, (the legs of the bolt)
3. head, (the head of the bolt)
4. window, (the window the bolt lives within)
5. hammer, (the hammer of the piece)
6. hammer cam, (the cam attached to the hammer)
7. trigger, (the trigger of the piece)
8. hand, (also called the "pawl").
9. cylinder, (the cylinder of the piece)

I'm going to repeat one of your links and just format it a bit differently to make this even easier for google to find and report, in the hopes that will draw even more people into this discussion.

How do I disassemble an 1858 New Army model remington revolver?

Disassembly Instructions for an 1858 Pietta Remington Revolver

So we have at LEAST 9 pieces of this puzzle, and each piece has many varying degrees of fit and there we begin to approach the complexity of some type of artisan skill ... or gift, to get them all to work together in a superior fashion.
 
Smokin_Gun,
Thanks for the links and the advice. I had found the links a while back. Part 1 is an excellent article on the disassembly of the 58 Remmie and in fact was on my computer screen the first time I stripped one of 58 Remington New Amries. I wouldn't attempt disassembly until I acquired my second one though, just in case I broke a spring I'd have another Remmie to tote until I got a replacement part from YTI. I strip my guns to the frame and clean them promptly every time the are fired. In fact, I have no doubt that I could do the entire process of disassembly and reassembly blindfolded, as I am sure most of the other committed Remmie freaks here could do also.That's what I love about these guns is the simplicity of their design. The mainspring is can be a pain but I found that if you align the mainspring properly, it will slide right in the slot without having to butt anything up against it. I wouldn't actually attempt a full strip and assembly blindfolded though, I'd be scared of boogering up the screw heads.
I had previously read about sizing the new hand against the old as you pointed out. I
figured that is all there could possibly be to it to it, which you confirmed.
I am interested in tweaking my Remmies.I had considered weakening the trigger/bolt spring to reduce the drag on the cylinder.
The other articles are excellent also, as they showed the damage caused by timing problems. Fortunately all three of my Remmies have perfect timing.
Thanks again Smokin_Gun, you provided the confirmation I needed.

The proper timing is having it in hand when you need it most!
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Yep, that's why I am strapped with both of my guns most of the time. If I am wearing only one, the other is usually near by.

Articap, One reason I prefer the Remmie overall is the simple design. There are a couple of times I almost ended up at the gunsmith. I sat and thought, "I wonder how the gunsmith would fix it, and tried it successfully. That's why I love bp, the guns are simple (especially the Remmie). The bottom line is I hate being dependent on another if I can do it myself and I hate the thought of leaving my babies with someone else.
I am still a little green around the ears. After taking a second look at my post, I realize I gave the impression that I was not familiar with the internal workings of the Remmie. Thanks for responding.
 
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Smokin_Gun:

Thank you for laying out some solid vocabulary!

1. Bolt, (which is comprised of ...)
2. legs, (the legs of the bolt)
3. head, (the head of the bolt)
4. window, (the window the bolt lives within)
5. hammer, (the hammer of the piece)
6. hammer cam, (the cam attached to the hammer)
7. trigger, (the trigger of the piece)
8. hand, (also called the "pawl").
9. cylinder, (the cylinder of the piece)

I'm going to repeat one of your links and just format it a bit differently to make this even easier for google to find and report, in the hopes that will draw even more people into this discussion.
Click to expand...


Using the correct terminology for the fire arm you are discussing can be very challenging. Different manufacturers use different names, sometimes the same name for a different part. Then their is the non-USA made fire arms. The Brits have a unusual fire arm vocabulary.
 
Bolt is a fairly recent term. Not too many years ago it was called the cylinder stop and some places still do call it that.
 
I have no doubt that I could do the entire process of disassembly and reassembly blindfolded,
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ok, that may have been pushing it a bit. There is a bit of alignment required. I have confidence that some of the guys here could breeze through it, where it would to take me a while.:cool:
 
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I've been doing this for 30+ years, and I guarantee you that if I breeze through it, something won't work right. I'm currently tearing my hair out over a Winchester 190 that I put together too fast last night. Grrrr....
 
I've been doing this for 30+ years, and I guarantee you that if I breeze through it, something won't work right.
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My friend, if you had the mindset to do disassemble and then reassemble a Remmie blindfolded, my money would be on you. As for it working right?? If it were a Colt, I'd bet against you; but a Remmie?? You would be a safe bet.
 
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Colt is easier.
Hawg, my friend, you should know. Maybe I should have substituted something a tad more challenging for the example, but I have no experience with anything but a Remmie. I figured a Colt would be a safe bet. I have an excuse for my ignorance though; I'm green as grass.:o
 
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