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1851 navy pietta wont stay at full cock

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Ozarkwoodswalker
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1851 navy pietta wont stay at full cock

Post by Ozarkwoodswalker » Tue Nov 01, 2022 6:05 pm

I replaced the hand and hand sprin and the trigger springvin a pietta 1851 navy colt reproduction. It will go to half cock and hold and full cock and hold and sppear to function correctly, but one i put the cylinder and barrel on it will go to half cock and hold, and then will click at full cock but not hold and will let down where its like between half cock and full cock and just be dead in the water. Am i assemblying something incorrectly or what could be causing this problem? Any input appreciated.
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Travlin
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Re: 1851 navy pietta wont stay at full cock

Post by Travlin » Tue Nov 01, 2022 9:24 pm

I would do an on line search for some videos of your revolver. It is not easy to tell you what is wrong without some visual help. Single action revolvers are fairly simple so I don't think that it is anything other than a minor mistake. Sometimes the wedge can be tightened too much causing the cylinder to be too tight against the forcing cone.
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Ozarkwoodswalker
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Re: 1851 navy pietta wont stay at full cock

Post by Ozarkwoodswalker » Wed Nov 02, 2022 5:40 am

Thanks
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Travlin
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Re: 1851 navy pietta wont stay at full cock

Post by Travlin » Wed Nov 02, 2022 8:32 am

My bad I failed to notice that you had replaced the hand. Unless the old hand is totally junk, try putting it back but using the new hand spring. Many times a hand needs to be fitted to a revolver and my guess is that the new hand is a bit too long so it is trying to advance the cylinder an extra amount against the bolt stop .
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Travlin
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Re: 1851 navy pietta wont stay at full cock

Post by Travlin » Wed Nov 02, 2022 8:35 am

Don't ask me how I know this, been there done that on a Colt Trooper 357.
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Ozarkwoodswalker
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Re: 1851 navy pietta wont stay at full cock

Post by Ozarkwoodswalker » Wed Nov 02, 2022 2:51 pm

How do you correct that??
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Travlin
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Re: 1851 navy pietta wont stay at full cock

Post by Travlin » Wed Nov 02, 2022 8:09 pm

The hand has to be very carefully stoned to fit the revolver, aka hand fitted. Try to hold the old an new ones together to see what needs to be done. Most hands have two points of contact. The tip contacts the ratchet on the cylinder and starts it's rotation. As the cylinder turns, the notch engages and completes the rotation just as the locking bolt engages and the pistol is locked and ready to fire.
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Travlin
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Re: 1851 navy pietta wont stay at full cock

Post by Travlin » Wed Nov 02, 2022 9:13 pm

I am assuming that your cap and ball revolver has a steel frame and not a brass one. Brass framed Colt copies very soon shoot loose as the softer frame stretches. If you feel out of place working on the hand on a steel framed revolver, then any real gunsmith ,and not a parts changer, should be able to make short work of it. Duelist 1954 has a video on how to smooth up a cap and ball revolver by stoning the burrs and machine marks on the inside .Good luck
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Ozarkwoodswalker
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Re: 1851 navy pietta wont stay at full cock

Post by Ozarkwoodswalker » Fri Nov 04, 2022 4:48 am

I guess it will head to my gunsmith...
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