1858 Pietta Question

[Marshall John Joseph]

The beginning of my saga, posted elswhere, repeated here:

This is my second Pietta 1858 New Army 44 from Cabela's. They were on sale and free shipping couldn't be beat. Got it the other day and noticed that when cocking the hammer, there are three clicks - one sets the hammer "half cock" so the cylinder spins, a second click that moves the trigger and a third click that sets the trigger. If you let go of the hammer on the second click, it falls to half cock. Now if you forcefully pull the hammer back, you don't notice the second click. But if you do not exert enough force, the hammer/trigger does not set and the hammer falls.

Sent it back to Cabelas and they replaced it for free - no shipping charge.  The cocking mechanism/trigger functions as it should - crisp and clean with a "two click". Great outfit.

Now the saga continues:

Experimenting to see if my original Pietta cylinder and spare cylinder will fit into the new Pietta, I inserted each to test. Each fits properly. When you cock the hammer, the cylinder rotates/indexes and locks. When you pull the trigger and let the hammer down slowly while holding it with your thumb (as above), the cylinder does not rotate/index to the next chamber, but instead remains on the same chamber. It makes an attempt to index right, but moves back left to the original chamber. If you dry fire (which I did by cushioning the hammer blow), the cylinder does rotate/index to the next chamber. If you let the hammer down slow as described AND slightly hold/put pressure on the cylinder, it will index to the next chamber.

What say you?

Marshall John Joseph

[1860]

Does the gun kind of lock up when you slowly let the hammer down?

Does it work better if you apply presure to the cylinder-sort of spinning (taking up the slack) it to the right?

It sounds to me like the hand is not reseating when you use the older cylinders, probably because the knotches on the rear of the cylinders are cut a little different from the new one.  Or the bolt knotches are a degree or two different.  When you lower the hammer, the hand should move down and under the next knotch, if it does not it may still try to move the cylinder due to friction but it will move it only slightly and fail to fully rotate it.  It works when you dry fire it because the extra momentum of the hammer dropping kicks it under the knotch.  The hand is the little pointy thing that sticks out the rear of the frame, you can observe if it is reaseating by using a strong glass looking between the rear of the cyclinder and frame from the left side.  You should be able to see it move up and then down-klicking into the next knotch when you cycle the hammer.

This is one of those things that is easier to diagnose in person but there are lots of knowledable folks here..

60

[Marshall John Joseph]

You have described exactly what is going on.  Well I'll be.  Took a magnifying glass to the "hand" that rotates the cylinder, and there was a little burr on one side.  Two passes with a file on the burr .... and wa-la - she works perfectly.

I knew ya'all could lead me to the right direction.

Thanks pard!!!

MJJ

[1860]

Glad you got it running.

Took my old 58 Pietta out today, ran 70-80 shots through it and it's still turning free-new worlds record for me lol...

Sshhhh,.. don't tell anyone but I can still shoot an 1860 better off hand that the 58 but from a rest it's the otherway round...

60---what likes to make smoke with anything in his hand...