Wells Fargo, cheap

[Bishop Creek]

Well, you might get some extra clearance if you shoot it much before fixing the arbor. But, since it's a smaller scale, it's in effect "overbuilt"  for the charges. That said, it is important to do the arbor fix.
 Glad it's functioning well. They seem to be popular as they trickle through the shop.
  If you want to install a coil handspring in the frame, the screw hole is the location. You'll have to shorten that screw but it  works very nice.

Have fun!
Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
Follow me on Instagram @ goonsgunworks

Pardon my ignorance Mike, I have read about them but don't understand, what exactly is a coil hand spring?

[ssb73q]

Hi Bishop, the coil spring are Ruger plunger and spring to replace the leaf spring of the revolver hand. It's supposed to prevent breaking the hand spring. However, I have never broken a hand spring, but did do the mod on four BP revolvers. On first blush it seems to be a preferred hand spring method, but comes with its own issue. Cylinder drag from the original hand spring is gone where cylinder over rotation can occur when cocking fast. Heavy grease on the arbor cured over rotation on my 1860 conversion. The 1851s didn't have that issue with the hand spring mod. Of course I could always replace the Ruger hand spring parts with a new hand with flat spring. IMO sometimes we should just leave the original design alone.

Regards,
Richard

[ssb73q]

Hi Bishop, see pages 9-15 of this reference:

http://www.theopenrange.net/articles/Tuning_the_Pietta_Part_Two.pdf

Regards,
Richard

[45 Dragoon]

Hey Bishop!!
  That article should give you an idea of what the hand spring "fix" is. 
 Richard has some info backwards though. The installation of the coil and plunger (Ruger style - more spring than plunger) INDUCES throw-by (it's too soft) which is why you typically see a "beauty ring" on Rugers. A correctly set up flat hand spring is what keeps throw-by at bay.  This is why I was taught NOT to do the conversion. My own coil and pushrod (as much pushrod as spring but the spring has more tension) mimics the flat spring action and feel without the induced throw-by. That gives you Colt feel with Ruger life span! I believe Richard "solved " his induced throw-by by using a stiff grease rather than a stouter spring.

Anyway, the most broken spring is the hand spring (of course not by the accounts of Richard and Hawg!!) and this seems to be the most wanted "upgrade" , second is the torsion spring for the bolt (the second most broken spring).

On the pocket type revolvers, the placement of the spring in the frame is not the same as for the Army,Navy, Dragoons and Walkers.

Thanks for asking Bishop!!

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
Follow me on Instagram @ goonsgunworks

[Bishop Creek]

Thanks for the replies ssb73q and 45 Dragoon. Now I understand. I do have a Ruger Old Army so I should have known better.

[ssb73q]

Hi Mike, I think that the Pettifogger articles have become the bible for BP replica revolver improvement. As with most things, improvements can always be made with experience. Maybe you could write a new and improved enlightened bible?

 

Regards,
Richard

[Dave Shooter]

Well, I did get out and shoot three cylinders full through it the other day.  CCI 10s didn't fit, Rem 11s fit fine.

The good news: went bang every time cap went off; had one Rem that didn't pop even when hit three times.  When cap replaced it fired fine.

Hits 10 inches high at 15 yards when loaded with 15 grains Old Eynsford Fffg and .320 buckshot.  Surprisingly tight cluster of shots. If I wanted to correct the elevation my math says I'd need a front sight 0.13" taller.  Anybody make a SMALL half round german silver or brass dovetail front sight?

The bad news: every cap blew off and sent hammer back enough to leave a "squished spider" of cap fragments stuck to the frame, making it inoperative until cleared.  Not too difficult to pry off and prevent from falling into the action but annoying.  Gonna try some Ampcos next.
Also, you can drive the wedge in far enough to bind, at least if you give it a good wack with a brass faced hammer.  The plastic screwdriver handle I'd used in the shop hadn't drove it in as far so hadn't seen that problem before.

Fun little beast!  Just a little more work to do.

[45 Dragoon]

Good deal Dave!

And, its an Uberti  .  .  .  .  Uberti is Italian for "short arbor"!! 

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
Follow me on Instagram @goonsgunworks

[Dave Shooter]

Yep.  This tiny 0.020" washer with a bit of JB Weld is my temp fix.

[ssb73q]

Hi Dave, thanks for the shooting report. I agree with you that the 1849 and Wells Fargo is a bad cap sucker. I filled in my hammer face slots with silver solder. It helps, but isn't perfect. My perfect cap suck solution is to use 32 S&W in conversion cylinders. My experience is that cap sucking is inversely proportional to the Colt replica revolver size.

Looks like you have a good fix for your short arbor. The Uberti barrel arbor hole is rarely flat, but conical. A small diameter centered button as you show is all that's needed.

Regards,
Richard 

[45 Dragoon]

Nice Dave!
  Just for the heck of it, what is your barrel/cylinder clearance? Wedge driven in /cylinder pulled to the rear.

If you want to go with a cap post,  it's a little more difficult than the "run of the mill".  The metal is too thin to drill and tap, so you have to move back where there is plenty of meat!  You need to drill in at least a 45 deg. angle and can go plenty deep. The arbor will now have two  locking devices. The original pin and the screwed in cap post!  After installing, the stainless will allow you to bend it down into position. Dress it down to just under the width of the safety notch  and clearance the hammer for it !! Easy peasy!! Lol !!  After you do a few, it's really not that bad .  .  .  .  .  but it gives you a solid barrier to keep caps/frags out of the action.
  Throw-by is probably more a timing issue than the bolt window (but clean it up anyway). The bolt spring has way too much tension and will wreck (peen) the locking notches if it's dropping on the edge. It will also eat your cam up eventually if left as is. There's a lot of fixes that will make your pocket revolver a most reliable and perfect functioning weapon.

 Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
Follow me on Instagram @ goonsgunworks

[Dave Shooter]

Mike, a .003 feeler gauge passes fully through the gap, but the gap is not parallel.  It tapers, so I don't have quite enough arbor length/ hole fill.  I suppose I could take off a little material from the barrel in the area of the locator pin seats.

I've done several Pettifogger Dillon button arbor mods lately with decent results.  A #2 Dillon button just starts in 1849 arbor hole, but the pin diameter is actually larger than the wedge slot in the arbor; both parts would need turned down.  I didn't feel like that much effort and cast about my workbench area for something that might work.  The washer keeps it from binding and didn't require any drilling, tapping, turning, swearing, or sanding.  The JB Weld is to keep from losing the washer since I don't plan to load a Wells Fargo on gun.  I put it on arbor instead of in hole so it'd be easier to remove if I decide on something else later.

[Dave Shooter]

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/167449/uberti-1849-wells-fargo-black-powder-revolver-31-caliber-4-barrel-steel-frame-blue

Not quite as good a deal as last winter but if anyone's looking for a Wells Fargo...

[Len]

The supplied video was nice !

[LonesomePigeon]

That is a really good price, $233.36.