Uberti Whitneyville Dragoon Quality?

[WSAR15]

I have received 2 x Uberti Whitneyville Dragons.
The first from November went back to the distributor and was replaced (Firing mechanism was defective).
The second from December has been returned to Uberti (Distributor refused to take it back because I cleaned the grease on the outside). The barrel cannot be removed and the cylinder will not rotated with the wedge pushed in. I am new to black-powder, and never had such issues with regular pistols.
Anybody encountering these quality issues?
Thanks

 

[Stantheman86]

The wedge was probably pounded in too tight, binding up the gun. They all do that unless you correct the issue. I'm sure the resident "guy who will happily take your $300 to "fix" your brand new Italian gun" will be along shortly to go on about the short arbor

I fix the short arbors myself, easy peasy.

There was probably nothing wrong with that gun , they all arrive looking like they were assembled by an ape with a mallet

 

[WSAR15]

I removed the wedge easily by taking it out with a light nylon tipped gunsmith hammer to remove the barrel.
The cylinder was binding but could be rotated with some strength.
I simply lightly tapped it back in and the cylinder will not rotate.
How do you fix short arbors?

 

[Stantheman86]

I removed the wedge easily by taking it out with a light nylon tipped gunsmith hammer to remove the barrel.
The cylinder was binding but could be rotated with some strength.
I simply lightly tapped it back in and the cylinder will not rotate.
How do you fix short arbors?

People either buy a pack of thin 9 or 10mm OD stainless washers and drop them in until the arbor "bottoms out", with a good B/C gap. You may have to lightly file one to get the fit perfect

I myself gave up on that and just used a tin foil "plug" I slowly built up until it was a solid "lock" for the arbor. My Walkers have the tin foil plugs and I recently did my one Dragoon with one. So far so good

 

[WSAR15]

Thanks, but I still have the barrel removal issue...

 

[Bighorserider]

Search through this forum. There are volumes written about your problems.

 

[45D]

Thanks, but I still have the barrel removal issue...

Easy enough, put the hammer on half cock and use the loading lever to pry the barrel assy off. (Plunger will be between chambers)

If you will search my posts, you'll find an "Easy to do" method to do a CORRECT arbor length correction (no "foil" or "washer stacks") and, as you see, info given freely.
I wonder what my status would be if I talked about "another" member here like has been done in this thread?!
The Whitneyville is a really nice Dragoon.

Mike

 

[WSAR15]

45D: "Put the hammer on half cock and use the loading lever to pry the barrel assy off. (Plunger will be between chambers). I tried and failed.
Thanks or the info.

 

[45D]

45D: "Put the hammer on half cock and use the loading lever to pry the barrel assy off. (Plunger will be between chambers). I tried and failed.
Thanks or the info.

Nothing wrong with failure!! That's how you learn!! Lol
What you'll need to do is put your wedge on the cylinder and let the plunger rest on the wedge. ( no damage to the chamber mouths) and tap the leaver with a hammer.

Mike

 

[WSAR15]

OK, a little more aggressive than what I would have thought. Many thanks.

 

[45D]

No problem.

Mike

 

[Crow Choker]

WSAR15--I had the same problem with a new open top Uberti Colt once. It being a Conversion revolver, I had no loading lever to pry it off. After some gentle persuasion I did get the barrel assembly off and found that when the Uberti people milled the slot in the barrel assembly for the wedge, they left some rough milling burrs inside the assembly where the wedge goes in. Imagine whatever they used to persuade the barrel assembly onto the arbor was of greater force than necessary but left it as is. I tried to put the barrel assembly back on just to check things and as soon as the front of the arbor met the wedge slot in the barrel assembly it would stop.

Read previously once on another forum (CAS CITY) that when the barrel assembly is on the arbor just past the two lower receiver pins, you should be able to turn it left and right with ease, but not a sloppy fit. When taking the barrel off initially, the barrel once past the receiver's two lower pins that fit into the barrel assembly, the barrel would not turn a bit left or right. I carefully filed/stoned the interior of the barrel assembly and wedge slot, also the arbor slot of the burrs and roughness. I also without taking any dimensions from the arbor hole in the barrel assembly, put some fine emery cloth on a slotted wooden dowl and twisted it around in the interior of the barrel assembly arbor hole. Assembled and disassembled with ease after that. Something to look for.

 

[ernbar]

When I got my 2nd Model Dragoon from Midway I couldn’t get the barrel or nipples off. By using the loading lever to help pull the barrel off I then used 600 grit fine wet dry paper to polish the arbor front area and mounting pins on the frame. That took care of the issue. For nipple removal I made my own wrench from a 5mm deep socket and mounted the cylinder on a jig in my vise to get the nipples off. I also had a blemish on the right side of the frame but that came off with some careful polishing.

 

[GBG]

I have received 2 x Uberti Whitneyville Dragons.
The first from November went back to the distributor and was replaced (Firing mechanism was defective).
The second from December has been returned to Uberti (Distributor refused to take it back because I cleaned the grease on the outside). The barrel cannot be removed and the cylinder will not rotated with the wedge pushed in. I am new to black-powder, and never had such issues with regular pistols.
Anybody encountering these quality issues?
Thanks

There was probably nothing wrong with that gun , they all arrive looking like they were assembled by an ape with a mallet

I really appreciate the OP starting this thread, Stan's post, and all the questions and comments. I know zero about C&B revolvers and just received an Uberti 1848 3rd Model Colt Dragoon.

As a former machinist I thought the parts had been made late Friday afternoon before the World Cup Finals and assembled early Monday morning by a brand-new employee who was blind drunk. Think I'll keep the revolver now and consider it a "gun kit".

I'm already watching dualist1954's videos but Internet service is very unreliable here. Can anyone recommend a good book on C&B gunsmithing?

 

[Stantheman86]

Thanks, but I still have the barrel removal issue...

I have never not been able to work a Barrel off with a nylon or plastic punch placed anywhere you can get an angle on it, and tapping the barrel out just enough for the "loading lever in between two chambers" method to work

It seems obvious but it's gotten me a few times, make sure the wedge is 100% out of the way. It may look like its sticking out as far as it can but there's still engagement keeping the barrel from coming off

I almost always remove the wedge fully anyway

 

[45D]

Can anyone recommend a good book on C&B gunsmithing?

Mike

 

[Crow Choker]

I have never not been able to work a Barrel off with a nylon or plastic punch placed anywhere you can get an angle on it, and tapping the barrel out just enough for the "loading lever in between two chambers" method to work

It seems obvious but it's gotten me a few times, make sure the wedge is 100% out of the way. It may look like its sticking out as far as it can but there's still engagement keeping the barrel from coming off

I almost always remove the wedge fully anyway

Aways take the wedge out every time also. It doesn't take much of the wedge still in or a small corner to still engage the arbor slot. I had one previous capper other than the one I mentioned in post #12 that had a sticky barrel that came forward enough that I was able to use two pieces of thin hard plastic shaped like chisels to force the barrel off. Placed one on each side between the cylinder and the barrel and tapped each several times and the barrel slid forward. Had a few burrs inside. Before tapping on the plastic chisels though I placed a couple of pieces of thin flat plastic between the rear of the cylinder and the recoil shield so as not to force the cylinder back against the shield and do any damage.

The Uberti Open Top revolver I mentioned in post #12 I constructed a harness to pull it off. Took around a 8' piece of heavy leather thong and in the middle of the thong I started wrapping it around the barrel between the end of the ejector and the front site. It was a modified whipping knot my Dad had showed me from his days in WW2 aboard ship. Ended up with the two long ends of the leather thong at the barrel and wrapped them around a metal pipe around 3-4 times each. Oiled the arbor/barrel area, stepped on either side of the pipe with feet, grabbed the revolver tight with both hands around the receiver, and pulled. Easy at first, no result, pulled a bit harder the 2nd try and it gave. Had laid some rugs around the area in case the barrel really came free fast so as neither it or the cylinder would be damaged if they fell. Barrel popped loose enough and stayed on the arbor for easy removal. Glad that isn't always the need for barrel removal. Was a process going through all of that but worked.

The Jerry Kuhnhausen book 45D posted is a good one. Tons of valuable info between its covers.