New Model Army Cylinder Insertion

[TrophyGuy]

Just acquired a Pietta 1858 NMA to expand my collection. Haven’t shot it yet, only cleaned shipping oil. I am having moderate trouble inserting the cylinder on re-assembly. I’m used to gently rolling in cylinders on Colts and S&W revolvers to avoid ringing the cylinder around the locking recesses. This Rem has me stumped. Cylinder comes out fine, though not as easy as a SAA, but putting it back in is a puzzle. The spring loaded hand protrudes just enough to prevent slipping under the cylinder. I note that the slots the hand works in are cut with no notch to lead in the hand, not a big deal once assembled, but effectively trapping the cylinder outside the frame. I can get it in, but with a lot of wiggling. Is this unique to Pietta’s version of cylinder notches and hand? If this I how they all work, no Civil War solder would depend on an extra loaded cylinder. Is all this normal, or is my 1858 just tight? There is not much end shake or clearance of the cylinder in the frame.

 

[TDM]

Put the hammer to half cock and give it another try. Slide the cylinder in from the left with a slight rotation as you pull the hammer back.

 

[hawkeye2]

By "spring loaded hand" I'm guessing that you mean the bolt which comes up through the frame to engage the locking notches in the cylinder. With the gun on half cock this should be flush with or below the frame. It should not project enough to hinder inserting the cylinder. The Remington cylinders have no lead-in notches and work fine without them. If everything is correct you should be able to install the cylinder from the right side, gun on half-cock, while turning it clockwise (looking at it from the rear) which pushes the hand (the thingie that rotates the cylinder) back into the frame. You can literally have the cylinder in and out or out and in in seconds. I can't do a SSA as fast.

 

[TDM]

@hawkeye2 is correct, roll in from the right. I didn’t proof read mine, again.

 

[nick_1]

Cylinder goes in from the left on half cock with a counter clockwise rotation.

 

[Stantheman86]

The bolt scratched my cylinder up a little reinstalling it on half cock, I just pull the hammer back just far enough to get it out of the way and roll it in

 

[45D]

Cylinder goes in from the right ( just like Colt SAA and it's copies as well as Remington '75 and '90). The biggest reason is the hand is on the left and rolling the cyl pushes it back which allows you to center the cyl. If you go in from the left, you have the edge of the cyl to get by the hand followed by the base pin hole in the cyl to get past the hand and then center the cyl .
Of course, what ever floats yer boat. The easy way or the hard way . . .

Mike

 

[45D]

The bolt scratched my cylinder up a little reinstalling it on half cock, I just pull the hammer back just far enough to get it out of the way and roll it in

The bolt should be fully retracted at half cock . . . how'd that happen?
Holding the hammer " just right" is how marks get on things.
Mike

 

[Stantheman86]

The bolt should be fully retracted at half cock . . . how'd that happen?
Holding the hammer " just right" is how marks get on things.
Mike

Maybe it was past half cock, I'm not sure.

I have a bunch of non-rebated bullets to load in the cylinder loader so I guess I better learn , I'll be sure to Polish the scratches off before I probably sell it

 

[nick_1]

hammer should be firmly on half cock. no playing around with it. especially if the cylinder is capped.

 

[TrophyGuy]

I guess it just takes practice and fiddling. There is only one hammer position where both hammer, locking bolt and hand are all retracted out of the way, just off fully down, and it takes dexterity to hold there while rolling in the cylinder. Every other hammer position, including half cock, has something in the way, not to mention the loading lever ram if clumsy like me. I did discover that rolling the cylinder in from the left is somewhat easier.

 

[No second place]

This could be on a FAQ for beginners page or The "revolvers noobie forum" page along with all the rest of the commonly posted noob questions...but, that would eliminate about half our postings...c

 

[TDM]

It would indeed.

 

[hawkeye2]

I guess it just takes practice and fiddling. There is only one hammer position where both hammer, locking bolt and hand are all retracted out of the way, just off fully down, and it takes dexterity to hold there while rolling in the cylinder. Every other hammer position, including half cock, has something in the way, not to mention the loading lever ram if clumsy like me. I did discover that rolling the cylinder in from the left is somewhat easier.

While that's true installing the cylinder with the gun in half-cock eliminates another thing to deal with while trying not to loose the cylinder pin and keeping the loading lever out of the way. The hand projecting into the opening has about as much consequence as a gnat on a bull's butt.

 

[hawkeye2]

This could be on a FAQ for beginners page or The "revolvers noobie forum" page along with all the rest of the commonly posted noob questions...but, that would eliminate about half our postings...c

True but there's always lube and how to remove a stuck brush or dry ball to fall back on.

 

[nick_1]

so i tried the inserting cylinder from the right today with a spin on half cock and it works well. time to break a habbit