Pietta Patterson issues - two hand cocking and cylinder will not rotate to 3 cyl

[OldDoughboy]

I got this cheap, but its just a prop now, not useable -

is it normal to need two hands to cock the hammer?  way beyond any other cap and ball I have owned.  Even with barrel and cylinder off the gun, nearly impossible to cock.  The mainspring seems to be way too stiff.

Also, it will not turn to 3 of the 5 chambers without "help" by turning the cylinder by hand a bit.  It is binding in some fashion.

Any leads to someone who works on these, or how to tune/repair videos or sites would be greatly appreciated!

[Griff]

A couple/three of years ago, I bought two new ones from EMF.  At the first outing, one would work really fine, the other'n... it'd fire one shot then lock up tigher'n... well... a well-digger's arse!  Had to disassemble it to unload the other 4 chambers, and promptly sent it back to EMF.  I got it back, "fixed"... well... yes... when empty it cocked and rotated and the hammer fell when the trigger was pulled, but, when loaded;  one round fired and whammo, locked up tight again.  I carried it up to Boomstick Arms and after nearly a year of tinkerin' with it, it works.  Still as stiff to cock, but tis doable one-handed... Not sure he ever wants to see another one tho'!  Good luck.

[Coffinmaker]

Hey Griff  and Old Doughboy 

I have good news     I have not so good news    In all the years I had my shingle out, and when specializing in Cap Guns . . . I NEVER saw one that actually worked "Out of The Box."  NONE.  I agreed to work on 8 or 10.  I wound up giving them back with "No Charge."  THEY SUCK!!

If I remember, there is almost NO Barrel to Cylinder gap and diddley for a forcing Cone.  The clearance of the entire Barrel Lug is non-exestant.  Making one work is a job and a half, "IF" you can get it to work.  After the last one, I refused to accept them for work.  Very expensive WALL HANGERS

[Griff]

Coffinmaker,

One of that pair of EMFs actually worked well "out of the box"... (read, after cleaning & greasing... but like I said, the other'n... not so much)!  I recently found an early Pietta Paterson, Navy Arms import with a 3 digit serial #, and it works right well.  However, the style of the grip is much different than the EMFs and not nearly as comfortable in the hand.  And... I still plan on shooting them in a match... C&B Gunfighter!

[Cap'n Redneck]

@ Griff:  By all means; come join the exclusive club of "Paterson Frontiersman Gunfighter-shooters"..! 



@ OldDoughboy:  The modifications I've done to mine was to add Slix-Shot nipples, fit a shim on the cylinder arbor that will keep the barrel-to-cylinder-gap (more or less) constant, I swopped the original barrel wedges for "Colt Navy"-type wedges with retention springs and I fitted Remington NMA frontsights in dovetails to make them shoot to point-of-aim.

I'm afraid I can't offer much advise on the timing problem, other than check for "hand" length and removing any internal burrs.  The sparepart availability for Paterson's is also spotty...
I've concluded that although it is a cool revolver, and an important part of firearms development, there is a good reason why Sam Colt and Capt. Walker abandoned the Paterson-mechanism when it was time to upgrade in 1847.  In my experience it is the least suitable revolver for CAS-shooting.

(As you can see in the YouTube-clip, I found that it was a great help in cocking the Paterson single-handedly to brace the heel of the grip against my hip-bone; the lack of a triggerguard really puts those of us with small to medium size hands at a disadvantage when shooting duelist style.)

[Coffinmaker]

Cap'n Redneck-n-Griff

Youz twoz have no idea how luck you are to have a Patterson that works, even sorta OK.  Iffin yer ever in a real honest to goodness shoot-out, just throw the pistols and RUN!! 

[Professor Marvel]

My GoodDoughboy

If you decide to part with it, please PM me. If it is tooooo much for my pocket,
at least I took the chance....

I have chased several replica pattersons, but the auctions always went to high
For me for a replica that shoots once out of 5 lol....

I once had delusions of attempting to build a patterson replica based on 1851  navy parts that looked ok from the outside but was actually functional.... I took some aspirin and laid down, and the fever delusion passed

Yhs
Prof marvel

[Abilene]

...I once had delusions of attempting to build a patterson replica based on 1851  navy parts that looked ok from the outside but was actually functional....

I think you'd have to be a really good machinest to accomplish it, but I also think that if Uberti or Pietta were to design it that way with standard parts and action, it would be a good seller.  Maybe even the folding trigger.  Kind of like Pedersoli did with the Lightning rifle, they redesigned the innards so it actually works but still looks right.  I never owned one, but have seen the parts diagram, and Cimarron used to have a bunch of the parts still in the parts bins, and a lot of them were very tiny and mysterious looking. 

[Professor Marvel]

Unfortunately, My Little Grey cells continue to entertain such an idea. After all if the hollywierd amoroers can make this

https://www.imfdb.org/images/6/63/Firefly_Gun_7.JPG

Out of a taurus model 85

A paterson cant be that hard, right?

If we look here
https://armourersbench.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/us1304-1.png

And here
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Patersonbdsml.jpg

And here

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Colt_Paterson.jpg/1000px-Colt_Paterson.jpg

We can see that the basic shape of the patterson barrel and frame are very similar to an 1851.

I would take  a brass 1851
modify the trigger guard/grip frame by removing the guard and adding a sloped piece to replicate the patterson lines
Modify the back gripstrap similarly
Make a new wooden grip to match.

One can make a drop down trigger... as the hammer is cocked, the trigger assembly moves backwards and
The folded trigger would clear a "stop " and drop down.

It is admitadly fragile, but the internals remian the stock 1851, and the only mods are to the trigger and the gripframe.
Visual similarity is the key. Replicating the complex patterson frame, watertable, and internals is not necessary.

If I ever get to it, I have a relic Colt Lightning complete frame and barrel, that I am cogitating fitting S&W model 10 cylinder and internals into.

This is what happens when you let a computer nerd have a lathe, milling machine, wire welder, and gas brazing rig....

Wait till I show you my plans for a Mauser '95 fitted with a 458 socum barrel chambered for a rimless .45 BP round of my own design.
I will call him Thumper. Basically a bolt action  rimless BP 45-70. With APP it should be as easy as a smokeless rifle. Manlicher stock. Butterknife bolt handle. Part octogon barrel if i have enough meat on it .

Take that greenhouse project! ( from my postin re the trials and tribulations of growing veggies).

Prf not insane, but close

[Coffinmaker]

Perfesser 

I see you are smitten by similar "itches" as I.  Like making Percussion Guns shoot real cartridge gun bullets.

Rest assured, my good Peffesser, that trip to Insanity is very SHORT indeed.  Just ask the Loony Tunes Gunplumber.

Sometimes, having all the tools at one's disposal is just a TRAP