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Colt Wedge

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flintlockmdj

45 Cal.
Joined
May 6, 2005
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Today I traded for a Colt '51 Navy .44 cal but the wedge is loose. What is the best way to tighten it?
 
When you say the wedge is loose, have you tried tapping it further into the slot?

If the wedge in a Colt C&B revolver is not tapped in a little, it will always be loose in a up/down direction but, when it is tapped in a bit it should drive the barrel assembly rearward (towards the cylinder).
This is not to say it should be driven in to the point that the barrel actually contacts the cylinder (although it should be in full contact with the frame at the bottom).

If, when tapped all of the way in until the L shaped head contacts the side of the barrel, it is still loose, you need to buy another wedge.
Yours is probably worn out.

Dixie Gunworks has replacements for sale.
 
A new wedge might not be a bad investment. I have a Pietta Army that gave me a devil of a time, I bought a replacement wedge from Dixie... problems solved.
 
The wedge is loose from side to side so sounds like I need a new wedge. Thanks to all for your help.
 
Make sure the wedge is inserted correctly from the correct side and not upside down. I got a good deal on a pistol where the barrel was really loose. After I un-jammed the wedge and turned it over and inserted from the correct side it tightened it right up. Man they really had that thing hammered in there to try to tighten up the barrel. Anyway it could be an easy fix - well I had to hammer mine pretty hard to get it out! Kurt
 
Thanks for posting about this. mine is the opposite it is to tight so I backed out the screw some but I am now thinking after reading this I may file it some for a better fit . Can not believe I did not think of doing that before so thanks for the gray matter jump start.
 
I'm trying to envision how backing out the screw would be needed.

That screw on the left side of the barrel is only there to serve as a stop for the little flat spring that is on the wedge to "catch on" when the wedge is removed from the cylinder pin. It shouldn't be clamping or even pushing on the wedge.

Speaking of that little screw, I just looked as several of my Colt style pistols and noticed something.
On several of my Colts, the head of the screw is down in a recess which contains the flat spring. There is about 1/16 of an inch between the end of this recess and the head of the screw so, if I wanted to I could pound the wedge in further.

On two of my Colts the the recess for the flat spring is not as long so the end of the recess is actually right up against the screws head. On these guns, I would not be able to drive the wedge in further to tighten up a "loose wedge".

Based on this, it is possible that whitebears Colt's wedge is bottoming out on the screw head. That would prevent it from becoming the tight fit that it needs to be.
If this is happening, try removing the screw from the barrel and then try inserting the wedge. If it becomes tight (fore and aft), then the screw head is the problem.
Because that screw is intended only to prevent loss of the wedge when it is knocked out of engagement with the cylinder pin, it wouldn't hurt anything to just leave it out of the gun if that fixes the loose wedge problem.
On the other hand, buying a new wedge would be the best fix.
 
Zonie,

I had occasion recently to discuss this on another forum, and essentially made the same argument that you did - the screw is there to keep the wedge from falling out. However, another member of that forum then posted the following:

More patent info: (from A HISTORY OF THE COLT REVOLVER by Haven & Belden)
Patent #1,304 dated 8/29/1839. In this patent, Colt talks about the "key" or wedge. "As the key C is to act laterally as a wedge to draw the receiver and the barrel into contact, it is of importance that it should be checked when forced sufficiently far in, or the receiver might be wedged up and prevented from turning. For this purpose I insert a screw, e, Fig.3, into the steel button f, which is attached to D D... The head of this screw, overlapping the end of the mortise, receives the wedge and checks it. By turning this screw the force of the wedge may be tempered. In fig. 5 g is a spring-latch on the under side of the key, which catches upon D when the key is forced in and prevents its accidental removal."

The referenced patent apparently applies to the Paterson revolver; I've not been able to verify the claim, however.

Boiling it down it says to me that the screw can be used to regulate the depth the wedge is inserted as you suggest.
 
mykeal said:
Zonie,

I had occasion recently to discuss this on another forum, and essentially made the same argument that you did - the screw is there to keep the wedge from falling out. However, another member of that forum then posted the following:

More patent info: (from A HISTORY OF THE COLT REVOLVER by Haven & Belden)
Patent #1,304 dated 8/29/1839. In this patent, Colt talks about the "key" or wedge. "As the key C is to act laterally as a wedge to draw the receiver and the barrel into contact, it is of importance that it should be checked when forced sufficiently far in, or the receiver might be wedged up and prevented from turning. For this purpose I insert a screw, e, Fig.3, into the steel button f, which is attached to D D... The head of this screw, overlapping the end of the mortise, receives the wedge and checks it. By turning this screw the force of the wedge may be tempered. In fig. 5 g is a spring-latch on the under side of the key, which catches upon D when the key is forced in and prevents its accidental removal."

The referenced patent apparently applies to the Paterson revolver; I've not been able to verify the claim, however.

Boiling it down it says to me that the screw can be used to regulate the depth the wedge is inserted as you suggest.
I have an 1860 colt and that is how it was explained to me it dose both jobs holds it in and to a small degree allows one to adjust the tension by the depth. This came up as mine was jamming after one cylinder. After backing it out a bit (there not much to work with) then polishing the center pin more it is working great. Fact to night I ran 9 cylinder loads in it and never a jam this is the first time for this gun to run that good. To night I also at the end tried it again to make sure so ran the screw in and wala jam after 8 rounds fired. I have also read here like the first fix that filing the sides may help in my case also and being I need a new wedge as my spring broke to night what the hey I am going to try it .
 
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