1858 Pietta problem and cure

Hi all! I hope this doesnt't violate any rules, but I thought maybe some of my fellow Pietta revolver owners could benefit from my experience.

First, the problem

https://youtu.be/CLGliTOHNrA

Next, some suggested cures

https://youtu.be/wK1ZKvrRew0

Lastly, the problem solved. I hope this is helpful!

https://youtu.be/IDuk9VfRRYA

Thank you for letting us see these three very well made videos and congratulations on hitting those pesky little thumbtacks. :thumbsup:

Your "fix" seems to dispell the popular notion here that all of the Italian factory made nipples are defective.

I will admit that the aftermarket nipples are generally better than the OEM nipples and many here have seen definite improvements in reliability by switching to them.

If you already bought some aftermarket nipples, you might want to install them in your Remington.
Going that extra step might not be required but if you've already spent the money, you might as well give them a try.

To you folks who are new to pistol shooting and even to those who have been doing it for a long time, there is one thing that these videos show that you should pay attention to.

Each and every time the gun misfired, the gun barrel didn't move at all and he held it in that position long after the hammer fell.

That is key to his excellent accuracy.

Many times on the forum the words, "follow thru" have been mentioned when discussing accuretly shooting pistols, rifles and shotguns and in these videos you can see exactly what it means.

Thank you! I actually did not buy replacement nipples yet. I really wamted to see if I could get the revolver to run with the factiory nipples. I may well replace them at some point in the future, but for now I'm just happy to have my revolver running properly with the factory parts.

Thanks again,
HRF

don't know if i'm just lucky but I've owned my 1858 Remington 44 new army from cabela's for two years now and have never had a misfire. I use the Remington #10 caps and use the nipples that came on the pistol. I have the adjustable target sights on mine and it is truly accurate also.

Have quite a number of Remington cylinders (8 58 frames and multiple cylinders for each). Some shoot well, others not so well. Recommendations for after market nipples....

Got mine from Old South. Arrived well tuned and have had no need to change the nipples. Still workin up a load, its accurate but have yet to give it "the day" to find the sweet spot. Its a blued 58 with 12" barrel.

I like the ones I got from Track of The Wolf.

Good job on the video and working out a resolution to the problem. Anytime you get a failure to fire on the first strike and a firing on the second strike of the cap, you have the likelihood that the cap is not seated properly and the cap is not being struck hard enough. A few weeks of troubleshooting may have been avoided by the initial cleaning of the shipping lubricants and a look at the parts for any roughness that could be smoothed out. The correct tension on the mainspring may have been set prior to the firing of the first cap. I will wipe the nipple between firing to clean some of the fouling off the nipples. It is also good practice to tilt the revolver so the caps fall off and out of the action when cocking for the next round. It is always good practice to make sure the caps are fully set on the nipples. The pencil erasure push is a good idea.

Enjoy shooting your revolver.

Thank you! As I mentioned in the video, this is my first BP revolver. Being used to more modern firearms, I didn't go to the bother of an initial disassembly/cleaning. I doubt I'll make that mistake again. On a positive note, I really enjoy shooting the New Army. It will probably not be the last cap & ball revolver to grace my collection.

HRF

Ah, for real fun you need a flintlock pistol!

You're probably right. I've shot everything from airguns to machine guns, but one thing I have never shot is a flintlock. I need to rectify that deficiency some day.

HRF

Grenadier1758 said:

Ah, for real fun you need a flintlock pistol!

Click to expand...

Amen brother...nothing like a rock lock to help you invent an whole new vocabulary that'd make a drill instructor wince! On the positive side, once you get it worked out, there's no more gratifying feeling!!

I watched your three videos on the 1858 Remington and was impressed at your skill with the revolver :bow: . I did also watch some of your other videos and I must say you are a well rounded shooter and very good at it :thumbsup: . Thanks for the videos :

You're welcome. Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad you like my videos. I hope you enjoy the future ones as well as those I've already made. Take care.

HRF

Great Videos - Well Done!

Years ago I began accumulating cap & ball revolvers whenever on sale, from Cabelas. One thing in common to both Pietta & Uberti was the non-uniformity and poor finishing of their nipple manufacturing. Used to joke about some drunken Granny seated at a foot-pedal grinder, who was cranking them out without regard for uniform dimensions. Installing Treso/Ampco nipples eliminated all ignition and cap fit problems. I accumulated a good inventory of factory nipples, and was able to sort a couple of sets them into same dimensions to fit spare cylinders I purchased. When sorted into like groups, I've had no further problems with cap fit or ignition. I use #11 caps for the Treso/Ampco nipples, and #10's for my sorted factory sets.

It's interesting to note that when Granny was younger, she made better factory nipples. The Replica Arms/Uberti 1861 Navy Dad bought back in 1968 has always worked fine with its' factory nipples & the tapered cone section was finished smoother & without any machine marks on it.

Nevertheless, I've found that the Treso/Ampco nipples are the finest you can install.