Received my Pietta 1860 Army!!! Take a look! Pics included.

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JACKlangrishe

New member
but theres almost no wedge sticking out on the right side of the gun, just a small slice of the clip, maybe half a millimeter. Thats a small target and im sure I'll be making contact with the side of the gun.
 
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JACKlangrishe

New member
right I know.. Just wanted to make it clear that almost none of the wedge is sticking out the right side and it wont be much travel to make it perfectly flush. Most guns seem to have a considerable amount of wedge sticking out the right side, which is an easier target to whack. I'll just have to aim for the slot.
 
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BlackPowderBen

New member
You could soak it in PB blaster, I had a 1860 that had an extremely stubborn wedge and wouldn't come out with the normal procedures, I sprayed a good amount on the wedge, and let it soak overnight. The next day it came out when hit
 
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smd4

New member
Gotcha, Jack. My wedge sticks out about a millimeter, so a tap of the hammer is all it needs. If it was tight and flush (or nearly so) with the side of the barrel, I guess I'd have to consider different options.
 
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drobs

New member
Do you have any fired brass around the house or can you stop by a range pick up a piece of fired brass? I used a 223 cartridge but I bet a .38, .357, 44, .270, 30.06, even a 45 acp (folded twice) piece of brass would work.
 
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Hawg

New member
A new Pietta probably won't go much past flush anyway no matter how hard you pound it in. Methinks you're in for a surprise if you think when you get it flush its going to slide right out, its not. I never had one with the wedge so tight I had to resort to hammers, plastic or otherwise but I have heard of them. Hard plastic or even brass is not going to harm the finish. I can just see that clothespin splintering now. :D
 
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JACKlangrishe

New member
unfortunately no.. but it'll have to come to that and possibly the PB blaster and then onto the track drift punch..

I picked up this http://www.harborfreight.com/1-12-lb-soft-face-mallet-69048.html and another smaller jewelers hammer with plastic and brass heads.

I also picked up a nail punch set which I knew would be a last resort as it would be the hardest on the gun, even behind layered material to protect the finish.

I whacked that slot with the plastic head with more force than I ever thought I would. I kept going until I got that somethings not right feeling and had to make myself stop. Then I attempted with the nail pucnch behind two or three layers of cloth. I didn't go to town, but gave it some considerable whacks and got away without marring the gun.. but the wedge is still right where I left it.

then I gave it some gentler taps on the other side of the wedge, from side to side, just to see if I could get it to budge At All.. no dice

I wish there was a puller on the other side that you can enlargen with a butterfly nut to gently pull this thing out. This is Crazy!
 
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JACKlangrishe

New member
lol Hawg I'm turning these clothespins into sawdust!

Maybe a half a millimeter of clip is sticking out and I was hoping that even if just that tip catches a smack that it might budge just enough for the oil to get in and make it workable.
 
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JACKlangrishe

New member
Yes.. first I used some stacked wooden spoons wrapped in microfiber, then I switched to the wood handle of the rubber mallet wrapped in microfiber. I briefly gave it a few whacks with it propped on a Metal handle of another hammer, also wrapped in microfiber, until I realized and switched it with the wood handle mallet. I'm assuming, even if wrapped in cloth, its best not to have it propped up on a metal surface.

each time I keep the prop up piece close to the wedge, but not too close that the wedge isnt free to fall.
 
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foolzrushn

New member
Jack, if by clip you are talking about the wedge flat spring....I think that I would try to use a brass punch on the actual wedge instead of hitting the spring. You might bend the spring. You will need a punch small enough to stay inside the wedge slot and on the wedge. I have had this same thing happen.

Mine was so tight that it slightly mushroomed the end of the brass punch. A close picture of the right side would be good. Be sure that the tip of the flat wedge spring, is not holding the wedge in place (in addition to the friction of the wedge sides). I needed to put a very small screwdriver blade under the bent tip to release the spring from catching on the righ outside of the barrel. With that in place, I then tapped out the wedge with the punch and a hammer.

If the wedge proper is flush, then you must use a small punch or you will just be hitting the barrel.
 
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foolzrushn

New member
I also used a meduim sized plastic faced hammer on first one side, then the other, of the extended left end of the wedge. I really had to smack it! Don't remember which finally got the wedge loose.
 
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JACKlangrishe

New member
here's my predicament-

this convinces me it isn't caught:

jnIYpxR.png


this angle gives me doubts but there's a lot of lube and tiny wood debris packed in there as well, so it kind of gives that clip an extra lip:

vH4KUcW.png


this makes me think that extra lip look like a layer of lube, its just as confusing to look at in person:

LKYLdAr.png


here's how much is peeking out:

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now if that ^ is all that's needed to peek out for the clip to snag, then wouldn't everyone be needed to hold the clip down when they smack it with a plastic hammer? I've seem people just whack it when even more than that is sticking out.

That said.. there is certainly something sticking out.. maybe half a millimeter or so. I really wanted to get lucky and have the hammer push it that far to make it truly flush, but it never even budged. If you look at my first post in this thread, it's in the exact same position.
 
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Hoppy

New member
Jack, I believe mine was like yours. I could move the spring up and down though with the end of a clothespin. When I let go, it sprang back up and looked like it was catching on the side of the barrel.

I forgot to mention earlier that I also took a spent piece of 5.56 brass and folded it over a couple of times to use as a punch after trying the clothespins. With the revolver supported, I ended up just flattening the brass more against the revolver, so I stopped doing that. I managed to wedge a tiny piece of wood between the spring and barrel and then it tapped out with the steel punch easy enough, I used leather to get it started. It was the 3rd try that got it, meaning I started with clothespins as someone mentioned, and that didn't work, then I gave up for an hour or so. Then I tried the brass, that didn't work, so I left again for another hour, then finally got lucky.

Sorry, you're having such trouble. Glad there are folks here to help us with these tasks.
 
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JACKlangrishe

New member
Tell me about it!!

I keep thinking about that, what you mentioned about the wood suppressing the spring.. but wouldn't everyone's be catching at this point? This isn't far into the gun, barley peeking out the other side, and I see lots of people just tap it out and not shim anything down.. I thought it had to be significantly further into the gun for the clip to catch the other side.

I felt a tiny bit of give on the clip at first but not anymore. When I say tiny, I mean almost non-existent. I even attempted to wedge some wood in but no luck.
 
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foolzrushn

New member
Jack- It looks to me like the wedge spring in not quite far enough through the barrel to lock on the outside (right side) of the barrel. It probably would need to be in another 1/16" to snap up and lock.

The idea is that the spring can spring up and lock, but still can move down and unlock when the wedge is pushed out. With that in mind, see if you can push down on the spring. Does it move down to the bottom of the slot in the wedge, or is there wood and junk preventing that movement? If there is, take a needle or pin and dig out the junk until you can be sure that the spring moves down when pushed. If it can move then it will not add to the problem.

I don't think that you should hit the spring end with the force that will be required to move the wedge. I would suggest strongly that you find something with a small enough diameter(or square shape etc.) to fit inside the wedge slot, beside the spring tip. Then after placing the gun on a non-slip soft surface, place the punch on the end of the wedge beside the spring end and smack it hard. Move to the other side of the spring on the same end of the wedge and repeat. Be sure you have allowed room for the wedge to back out. Sounds like you have already thought of that.

I had to hit mine with a force that would have dented a piece of 2x4 with a steel hammer. I had to hit it that hard repeatedly. Finally the wedge moved. That kind of force would bend the wedge spring or maybe break it.
 
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Hoppy

New member
If there was give before and isn't any longer, that seems to me that you got the wedge moved just a little bit in the direction you want.

I just took my wedge out and looked at it. The end of the spring is actually rounded, not a right angle as I imagined if it was to capture the side of the barrel. So, in theory, striking it properly will drive the spring down at the same time as driving the wedge out.

My spring seems to have detents as it clicks twice when I compress it (out of the gun). No sure why that is.
 
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foolzrushn

New member
Hoppy

I think the clicking is just the spring flexing like a Halloween clicker. I'm old enough to remember the clickers. Guess they still use them to train dogs.
 
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