Remington .31 Pocket Model - opinions needed

[bedbugbilly]

I'm fairly new to this board and I strictly shoot just C & B BP.  I know that a lot of you fellows are in to conversion cylinders, etc. but I hope that some of you will give me your valued opinions.  I have a '58 Remy Navy that I love (Pietta).  I've been thinking about getting one of the pocket Remingtons for quite some time.  When I bought my '58 Navy at Cabelas, I also checked out their steel frame Remington Pocket Model but the individual pistol that I looked at had issues with the loading lever - it had a lot of what I would call "side slop" in it.  The finish and wood was really impressive and the cylinder indexed and locked up well but the sloppy loading lever would have driven me nuts so I by-passed it.  They only had the one in stock at the store I was at so I couldn't compare several of them.  I believe it was made by Pietta.  My question is this.  Was this just a "fluke" and the one that they had suffered from poor tolerances on the loading lever?  It really wouldn't matter to me if I had a brass frame or not as all I am going to do is "plink" with it but on some other forums, I've read where some owners of the brass frame models have complained about having loading lever problems in the brass frame - one claimed the frame broke.  Perhaps this was caused by trying to ram oversize balls over a period of time.  At any rate, what is the opinion of those of you that have them - do you like them and what are the short falls you might run in to.  Having handled one, I know that they are small but they just seem like they would be a lot of fun.  Thanks.

[Maj.Bull S. Hitter]

I have the Pietta made Remington Pocket pistol in .31.I truly love it.It's one small puppy but it do shoot.I left mine loaded for a year,just got real involved with some other things.It fired off and again reminded me how fun even a baby Remmie can be.I just wish it had a full trigger guard.Mine is the all steel version.

[Montana Slim]

I have one of the brass ones. Got it from Cabelas 5-6 years ago. Works well, I shoot .320 RB with 12 grains of 3F.
The rammer works fine on mine, but it has a limited "depth" of seating the ball, so I use 12 grains to fill-er-up. I did make a tall front sight. Hits where I aim now. I bought this for NCOWS "Pistoleer" class matches, but we seldom use pocket guns with main stages anymore, so I have limited use...but it is fun. Be careful not to drop when cocking....Takes some getting acquainted with.

regards,
SLim

[tomg]

I bought one about 4 or 5 years ago.
Shoots great, no problems with it.
I did replace the hand spring last year, my fault though.
I was forcing the cylinder.
Nice little revolver.
If I had it to do over again I would buy the steel frame version, then I could shoot 32 s/w with a conversion cylinder.

[Montana Slim]

SinceI only shoot real BP in my guns, I'd not be afraid to run a conversion cylinder in my brass framed Remmie.
The .32 SW cartridge won't hold much powder and lead.

Slim

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Hi,

Since people were talking around some things that have been done to my '63 Remmie, I thought I might but in ....

First, I bought this pistol for the improvements; they had already been done when I bought it.

I am told that Millington put the conversion cylinder in it (it now fires .32 S&W short).

The previous owner used the orignial spur 'trigger guard's' footprint to to make up the base shape for a traditional trigger guard, and then machined and filed the new trigger guard from a piece of brass stock.

The gun seems to shoot high now, and I am not sure if that is a result of the change in ammo from C & B to the newer .32 S&W, or if it is a side effect of poor sight installation at the factory ....

[Montana Slim]

I made a new front sight blade for mine. The new one is at least twice as tall as the original.
Fairly accurate piece now.

Regards
Slim

[Stophel]

I've been working on one that I got, oh, the early 90's.  Not long after high school.  Cayce-Yost was closing (and if you are anywhere near Hoptown, you know about Cayce-Yost), and I bought this little gun as a kit.  From CVA made by Armi San Marco.  Never finished it.  At one time, I took out the mainspring to try to make a switchblade knife with it...didn't work. It has languished in a dresser drawer now for many years.  Well, I ordered a spring from VTI and started to get it working.  Well, the spring fits, but the slot in the frame is not in exactly the proper position (it had no tension), so I decided it needed a strain screw.  After much fuss and bother, I got some steel silver soldered into the frame to thread the screw into (the brass was NOT going to hold the thread on this strain screw).  Works, but the screw bends.  The spring is waaaay far back in the grip frame and there was about a half inch that the screw had to travel before touching the spring, so I then tin soldered another steel block behind the first to support the screw.  Now it works and she don't bend.

I had to shorten the hand just ever so slightly because it was trying to turn the cylinder before the cyl. stop dropped out of the notch.  Now I finally got everything working, after a lot of work.  But, I basically made something out of nothing.  Now, I gotta make grip panels for it, the originals being long lost.

It's not the nicest pistol I got...but it will at least function now.  I would greatly prefer a steel one over the brass.

[Wolfgang]

I don't have a pocket remmi . . . but was looking seriously at aquiring one for my "significant other"  ( Beth Rider ) . . . but she passed away before I got her one.       I have aquired the little tiny flask and the .31 caliber brass mold and keep my eyes out for a good deal on one either nickle plated or maybe engraved to keep on hand . . . just in case God should one day bless me with a replacement "significant other". . . 

One of my '58s had a really sloppy loading lever when I got it.  Fixed that pretty easy.  Removed the loading lever and rammer assembly.  Padded that area of the frame with a bit of old belt leather and "squeezed it" in the vise.  Just a little bit at at time and tried the fit of the lever assembly until I'd squezed it enough for a proper fit.  Took three times as I recall.  Worked out good.  It is the steel frame Armi San Marco pictured . . . www.drburkholter.com/cf6.html upper right in the lower picture.

[Montana Slim]

....................Well, the spring fits, but the slot in the frame is not in exactly the proper position (it had no tension), so I decided it needed a strain screw.  After much fuss and bother, I got some steel silver soldered into the frame to thread the screw into (the brass was NOT going to hold the thread on this strain screw).  Works, but the screw bends.  The spring is waaaay far back in the grip frame and there was about a half inch that the screw had to travel before touching the spring, so I then tin soldered another steel block behind the first to support the screw.  Now it works and she don't bend...........................

I use a steel shim to snug the mainspring into it's slot.

Regards,
Slim

[Stophel]

I considered using a metal wedge.

[Maj.Bull S. Hitter]

You can find a few other good threads on the forum regarding the little remmie.One thing that seems to be almost normal.Is that the bores tend to be much larger than the cylinders.Mine measures .323 bore and .315 for the cylinders.The rammer is a bit sloppy but,I load it out of the gun.I just use a short starter from my .50 caliber supplies.Still for what it is I will have fun and carry it into the bunny woods and see if I can't rid my folks yard of gophers.lol

Oh ya,I use .323 balls

[Montana Slim]

Maj, I presume that is .323 balls?

My bore is around .319 and groove is around .323. Chambers are near .320, I use .321 RBs.
It would be an improvement to ream the chambers to .323, but certainly won't add any practical improvement in accuracy.

Regards,
Slim

[Maj.Bull S. Hitter]

No.Groove is .323,chambers .315.I must say that this is measured with a caliper.Yes.I do use .323 balls,but that won't matter if the chambers are smaller.The ball is swagged down to chamber size upon loading.
I plan on reaming the chambers to better match the groove diameter and then use a larger ball size for a tighter fit.

[Maj.Bull S. Hitter]

Sorry Montana Slim,didn't see I put .233 for balls.I have made the correction to my post.

[Montana Slim]

Maj,

I figured such. When reading, I take a number of readings of each chamber, hence my term "about". My caliper has been calibrated by gage lab and capable of good accuracy as long as I can see / hold what I'm attempting to measure 

As far as accuracy, I had this one out recently for a "last call" before winter sets in. I was able to consistently hit my steel targets (11"x14") at 20 yds offhand shooting using 2-hand hold (not as good duelist-mode).  I was banging away with my 1860's with modified gunfighter style, too....that means I shot slow enough to hit the target MOST of the time. An auto-pistol shooter on the next bay had to come over for a look-see. Happy days !

Regards,
Slim

[Sheriff Langston]

I recently bought a brass framed .31 cal pocket Remmy by Pietta. I love it very much, though frankly the quality out of the box was mixed. The overall workmanship was fine, even impressive, yet there were some worries. The timing was way out – cylinder locked up nicely, but about a millimetre, or.04 inch out of line with the bore. The top strap had some casting bubbles in the brass. The safe-carry slots in the back of the cylinder didn't work, they didn't catch the hammer. The loading lever seems very flimsy, I wouldn't want to lean on it too hard with tight-fitting balls.

Some kitchen table gunsmithing sorted out what could be sorted out. Which I actually enjoyed – it's all part of the fun with these black powder lovelies, I reckon.

I bore-sighted it and the sights lined up exactly with the bore. Fired it at the range with .315 balls and it shot WAY high. Muzzle flip, I suppose, because it doesn't weigh anything. Shooting about an inch high for every yard of range, not just for me but for three buddies too. Windage was surprisingly accurate, they all hit in a vertical line through the bull, but spread top to bottom as we randomly tried to hold the muzzle down and/or aim low. I've jury-rigged a brass front sight that I calculate should work, and will try it tomorrow evening. If it works I have a piece of brass just the right thickness to make a new, higher, foresight.

My question is – when I come to replace the brass front sight, how do I get the old one out? How are they fixed? Soldered or what?

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Interesting ...  I have a .31 Remmie that was converted to S&W .32 Short ... and shoots extremely high. I thought it was because of the conversion, so it is nice to see that other people have the same problem.

I have two Navy Arms (Uberti) Schofields that already have brass front sights, and was thinking about the same for the Remmie.

I would love to get a PM or email once you find out how to make the new fron sights.

[Maj.Bull S. Hitter]

Some have cut a small dovetail into the barrel.Then put in a sight similar to the big brother 1858.Others silver solder a sight in place.