Colt Country | Home of The Almighty Colt
Black Powder Pistols => Sidehammer "Root" models => Topic started by: ShotgunDave on January 06, 2022, 09:40:26 AM
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I have been wanting one of these for quite some time. As you all know, they are very hard to find, and expensive when you do find one. So when this one fell into my lap, I scooped it up. A gentleman on another forum mentioned in a post, that he had one and that he wanted rid of it. He said it was taken apart and he could not figure out how to put it back together. He had even sold it once to someone else, and they too could not figure out the weird mechanism. So he refunded their money and put the gun in a drawer. Until I came along. He offered the gun to me for $200 as is, and I jumped on it. This is how the gun arrived to me.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51804386030_c6ce878b67_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51803663101_d5d1a39570_z.jpg)
As you can see, it's a jigsaw puzzle. There aren't any parts that look even remotely "Colt" like. And there isn't much information out there about these things. I found an exploded parts diagram for it and that's about it. So armed with that, I set about putting the thing back together.
You cans see through this window, the slotted and hooked end of the mainspring. It goes over the toggle in that little drum that fits in the hole. Very fiddly to say the least. Then the weird looking cylinder bolt slides up through the trigger hole and snakes up over that drum. I think Ol' Sam tried to make the most difficult mechanism he could!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51804020304_cc32cf7019_z.jpg)
Once you have all that in place, the hand goes in from the other side. And it's fiddly too, because everything has to be clocked exactly right for the hammer to go on. There was lots of cussing and holding my tongue just right to get this all together. But in the end, I got it. But there was one small problem. I put the spur trigger in place, installed the screw, and tried cocking the piece. No go. The hammer wouldn't hold on a notch and the trigger was flopping around in it's slot. Then the trigger fell completely out! Here is what I found.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51803778843_ffc0d0fec3_z.jpg)
The trigger snapped in half right at the hole for the screw. It must have been very thin and ready to break. Here's what it's supposed to look like.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51802704702_0f877a839d_z.jpg)
I'm going to try and weld it back together and remake the screw hole in it. If that doesn't work, I suppose I'll have to try and make one. I've scoured the internet and there are exactly zero parts available for these pistols. Unless any of you guys know where to look. The loading lever latch on the barrel is missing as well. I think I can make one from a Navy work by filing it down. I have a couple of those laying around to try.
So here it is all in one piece (mostly) and fully functional (mostly). The hammer pulls and the cylinder indexes and locks up like it's supposed to. All I need now is a trigger. At least now, I have a hard to find Root for my collection.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51802704682_7aefd4680b_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51802704662_22c1ba824d_z.jpg)
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Dave! That is an awesome looking revolver! When were those animals produced? Very cool my friend.
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Congratulations on your latest find. I've alway wanted one. S&Sfirearms has the trigger listed for $80.00. They list all the parts from what I see. Unfortunately none are in stock. Call them and see.
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That's a nifty looking revolver.
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Cool score, Dave. Congrats. I look forward to hearing how it is to play with.
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Thanks Fellas. Definitely excited to have this one. I knew if anyone would know where to get parts, it would be you Fingers. I'll call S&S and see if they can get the trigger. For what I have in this project, it'd be worth the $80 to get it up and running.
I did set about today to make a lever latch. With a bench grinder, a few files and some elbow grease, I was able to whittle one out of a Navy part. It was about twice as big as it should be, in all dimensions. But I think it looks the part now, and above all it works.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51804249548_c9247a0105_z.jpg)
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You go Smithy👍
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So when you get the trigger fixed are ya gonna hunt some roots wif it? (7+" (7+" (7+"
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That's very nice Dave!!! So, what is it ? .44, .36, .40, 10mm , .223, 30-30 , !!
Mike
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That's very nice Dave!!! So, what is it ? .44, .36, .40, 10mm , .223, 30-30 , !!
Mike
.31
Dave, outstanding job horsing that thing back together! Looks great! I knew you could do it! Now, go have yourself a frosty "Root Beer"!
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So when you get the trigger fixed are ya gonna hunt some roots wif it? (7+" (7+" (7+"
They'd have to be awfully small roots shootin em with a .31!!
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Nice little piece, root and branch. They came in .28, too. Lee was given one when he left West Point after being the Supe there for three years.
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Thats an awesome looking gun Dave congrats
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Hello Dave,
have you got that trigger problem solved?
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Hello Dave,
have you got that trigger problem solved?
Kinda Len. I found a piece of tool steel the appropriate size. It's sitting here next to me in the vice, awaiting my attention. Been busy the last few days, so I haven't messed with it. That is going to change real quick. Hope to have it sorted out this week.
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I have some down time right now, so I started working on the trigger for this little pistol. I was looking around for the right piece of metal for the project, and this chisel presented itself. I think it will do the trick. A black Sharpie was used to color the metal, and then I traced the trigger out with a scribe.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51857167338_82db8d50a5_z.jpg)
I cut it off to make it more manageable.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51857083116_cbc19d42dd_z.jpg)
And now the fun part begins. Removing anything that isn't a trigger!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51857167323_9bdc1d162b_z.jpg)
I don't have a machine shop, so this method will have to do. It's going to take a little while, I'm sure. So stay tune for more updates as I go. Hopefully soon enough, I'll have a pistol that actually fires!
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I'm excited for you, Dave! Can't wait to see you actually shoot the little little thing! I will hereby dub thee "Noisy Cricket"
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Innovative. A decent chisel would certainly offer the right quality of steel. I can't say I'd have thought of that. I will remember this in the future.
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I'm excited for you, Dave! Can't wait to see you actually shoot the little little thing! I will hereby dub thee "Noisy Cricket"
Ever seen "Men In Black?
Innovative. A decent chisel would certainly offer the right quality of steel. I can't say I'd have thought of that. I will remember this in the future.
I was looking for something made out of decent steel Marshal. I was actually looking at cutting up a nice Snap-On wrench when I saw the chisel. I'm pretty sure I can heat treat the contact surface on the sear portion too. Hopefully it will last a little longer that way.
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Heat treating it is a good idea and that steel should take it nicely. Good thinking.
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Heat treating it is a good idea and that steel should take it nicely. Good thinking.
Thanks Marshal. I was thinking the surface of the sear that interacts with the hammer notch, would be toast in no time without heat treating it. I think just simply heating it to red and dunking it in oil should do the trick.
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That would probably do the trick. I made a tomahawk one time and heated the blade to yellow, just short of sparking, then dipped it in the toilet. It got so hard it was hard to sharpen it. (7+"
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I'm excited for you, Dave! Can't wait to see you actually shoot the little little thing! I will hereby dub thee "Noisy Cricket"
Ever seen "Men In Black?
You don't think I thought that up by my lonesome, do ya?
Of course I have! And your little Root reminds me of the Noisy Cricket!
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I'm excited for you, Dave! Can't wait to see you actually shoot the little little thing! I will hereby dub thee "Noisy Cricket"
Ever seen "Men In Black?
You don't think I thought that up by my lonesome, do ya?
Of course I have! And your little Root reminds me of the Noisy Cricket!
That's what I figured! And you're right, it does!!
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Dave, fantastic. Man you are getting all industrious and sharing photo's to boot!! Very inspirational as well. Makes me wanna get in there an help? Well, you've got it all under control it seems.
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Just a thought, Dave. If you haven't got an acetylene torch for heating the trigger (with a sooty flame), heat it in a charcoal BBQ bowl, in order not to oxidize the carbon out of the surface that you want to be hard.
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Just a thought, Dave. If you haven't got an acetylene torch for heating the trigger (with a sooty flame), heat it in a charcoal BBQ bowl, in order not to oxidize the carbon out of the surface that you want to be hard.
Thanks for the tip Len. I have a little propane torch. And I have a MAPP gas torch. I'll do as you suggest.
And thanks Tim. If you were closer I'd gladly welcome the help. I'd have you do all this grinding!
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I have one of those i took apart a couple years back and could never put back together, lol! It's all in a ziplock bag in my closet now.
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I'd be putting it back together. How hard can it be? I put together a 94 Winchester out of a cigar box of parts when I was 15 and had never even held one before. No internet, no diagram, no nothing.
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I have one of those i took apart a couple years back and could never put back together, lol! It's all in a ziplock bag in my closet now.
That's exactly how I acquired this one Dave!! If you decide you want to get rid of yours, maybe we can work out a deal. I have trades or cash. I'd even buy just the trigger from you if you're not going to put yours back together.
I'd be putting it back together. How hard can it be? I put together a 94 Winchester out of a cigar box of parts when I was 15 and had never even held one before. No internet, no diagram, no nothing.
Hawg, it is VERY difficult to put these Root pistols together. I don't even know how to explain the innards of these things. It took me a couple days to figure it out.
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Hawg, it is VERY difficult to put these Root pistols together. I don't even know how to explain the innards of these things. It took me a couple days to figure it out.
That's what they say about a 94 Winchester. I'd be willing to bet I could get it back together.
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Great accomplishment getting it together. Good looking revolver, looking forward to hearing more about your progress on it. (7& :usa-flag-89:
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I totally wanna see the range report on this one..