58 Lever post question

Cuts Crooked · January 16, 2006, 06:15:38 PM

Howdy Pards,

Got a question fer someone who knows Pietta 58s. How is the loading lever catch post attached to the barrel? It's not dovetailed like Uberti does theirs. Mine broke and it looks like it might be a press fit, but I'm not sure. And looking at the parts diagram on VTIs web site is no help! The post they show looks nothing like the one on my remmie! It looks like it's made to be dove tailed...but that AIN't how mine was! There is a shallow circular "hole" cut in the barrel that the broken part fits neatly into, but there is rough metal at the bottom and on the bottom of the post as if it broke out

Hell-Er High Water · January 16, 2006, 06:31:19 PM

Cuts,

On my gun it was pressed, or shrunk fit, into a hole in the barrel.

When I shortened the barrel on my Pietta M'58 I took the shortened barrel and the cut off barrel stub (muzzel end) to my local machine shop to have the front sight and loading lever latch removed from the stub and installed on the shortened barrel. The machinist said the in order to get both of them out he had to drill through the barrel stub from the opposite side of each and into what was the bottom of the mounting holes and then drive both the sight and latch out with a punch. He said that they were in there so tight that it was like they were a press or shrink fit.

HHW

Delmonico · January 16, 2006, 06:42:23 PM

Don't know for sure who made it but my Navy Arms of about 1978 vintage came off and it had been silver soldered on, but very poorly.

Black River Smith · January 16, 2006, 07:55:55 PM

As Del stated, when I replace the sight I just did a little silver solder. Hot, but did not hurt the barrel. I thouhgt the lever stud was attached the same way.

Black River Smith

Marshal Will Wingam · January 16, 2006, 08:03:57 PM

How about ordering the Uberti dovetailed one and filing your barrel to accept it?

Steel Horse Bailey · January 16, 2006, 08:33:38 PM

Howdy Cuts!

Essentially, I did what HeHW did - cut the barrel down, but I did the work myself with a hacksaw, Dremel Tool, files, and sandpaper in various grades up to and including Crocus cloth, which I believe is the finest grit available at about 2000 grit. I don't have a lathe, just a borrowed table model drill press.

I bought the replacement parts from VTI and got a dovetail latch, but a round front sight. I cut the dovetail in the barrel with files. It was a bit time consuming, but not too bad. Then came the hard part. I don't know what went thru my head when I got the round sight instead of the dovetail version. Anyhoo, I measured it to find what drill to use. I have a full set of fraction drills, 1/16th" - 1/2" in 1/64th" increments. I have a full set of alphabet drills. I have a full set of number drills, #1 thru #80. Not ONE of them was the right size! Enter Plan B: I used the drill .001" bigger - be VEWY, VEWY careful, 'cause it's VERY easy to drill thru into the rifling. Which Pietta did with the latch, which is WHY I had to do this in the first place! I tested the silver solder method on the cut-off portion of the barrel, but as SOON as I touched flame to the barrel/sight the blued finish flaked away!

It seems like I only drilled about 1/16th" to keep the drill point from breaking thru. Then, the sight fit ok, (enter plan C:) so I 2-ton epoxied it in place. If ya do it this way, make sure to cut a few small grooves or scratches on the sight where it will go into the barrel; it'll make it better for the glue to hold it.

I could write a book about all that has been wrong and had to be fixed about this Pietta. It has left a VERY sour taste in my mouth. And before anyone asks, I bought it from my favorite BP related dealer who was selling everything out and retiring to Florida. I didn't know anywhere else to take it since the place I bought it was gone!

However, I want to point out that this Pietta was bought in 1999 and is one of the bad ones they were crankin' out back then. NEWER Piettas seem to have been greatly improved, and from what I've heard , are now pretty much on a par with Uberti.

It has been a long 6 years wait with what was essentially a 44 C&B paperweight. It had one saving grace from the 1st time I fired it (it broke the 2nd time I took it to the range) 'til now: it shoots well! When I finally got to take it to the range on New Year's Day, it behaved VERY well and I now trust it safety-wise.

Cuts Crooked · January 17, 2006, 03:20:24 AM

Thanx fer the input pards! I knew I would find answers here!

I've decided to buy an Uberti post to replace it and cut a dove tail. I used to have access to a machine shop but no longer do, so I will cut the dove tail with files. I've done this on muzzleloaders before and it's a tedious job, but doable!

Thanx again pards!

Montana Slim · January 25, 2006, 05:07:32 PM

My Pietta is a Navy Arms "kit", bought on the closeout rack at a KMart store (c. 1980) is a dandy. I shortened the barrel 4-5 years ago to make a belly gun. The lever retaining post was soldered, so I drilled a hole in the new location & soldered it in. Onliest part ever replaced on the gun in 25 years has been the loading lever screw. Guess it couldn't take the added abuse of using a mallet to help seat the balls

Slim