Rem '58 newbie help.

[token tory]

My first cap 'n ball revolver (Uberti Remington 1858 army in .44) finally arrived today so or course I'm tinkering with my new addition, prior to heading off to the range to live fire this puppy!

FWIW I purchased this used, in like new condition, so I only have access to on-line manuals, which I've been reading, along with anything else I can find on the loading, maintenance & firing of it.

2 things come immediately to mind so I figured I'd ask here.

First: Removing the cylinder. The manuals I've been able to find say to do so at half cock & with the rammer dropped just enough to allow the axis pin to be pulled forward. OK all well & good, but the hand seems to be still passing through the recoil shield with the hammer at this position. Should I lower the hammer more to retract the hand?

Second:When loading (for real) the rammer seems to need the cylinder at a different position than the one it rotates to on half-cock to allow it to enter the chamber mouth.What am I doing wrong? :redface:

 

[tv_racin_fan]

Honestly you need someone who knows them to show you/take a look at it.

I don't have a Uberti but have experience with a Pietta. The pawl will give you a fit, it depends on how you go to half cock I believe, go stragith from dropped to half cock and not from full cock to half cocked should work better. (hand is under the cylinder and engages the notches on the side of cylinder, pawl is in the rear and engages notches there to turn it) I think once you go to full cock the hand wont disengage for half cock (I'd have to check for sure tho I can easily be wrong, that is how my Ruger Old Army works tho).

It is entirely possible that the cylinder was machined wrong or just needs a touch of fitting. THIS is why I said you need someone who knows what is what to look at it. You could take it to a local smith if he wont charge an arm and a leg to look at it.

Getting the cylinder out isn't much of a problem but getting it back in takes a bit of fiddling.

 

[napolean]

There is a spring on the hand and it will retract enough to allow removal of the cylinder, rotate the cylinder to the right slightly when removing and also when replacing. The cylinder does not or should not index in half cock, you should be able to manually line up the chamber to the rammer. The
"bolt" that locks the cylinder in place should stay retracted in the base of the frame in half cock. If otherwise, you need a revolversmith.
Jon

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

My first cap 'n ball revolver (Uberti Remington 1858 army in .44) finally arrived today so or course I'm tinkering with my new addition, prior to heading off to the range to live fire this puppy!

FWIW I purchased this used, in like new condition, so I only have access to on-line manuals, which I've been reading, along with anything else I can find on the loading, maintenance & firing of it.

2 things come immediately to mind so I figured I'd ask here.

First: Removing the cylinder. The manuals I've been able to find say to do so at half cock & with the rammer dropped just enough to allow the axis pin to be pulled forward. OK all well & good, but the hand seems to be still passing through the recoil shield with the hammer at this position. Should I lower the hammer more to retract the hand?

Second:When loading (for real) the rammer seems to need the cylinder at a different position than the one it rotates to on half-cock to allow it to enter the chamber mouth.What am I doing wrong? :redface:

As far as removing the cylinder, leave the revolver at half-cock just like the manual says. Then you ever so lightly rotate the cylinder to disengage it from the frame and it falls into your hands. Do the exact opposite for the re-installation of the cylinder. Your '58 only has three positions for the hammer: all the way down on a nipple, at half-cock, and at full-cock! Anything else and the thing is broke, so don't force it to do something it's not supposed to do!

As far as loading the chambers goes: At the half-cock position the cylinder is designed to fully rotate all of the way around. So you merely line-up the chamber with the rammer on the lever and then use the lever to seat the balls & wads onto the powder charges.

You'll find in time that things aren't as complicated as they first appear. As far as a starting load goes, try 25-30 grains of 3Fg Goex, a pre-lubed wonder-wad and a .454 ball. Ours shoot best with about 27 grains of powder.

Before you go to the range and get the thing dirty, you may want to make sure that the oil on the center pin isn't gummy from sitting around or dust. A little regular gun cleaner followed by a fresh application of gun oil will do the trick. And you'll get more needed experience in changing-out the cylinder!

Dave

 

[token tory]

Thanks for the fast replies.
I discovered that it does matter if you pull the hammer back to half-cock, or lower it from full to half cock. At least with this particular pistol.

The bolt is engaging the cylinder if the hammer is lowered, but not if it is raised to reach the half-cock position.

The hand does have a spring, thanks, I was just being cautious as a newbie & not wanting to force anything.

I'll definitely give it a good once over & re-lube appropriately before live firing too. I'm new & inexperienced, with BP, but have a lot of experience with more modern weapons, so I'm a little headstrong, but not careless. :surrender: :rotf:

 

[napolean]

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with your revolver. Daves load suggestion are spot on and you'll find your tightest groups somewhere in that range. I still get best accuracy with round balls after tring several different styles of conicals.
Jon

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Welcome to the forum and have fun! We'll all be here if you need anything further. When you ask a question about a revolver, it's o-k to mention that you've worked with more modern types, for reference purposes, so we can understand whether you're a candidate for becoming a brain surgeon (pistol smith) or not, LOL. Me, I'm in the NOT category :haha: .

Make smoke and have fun!

All the best!

Dave

 

[Zonie]

Congratulations on your new gun. :thumbsup:

Yes, as you found, the cylinder bolt that locks the cylinder remains up if you lower the hammer from full cock.
That makes sense because when you fire the gun you will want the thing that keeps the cylinder from rotating engaged.

Raising the hammer from the fired condition retracts the cylinder bolt so the cylinder can rotate or you can remove it from the frame.

Speaking of removing and installing the cylinder, this is done thru the right side of the frame (aft looking forward) only. Putting the cylinder in from the left side will just result in the hand catching on the many projections on the rear of the cylinder.

When you install the cylinder (from the right, with the hammer at half cock) rotate it clockwise slowly. It will catch on the hand and push it back into the frame making installation much easier.

Have fun!!

 

[dennis benedict]

When I got my first 1858 remington I also had a hard time getting the cylinder out of the gun. I told my son about the trouble and he looked at it and found out that if you pull back the hammer only a little bit the hand in the frame will fall back into the frame and then you can get the cylinder out real easy. And it will go in the same way. Just pull back the hammer a little bit toward half cock. Not all the way to half cock. This should help. Dennis.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Leave the hammer down, tilt the pistol 90 degrees to the right, with your hand under the cylinder, unlatch the rammer and pull out the cylinder pin. Then slowly cock the hammer, when it reaches the correct place, the cylinder should just fall out into your hand.

This method works fine for me, other's mileage may vary.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

a .357 mag caseing makes a good powder measure for 'target' loads. about 24 grs.
a X39 caseful (AK or SKS round) makes a good 'hot' load.
this is 3F.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

See, I told ya he'd stop by!

The Bliz knows his cases :wink:

Dave