Pietta 1851 brass frame kit

[ssb73q]

Hi, last February I purchased a Pietta 1851 brass frame kit from Dixie Gun Works to try nitre bluing, the kit:
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index/page/product/product_id/8666/category_id/327/category_chain/312,325,327/product_name/RV0200+Dixie+Pietta+1851+Navy+Brass+Frame+Revolver+Kit
As it turned out the kit wasn't in the white, but the barrel and cylinder were beautifully blued. This is how the revolver looked on receipt:


I have been through the kit building experience before and would rather have a root canal than build this kit. I tried to sell the kit on the gun forums, but nobody was interested. I was then going to sell the barrel, cylinder, and timed parts on eBay. We lost power for two days and with the internet down and bad weather outside, I gave in and decided to build this kit. I will document the build to maybe help others that are also interested in such torture.

The two days were spent filing and sanding down that cruddy looking frame. I also sanded the grips to be a perfect fit on the frame. That's what is nice about the brass frame, you don't have to worry about screwing up nice bluing of a blued revolver frame when fitting the grips. You sand down the grips right on the frame. The grips were fine sanded and stained.

This is the 1851 frame after a half hour on the buffing wheel using Fitz polish:







This is the grips after one coat of tung oil:





The frame will be given another half hour of buffing and the grips will be rubbed down with steel wool for the next coat of tung oil. Four to five coats of tung oil will be applied.

When the revolver is finished, I will post more photos.

Regards,
Richard

[Captainkirk]

I knew anything you did would turn out first class, Richard!

[ShotgunDave]

WOW! 

That is turning out gorgeous! Well done Sir!

I saw that revolver kit in the classifieds and wanted to buy it. It just wasn't in the cards at that time with Xmas on the horizon. I'm glad you decided to finish it and not part it out. You have done a fantastic job.

[sourdough]

Richard,

A very nice job, indeed!

That frame is about as rough as I have seen on a kit. I was thinking of purchasing that same kit and turning it into a defarbed G&G after turning down the barrel. DGW says the barrel and cylinder are in the white, and after contacting DGW the rep said the barrel and cylinder had a light wash of cold blue for shipping purposes. Your barrel and cylinder look a lot better than a bit of cold blue!



As one can see, the stock photo is nothing like your pistol. Your wood is a lot better than the stock photo.

Looking forward to seeing it assembled, sir!

Jim

[Miguel Loco]

Looks great Richard! Did you do any other metal prep other than the wheel?

[Yolla Bolly Brad]

Richard gets stuff DONE! Does nice work too.

[ssb73q]

Hi, thank you all for the very kind comments.

The second buffing has been completed. The revolver was reassembled without the grips that are still being finished. A Wolff reduced power spring was installed. The revolver brass is now so polished that it reflects everything in the room and makes for poor photos, but here they are anyways:







This is the grips with the second coat of tung oil drying:





Two more coats of tung oil will be applied. I rub down each coat with 0000 steel wool between coats. The only smithing left to do is to remove ~0.002" from the back of the barrel to have a 0.005" cylinder to barrel gap with the wedge hammered in hard

I will post photos of the finished revolver.

Regards,
Richard

[Captainkirk]

Richard;
Were the butt of the grips tapered or did you add that yourself? I love a gun with nicely tapered grips...adds to the effectiveness of pinky curl and looks amazing as well!
That will be one you will be very proud of when you are finished!

[ssb73q]

Hi Kirk, the taper on the grips was roughed in by Pietta. That is the same taper on all my Pietta and Uberti 1851s. I think that my camera astigmatism exaggerated the sculpting of the taper.

Some metal was removed from the back end of the barrel (forcing cone) to produce a cylinder/barrel gap of 0.0045". The grips were rubbed down with 0000 steel wool and the third coat of tung oil is now drying on the grips. Two more days and this kit 1851 project is finished.

IMO anyone looking to do a kit over buying a completed gun based on finances may need to have their head examined. If they want to become intimately connected to their revolver, a kit will sure bring one up close and personal. The kit does little to help with timing knowledge since Pietta already does a great job having the kit already timed and operational. All the kit builder does is make an ugly revolver have more acceptable visual appearance.

Regards,
Richard

[ssb73q]

Hi, the Pietta brass frame 1851 kit revolver is finished. These aren't the best photos to show how beautiful a revolver, but they do prove completion:





I must say that there is nothing slicker functioning than a brass frame revolver, the action of this revolver is as slick as goose grease. As good as it is now, it will only get slicker with use.

Building the kit was a royal PITA and as the Israelis say, "never again"!

Regards,
Richard

[Yolla Bolly Brad]

Looks great Richard! It's too bad the Italians wont cast those frames in bronze, we could have some pretty looking and slick operating guns that wear well too.

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hello Richard,

I some how knew you were not going to sell it off as parts.

Very nice job, AntiqueSledMan.

[bigted]

Nice job there Bubba. I have an older Rem brass frame revolver and i have shared your impression on the slickness of the action. I have often thought this exact thinking, nothing i have is as slick feeling as this brass frame revolver.

Be anxious to hear your thoughts and impression when you smoke it up.

Thanks for sharing your progress and a cool project. Good on ya!

What was the hardest part of the kit?

[ssb73q]

Hi, thanks for those kind comments. I agree that a bronze frame would find a lot of interest. Some approximate numbers:

Material                  Yield kpsi     Tensile kpsi
Brass                         20              50
Mild Steel                    54              64
Silicon Bronze             55              85
Manganese Bronze       67             119

A bronze frame would look spectacular. It would be great to have a bronze revolver that could handle conversion cylinders.

Regards,
Richard

[sourdough]

Hi, thanks for those kind comments. I agree that a bronze frame would find a lot of interest. Some approximate numbers:

Material                  Yield kpsi     Tensile kpsi
Brass                         20              50
Mild Steel                    54              64
Silicon Bronze             55              85
Manganese Bronze       67             119

A bronze frame would look spectacular. It would be great to have a bronze revolver that could handle conversion cylinders.

Regards,
Richard

A bronze frame would be fantastic! Talking Pietta or Uberti into producing one is like talking Pietta into making a simple Dance .36 on a Navy frame with the recoil shields removed. They did at one time in the 90's. No other things required. Instead Pietta produces a Dance .44 with a non-rebated .44 cylinder larger in diameter than a .36 cylinder on a modified Navy frame without a cut water table. A one-of-a-kind aberration.

They also produce the "pepperbox" monstrosity which has no historical significance whatsoever.

Off my soapbox here.

Jim