Colt 1860 Army 1st gen questions

The one that Zonie shows is significantly larger than the one I used. Mine is more like this one I found on Amazon since I didn't find it listed in the Harbor Freight Catalog.

https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Tool-W2503-Impact-Extractor/dp/B00MXFFPVY

I didn't know I had a Harbor Freight Antique and Unique item.



You can see the modified hex bit I shaped to fit a revolver nipple.

ToothPick said:

The head of the wedge screw is a little big and needs to get tuned down a hair. I'm pretty sure they are Itailian... They all look recently made

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The poor man's way to turn down the screw head is to chuck the threads in a power drill, have a friend hold the drill on a table (or better put it in a vise), and while turning it at moderate speed use a small file, garnet paper, or whatever abrasive you choose to slightly dress it down. Go slowly and check several times or you'll take off more than you want. Then age it with bleach, vinegar, browning solution, etc.

I have done this several times before I got my lathe, and even now still use it for small fast work.

WHAT A FIND !!! Congrats!

Grenadier1758 said:

I didn't know I had a Harbor Freight Antique and Unique item.

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You can see the modified hex bit I shaped to fit a revolver nipple.

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We had a similar but much heavier impact driver from snap-on in an upholstery shop I worked at 35 years ago. It worked great for loosening frozen auto/marine bolts.
We also used one that required a sledge hammer when I was in heavy construction...don't miss and break someones fingers is what i recall about it!!

Please keep WD 40 away from guns. WD means water displacement but what is left will gum up and attract moisture. Even painted metal will rust if WD 40 is on it. Once dry nothing dissolves the stuff. I got guns to fix with firing pins frozen in so mechanical means had to be used to clean. Farmers in PA have 55 gallon drums of WD 40 and farm equipment rots fast. They spray it in guns. DON'T!

45man said:

Please keep WD 40 away from guns. WD means water displacement but what is left will gum up and attract moisture. Even painted metal will rust if WD 40 is on it. Once dry nothing dissolves the stuff. I got guns to fix with firing pins frozen in so mechanical means had to be used to clean. Farmers in PA have 55 gallon drums of WD 40 and farm equipment rots fast. They spray it in guns. DON'T!

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I totally agree..My good friend has been a Machinist/Gunsmith (CF guns) for almost 50 years. I've heard people ask him a 100x's "Do you like WD-40?" I love it, he says...its kept a roof over my head and sent my kids to college!!