my first two O.T.s, ASM 1860 and unidentified R/M .38 special?

[W.J. Cogg]

Hello everyone after joining CAS and FINALLY finding an alias that wasn't claimed we have picked up Blackhawks and 1873 replicas.  Then I started watching "Hell on Wheels" on Netflix, and picked up a book on Old West firearms.  Started really liking the Civil War and 1865-73 pistols.  This fit in with the era of Texas history I study, concerning 1840s-75.
These are my first two, and more to come.  The 1860 is an ASM, however the other has me stumped.

I may be incorrect, but I think it's a replica Richards Type I?  But not sure whom made it.
It is only marked .38 special, there are not any maker's marks, only a four digit serial number in front of the trigger guard.

I haven't shot the ASM, but the "conversion" shoots great, having shot it in one match.  However the trigger is too light for my touch. I'll have to do something for the mainspring.

I don't think I did too bad for $100 on the 1860 and $225 at a gun show for the other.

[Villafuego]

Your .38 is an ASM as well.......1st model Richards conversion.....

Mine had an extremely light trigger as well.....turns out the sear surface on it was soft as butter.....finally started dropping to half cock every time I tried to cock it.....

I put a Pietta trigger and bolt/trigger spring in mine (original spring was quite weak), and now it runs 100%....

[rifle]

Villafeugo,

You have yer gun workin 100% but......if yours is like all the others I've seen besides the mainspring being weak and the trigger bolt spring being weak there is also a lil too much positve angle to the full cock on the tumbler/hammer.

You should be real careful since that gun can turn into a hair trigger anytime possibly.usuallysome negative angle needs tobe put to the hammer full notch and the tip of the trigger. Doing so even carefully can make the trigger a lil shorter than it was so the timing may change a lil and the trigger may need replaced or lengthened usually with some weld and some reshaping and rehardening.

Ifin the hammer is soft as butter then you may need to pick up a lil advise,if you even need it, to reharden the hammer and the trigger and then temper them back some.

Then hammer and the trigger can be a carbon steel so some advise from a pro may be needed. There are things ,in the weird world of metalurgy, that can go wrong hasrdening an unknown steel type.The 500 degree embrittlement may need to be adhered to. Don't temper the hardened parts at a temp between 500 and 700 degrees F. Go under 500 and over 700 degrees. The 375-385 degree fer two hours tempering back is a good place to start.

Just my opinion on the subject.