Very interested in BP cap&ball revolvers

Fed gov't did not specify solid frame.
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Where did I say the Govt. specified a solid frame?

Hell I thought I even may have used full frame with the SAA (maybe not)... your wording solid sorta hits the mark even better... 8O)
 
There are many old Colts with the original wedge still in excellent condition.
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The 1851 .36 I just bought has the original wedge, with a matching serial number to the rest of the gun. The gun was made in 1861 and it's tight as can be. I mentioned this before somewhere- the wedge screw has an oversized head that makes tight contact with the wedge and acts as a depth set, as it was meant to do; the wedge will only go in so far until I tighten the screw.
I wonder about some of the Italian repro wedges and wedge slots in the frame - the exit slot on my 1860 .44 (Pietta) peened out when I drove the wedge in too far. The wedge screw has no contact at all with this wedge. Even so, should the metal have peened out from the wedge? I don't think that would have happened on an original.
 
It's still a great gun. It was my first, I did some stupid things to it, but now we understand each other - I don't drive the wedge in too far and it doesn't peen.
I think older, used guns are the best values. You can get some good deals on guns (Piettas, Ubertis, ASM, even FIE) that have most of the bugs worked out.
 
Most of the Colts I`ve bought used have had the bugs still in them and the scars of someones Idea of getting the wedge out with the ..........I need a bigger hammer frame of mind ..............They must have felt the same way about putting the wedge back in ...both sides were scared up pretty bad .......Lucky for me the Italian steel is soft enough the dings would sand out by hand with little effort ............
I use to try and warn newbies to make their first experience a 1858 Remington and then move up to the Colt open top .........
But there are some folks that say ...sure buy that sexy open top ...you can handle it !.....it isn`t rocket science !
So now I say go for it !
might be another cheap deal for me when I get the one I`m working on finished ....:D
 
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I use the rim of .38 speciial brass to get my wedge out. Lay rim going the same direction of the wedge and a light tap with my knife handle gets it out. I have tried several different ways and this works the best for me. Being brass it doesn't scratch the gun.
 
I have 14 BP firearms , this is the third one from Cabela.
About two years old and dead on accurate. (I am 60 and now prefer stainless as it gives me more cleaning time).
I have bought two here and never a problem. I do make my own BP and make my holsters as you can see(easy and a good complement to the hobby)
This as you can see is a new army 58, 8 inch.
Cabelas is excellent , I ordered 1000 primers and they sent 10's instead of 11's
No problem , they sent 1000 11's no charge! no i don't work for them.
If you should need advice on making your own BP or a holster email me.

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I bought an 1858 from Cabela's that was terrible.
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Had my first experience with Cabela's last week. I bought a Pietta New Model Pocket. Complete POS, barrel loose in frame, hammer too wide for the frame opening.

They took it back and credited me return shipping (about a dollar more than it actually cost), no questions asked.

Midway is excellent as well.
 
Why the do the Italian's make copies of American BP Revolvers:confused: Why the hell doesn't somebody start a company in America and start making them out of American steel:confused:
 
They have done that USDF still does if you wanna pay $1500 for a Rev. while on list waiting.
Besides if we used American steel for Replicas they'd undoutedly be made in Japan.
 
Pohill,

Been a while since I spoke with you. Back in those days, I think you complained that you could NOT get the wedge out. People were telling you things like "take a brass drift and a middle sized hammer and bang on it. It'll come out".That is surely an example of HAMMERING the wedge in, and you should NOT do that.

You WILL peen metal when you do that.

When arguments arise about just how powerful pistols are or were with central arbor or top strap, you gotta remember that the Walker was considered by today's experts to be about equivalent to a .357, or even more potent than such.

I don't think that any of the original Walkers, with poor iron cylinders, broke the gun other than the cylinders bursting.. Even with chainfires, probably common when loading in the heat of battle, wouldn't destroy the gun. Those balls go outside the barrel's constriction. Flash and balls pop out where they shouldn't. Make you **** your pants, maybe.

With the steels available 160 years ago, it's a wonder that we "Won the West".

Made with today's "maraging" steels, arbors, frames and all. I would bet they could handle any round you could design them for. Design is the magic word. Cost of the steel alloys is another.

Hell, why should it matter? A Sig Sauer .380 is about 775 bucks. Glocks are 600 neighborhood. More injection molded plastic than machined metal.

I plan to take a rimfire to the range with me in the AM. Most will be BP, including the Walker I just bought. Have a 44 S&W Mag. in the case, too, for the hell of it.

Cheers,

George
 
Wrong. I never had a problem getting the wedge out of any gun. Only one gun that I own (or ever owned) had a wedge problem, and that was my first - I pushed it in too far (or something) and the exit slot stretched out. My fault, but I learned from it.
 
Mr,

Go buy something. It doesn't mean anything till you get one and THEN you have to listen to the other side. You buy a Rem, you will be told you SHOULD have gone with Colt.

You buy a Colt, you SHOULD have bought a Rem. I have both. Most others have both. Part of the enjoyment of them. There ain't enough of either to satisfy our lust.

There ain't a dime's worth of difference in how they will shoot. IF YOU can hold a sight picture, you will shoot as small a group with a Colt as a Rem, or a Rem against a Colt.

Brand, you will pay more for a Uberti than a Pietta.

Went to the gun store the other day to buy mags for a .22 semi pistol I have. Looked at Sig, Glock, Smith, whatever. Sig .380 goes for 775 bucks. That is ridiculous. Glocks go for near 600. That is ridiculous. Smith, I could not find that matched my 29-3, but have seen them on GB for 700 or so.
Somebody is going loco.

Go TO the auction sites. Everything is out of sight.

Some of you are to blame. You will buy because you want one, RIGHT NOW, so you bid them up.

I got about all I need, now.

Cheers,

George
 
Pohill,

So you ain't the guy that bitched about the locked up wedge. I do remember you from that forum. Do you recall who hammered the wedge in and cried that it was all locked up?

Are you not the NH cop? I think the guy who did have the problem WAS a cop. Cops are not necessarily very mechanically inclined.

Cheers,

George
 
Why the do the Italian's make copies of American BP Revolvers Why the hell doesn't somebody start a company in America and start making them out of American steel
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Look at USFA's prices and you'll see why. If they were made here you'd have to pay for American wages and union labor. The prices would be like USFA's and other American gun makers, thru the freakin roof.
 
Wow, George, time hasn't tempered your attitude. No, I was not a NH cop. No, I did not cry about a wedge. I discussed the wedge like I discussed alot of things. And you still don't have much positive to say.
But I'm not doing this all over again.
Cheers, my arse.
 
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