Put longer barrels on '51 Navy's...how to best gap between cylinder and barrel?

[Anontex2]

Newbie here, so please be gentle...   Put longer barrels on, but cylinders are dragging.  I oiled the various surfaces that interfaced in the swap, but am having a tough time backing the barrel off a bit.  How best to do that and adjust space appropriately?  Thanks in advance, pards!

[Troublesome River]

Howdy,
Could be your barrel wedge may be a little tight (sounds painful, don't it?). I had a '51 that did that and lightly filed the left side (if I remember right) of the wedge so it pulled the barrel out slightly and it worked fine after that. I do recommend doing it on a spare wedge if you have it.-Troublesome.

[litl rooster]

I think some of the Pards stick a feeler guage (like you use to adjust points and sparkplugs) in between the cylinder and the barrel then push the wedge in.  My self if it's too tight I back it up if looks to loose I push it in...I don't any other way to explain it. I have taken the rough edges off my wedges with a fine file and stone, just to smooth them up.

[Anontex2]

Thanks for the input so far....The problem, as I see it, is that when I changed the barrels, I seated the base of the new barrels as close to the cylinder face as possible, not thinking about establishing a gap (I've heard 8 thousandths as the "correct" gap, although one pard says he has his at 20 and has never had an accuracy or gas issue).  What I am having trouble with is getting the barrel to budge back out at all.  I see a "wedgie" mentioned on another post and it looks like it would be the ticket.  I rigged a wooden wedge fashioned from a small paintbrush handle and it appears to have done the job after a few whacks with the nylon face of my mallet.  I'm still a little unclerar whether the solution is how far the wedge is seated, how far the barrel stands off the cylinder or if it is a combination (e.g. back off the barrel an appropriate gap and thentighten the wedge in place to maintain the gap)

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy, Anon Tex 2

Welcome!

Your solution seems to be fine.  Your "combination of the 2" (regarding measurement) is pretty much right on.  The wedge should keep the barrel in place, and that .008" gap is a good rule-of-thumb measure.  The trick will be shaving the gun's wedge to the right spot and also the slot in the cylinder pin - affixed to the frame - being filed EVER-SO-SLIGHTLY on the front end of the slot to allow the wedge and barrel to lock together giving the barrel that .008' (or more/less - whatever works - a LOT depends on the amount of lube!) gap.

[Anontex2]

Is the .008 measured with the hammer down or cocked? I am assuming down, but....

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I think yer right, BUT ... it shouldn't matter, 'cause on a properly spaced gun, the hammer SHOULDN'T touch the nipples' (old term = cones) face.  There should be .0001" space.    Yeah - I know ... that's tough to do.  There's another thread here where it is discussed, and you can't have TOO much gap or you'll get ignition problems.  If the hammer hits the nips tips, it can batter them and they (if bad enough) will deform and caps won't seat.

Have fun!  It's WORTH the few troubles!

[litl rooster]

Just a thought if you bought another barrel and plan on switching back and forth. You might want to invest in a second barrel wedge also.  One for each barrel

[Rusty Shackleford]

Apparently your intention was to add length only to the front of your barrels, but it appears that at least a small portion of that added length has manifested itself at the cylinder end, thereby leading to an unacceptable diminishing of the barrel/cylinder gap. While it is quite a metallurgical chore to re-attribute portions of the over-all length from the fore to aft ends of the barrel, the same 'end result' can often be attained by tapping the wedge out, adjusting the wedge screw out a turn or two, and then carefully tapping the wedge back in until the proper barrel/cylinder gap is realized. 

Seriously, this could easily solve the problem.  I'm sure Montana Slim, one of the world's foremost cap & ball shooters, can explain this principle in greater detail.

[Coffinmaker]

When you install new barrels, the barrel MUST be fit to the individual gun.  Each barrel requires it's own wedge.  To fit the barrel, use a length of 3/8 dowel with a slot cut across the dowel.  the slot need to be just wide enough to accept a piece of folded wet/dry sand paper.  I start with 220 grit if the fit is initially real tight and progress to 1000 grit to polish the interior of the bore in the barrel.  The bore I'm talking about is where the mandrel the cylinder turns on, is inserted.  The dowel and sand paper form a "flap" sander that fits snugly into the bore.  Install the dowel in a drill motor, and run the dowel and sand paper in and out until the barrel is a "snug" fit to the mandrel.  Clean out the bore and test fit often.  When done, you should be able to push the barrel onto the mandrel and remove it by hand.  No tools.  You should have to "fuss" with it a bit, rocking it with you hand, but a "hand" fit none the less. 

Once the barrel is fit to the mandrel, install the barrel with it's own wedge.  When the wedge is correct, you should have to "tap" it the last 1/6 inch of movement to insure a good tight fit when the hook catches the far side of the barrel. 

After fitting the barrel and wedge, set the barrel to cylinder gap.  Cylinder gap for BP should be about .008 +/- .001.  Depending on load, lube, and powder type, the gap may have to be increased slightly to prevent binding too soon.  Without a gas ring on the cylinder, it will eventually bind.

Fitting barrels, wedges and setting the gap is a time consuming process.  There is no quick way and you must remove metal SLOWLY.  You cannot put it back.

Coffinmaker

[litl rooster]

When you install new barrels, the barrel MUST be fit to the individual gun.  Each barrel requires it's own wedge.  To fit the barrel, use a length of 3/8 dowel with a slot cut across the dowel.  the slot need to be just wide enough to accept a piece of folded wet/dry sand paper.  I start with 220 grit if the fit is initially real tight and progress to 1000 grit to polish the interior of the bore in the barrel.  The bore I'm talking about is where the mandrel the cylinder turns on, is inserted.  The dowel and sand paper form a "flap" sander that fits snugly into the bore.  Install the dowel in a drill motor, and run the dowel and sand paper in and out until the barrel is a "snug" fit to the mandrel.  Clean out the bore and test fit often.  When done, you should be able to push the barrel onto the mandrel and remove it by hand.  No tools.  You should have to "fuss" with it a bit, rocking it with you hand, but a "hand" fit none the less. 

Once the barrel is fit to the mandrel, install the barrel with it's own wedge.  When the wedge is correct, you should have to "tap" it the last 1/6 inch of movement to insure a good tight fit when the hook catches the far side of the barrel. 

After fitting the barrel and wedge, set the barrel to cylinder gap.  Cylinder gap for BP should be about .008 +/- .001.  Depending on load, lube, and powder type, the gap may have to be increased slightly to prevent binding too soon.  Without a gas ring on the cylinder, it will eventually bind.

Fitting barrels, wedges and setting the gap is a time consuming process.  There is no quick way and you must remove metal SLOWLY.  You cannot put it back.

Coffinmaker

I was getting nervous reading it........