Colt barrel wedges

[hmbeyer]

I have bought my first Colt revolvers this summer because I have always liked the looks of them. They only thing that puzzles me is the barrel wedge. Some are fairly easy to remove & some fairly difficult. All require my old plastic Boeing hammer and a brass punch or clothes pin. I am pretty sure the original users did not carry a plastic hammer & clothes pin with them. How easy should they be to remove?
Thanks,
HB

 

[crockett]

You usually had to have a block of wood, etc to give them a light tap to drive them out.

 

[M. De Land]

There is usually a ledge on the head underside of the wedge. I believe this was for prying the wedge out. I do this routinely with a screw driver and a Popsicle stick against he barrel to protect the finish.
Mine come right out with very little pressure required. Mike D.

 

[necchi]

I am pretty sure the original users did not carry a plastic hammer & clothes pin with them.

Your right, but original owners where buying Colts from a manufacturer that was producing pistols on original machines with original tolerances that where assembled by original workers in an era a little different than ours.

Now various parts are many times made in several factories around the world , shipped to a central plant and assembled (or should I say the parts slammed together) as quickly as possible with the only thing in mind to make as much money as possible.

So with that, when it comes to wedges they are actually one of several things on these Colt reproductions that need to be fitted by the purchaser/owner when he opens the box.

Can you tell where the wedge is binding?
The thickness?
The width?
Random scoring tracks on the wedge from the arbor's slot?

Do you know the wedge does not need to be pushed in so far that the keeper clip exits the right side of the barrel slot?

 

[hmbeyer]

Thanks fellas.

 

I have bought my first Colt revolvers this summer because I have always liked the looks of them. They only thing that puzzles me is the barrel wedge. Some are fairly easy to remove & some fairly difficult. All require my old plastic Boeing hammer and a brass punch or clothes pin. I am pretty sure the original users did not carry a plastic hammer & clothes pin with them. How easy should they be to remove?
Thanks,
HB

As others have already said. 150years ago is different today in machining and attention to detail.
Some retaining screws will cause a wedge to stick.
But a properly fitted wedge should come out with finger pressure.
In mine.
I gently rounded the sharp corners of the wedge to remove any machining burrs.
Then in the top of the frame slot in the center where the wedge flat spring rides, dressed it clean. Then did the same with the edged where the wedge was rubbing. But be careful a little goes a long ways.
Now My walker and 1860's different manufacturers remove with just finger pressure.

 

[hmbeyer]

Thank you.
I will do that.