Old FIE 1858 Remington .44 Brass Frame Revolver

[VAN]

A friend inherited this revolver with a bunch of other guns. It was very hard to cock so he brought it to me to check. I guess it is just worn out in the hand slot because of heavy use over the years on the brass frame. Here is a picture of the hand at half cock and the slot chimney base was protruding out into the frame. After peening it back flush it cocks a bit better but is too far gone to be reliable. Just the problem with a brass frame after a long life, I guess.

 

[Jappo]

I've seen worse. The hand might be replaceable. Not sure what brand would work. Only ones that I've found available are Uberti, Armi San Marco and Pietta. Have you completely dissadembled it? Might be cap debris in it. By the outside looks, probably a lot of gunk in in there also. Looks like a good project to me. Keep someone busy.

 

[VAN]

I disassembled the gun and cleaned/lubed inside so it cocks easy and smooth until the cylinder is installed. The hand just won't rotate the cylinder without feeling balky. He does not know if the hand or cylinder are the original ones though. I suspect the cylinder but don't see any ID marks on it.

 

[Jappo]

Does the cylinder rotate by hand on half cock? I know Pietta cylinders are longer than most all manufacturers. Might have a Pietta cylinder if its rubbing on the barrel. The cylinder pushes forward some when cocked.

 

[VAN]

Does the cylinder rotate by hand on half cock? I know Pietta cylinders are longer than most all manufacturers. Might have a Pietta cylinder if its rubbing on the barrel. The cylinder pushes forward some when cocked.

The cylinder does rotate easy by hand on half cock. I just found a PN stamp on the cylinder and also on the frame so it must be the original cylinder. I noticed the nipples are not centered in the hammer slot on full cock. The loading ram is centered and works fine to load a ball and the cylinder bore and barrel bore line up perfectly, but the nipples travel a bit too far to the right. It obviously works but I have never seen such overtravel with the nipples so they show off center marks on the hammer face. I may try smoothing the hand a bit with a stone, but the nipple rotation is what it is, I guess. Here is a picture.

 

[Jappo]

The cylinder does rotate easy by hand on half cock. I just found a PN stamp on the cylinder and also on the frame so it must be the original cylinder. I noticed the nipples are not centered in the hammer slot on full cock. The loading ram is centered and works fine to load a ball and the cylinder bore and barrel bore line up perfectly, but the nipples travel a bit too far to the right. It obviously works but I have never seen such overtravel with the nipples so they show off center marks on the hammer face. I may try smoothing the hand a bit with a stone, but the nipple rotation is what it is, I guess. Here is a picture. View attachment 306327

So when it locks up on full cock, the nipples don't line up?

 

[VAN]

So when it locks up on full cock, the nipples don't line up?

Thats right. Everything else lines up as I it should but the nipples seem to be located off in the cylinder so they are almost to the edge of the hammer slot on the right side when looking down the barrel from the back. I wonder if it is the frame thats warped. Everything lining up at the front but warped at the back just a little is the only thing I can think of.

 

[Jappo]

Thats right. Everything else lines up as I it should but the nipples seem to be located off in the cylinder so they are almost to the edge of the hammer slot on the right side when looking down the barrel from the back. I wonder if it is the frame thats warped. Everything lining up at the front but warped at the back just a little is the only thing I can think of.

Ok, sounds like the wrong cylinder. Kinda hard to warp brass. Does the bore line up with chambers? Can you line up the nipples by turning the cylinder. The bolt might have side to side play.
Only revolver I've seen the nipples not line up is the Lemat.

 

[VAN]

Ok, sounds like the wrong cylinder. Kinda hard to warp brass. Does the bore line up with chambers? Can you line up the nipples by turning the cylinder. The bolt might have side to side play.
Only revolver I've seen the nipples not line up is the Lemat.

The bore lines up perfectly with the cylinder chambers when locked up at full cock and you can not line up nipples by turning on the cylinder. No side play at all with the bolt either. Thats why it would seem to me to be a slight frame warp at the rear or the wrong cylinder even though cylinder is also an FIE same as the gun. The owner passed away so we dont know the history of any work done or changes made. I may get it to cock smoother but the nipple off center deforms the edge of the hammer over time.

 

[Jappo]

The bore lines up perfectly with the cylinder chambers when locked up at full cock and you can not line up nipples by turning on the cylinder. No side play at all with the bolt either. Thats why it would seem to me to be a slight frame warp at the rear or the wrong cylinder even though cylinder is also an FIE same as the gun. The owner passed away so we dont know the history of any work done or changes made. I may get it to cock smoother but the nipple off center deforms the edge of the hammer over time.

Might have come like that from the factory. They weren't high quality revolvers. Can't tell you anymore besides what I already have. As long as the chambers line up with the barrel bore and the hammer doesn't hit the cylinder. I'd shoot some light loads out of it. Don't get me wrong, not telling you to shoot it. Others might disagree but I personally would.

 

[Jappo]

Something I found on the net.

After the disappearance of EIG, Giacosa Luciano continued to supply his successor, FIE (Firearms Import & Export), until 1971, then gave way to Esterina Riva, the PR logo.


With the arrival of FIE on the market, at least four other models of replicas of handguns appeared, all historically incorrect, but cheap to produce and therefore to sell to American shooters. Firearms Import and Export Corp. (FIE) filed for bankruptcy in November of 1990. All models were discontinued.

https://www.capandballrevolvers.com/MAKERS_AND_IMPORTERS

 

[VAN]

Might have come like that from the factory. They weren't high quality revolvers. Can't tell you anymore besides what I already have. As long as the chambers line up with the barrel bore and the hammer doesn't hit the cylinder. I'd shoot some light loads out of it. Don't get me wrong, not telling you to shoot it. Others might disagree but I personally would.

Something I found on the net.

After the disappearance of EIG, Giacosa Luciano continued to supply his successor, FIE (Firearms Import & Export), until 1971, then gave way to Esterina Riva, the PR logo.


With the arrival of FIE on the market, at least four other models of replicas of handguns appeared, all historically incorrect, but cheap to produce and therefore to sell to American shooters. Firearms Import and Export Corp. (FIE) filed for bankruptcy in November of 1990. All models were discontinued.

https://www.capandballrevolvers.com/MAKERS_AND_IMPORTERS

Thanks Jappo, It will shoot but you can tell It was not a high quality gun.

 

[Jappo]

Thanks Jappo, It will shoot but you can tell It was not a high quality gun.

I have one in 36 caliber. Couldn't find a cylinder to fit. Got me an unmentionable in 22 and made it work. Works great.
Good luck, have fun and stay safe

 

[jdesro]

Thats right. Everything else lines up as I it should but the nipples seem to be located off in the cylinder so they are almost to the edge of the hammer slot on the right side when looking down the barrel from the back. I wonder if it is the frame thats warped. Everything lining up at the front but warped at the back just a little is the only thing I can think of.

I have a couple of these revolvers. Both of them do that - with the nipples off to the right side of the hammer slot. Just a thing with these FIE imports, apparently. Doesn't seem to affect function at all.

 

[VAN]

I have a couple of these revolvers. Both of them do that - with the nipples off to the right side of the hammer slot. Just a thing with these FIE imports, apparently. Doesn't seem to affect function at all.

Thats good to know they are just made that way. I will just try to smooth up the hand and bolt surfaces to see if it helps the cycling of the cylinder and get it to shooting. Thanks jdesro