1858 is here

[Stophel]

I got my 1858 today.  My review...

At once it is a well made gun, but also not so well done.  The cylinder locks up nicely, and the cylinder-barrel gap is incredibly small.  Fairly close tolerances on some of the parts.  It is a good-looking gun.

Mechanically, it could stand (and will receive) some work.  First off, the trigger spring was a touch too long, and it was jamming into the trigger and stopping it from going into half cock, which I remedied quickly.  After snapping the gun about a dozen or so times, the hammer nose was already pounded pretty soundly, and I'll have to clean that up, and, of course, dress/adjust the nipples down.  I will probably end up case hardening it again, as I think that it could stand as much casing as it can get (I can make prettier colors too!). 

Now, I am going to have to make some radical changes before I deem it "shootable".  The very first thing I found when picking the gun up out of the styrofoam is "MAN, this gun weighs a TON".  Seriously, it's about four pounds!!!  On the bathroom scale it weighs about a pound more than my favored S&W model 22 .45acp.  I expect to do some heavy duty barrel shortening.

Another thing is the grip will require some serious modification.  It is just too far forward in relation to the hammer, and also the backstrap is too slanted.  I need something more vertical (think Bisley).   I will solder on a piece of steel on the backstrap and make the grip more "humpbacked" and more vertical...actually, rather more like what the 1875 grip looks like.  I will probably also cut back the frontstrap a bit where the middle finger goes to pull that finger just a tad further back and get it away from the triggerguard.  The grip also must be lengthened by about a quarter inch.  If I get a more properly shaped grip, I may even be able to stand swinging around the full length, which is pretty hard to do now with such a skimpy, poorly shaped handle.

The trigger is horrible.  Short, and with a sharp bottom tip that stabs me in the finger.  I will make a new trigger from mild steel and case harden it (it's a pretty simple little thing), making it about an eighth of an inch longer, and better shaped.

The hammer will have deeper serrations in the spur.  It's pretty easy for my thumb to slip off of it.  It is also easy to "short stroke" the hammer and not get it fully cocked.  It's the VERY long hammer stroke, coupled with my grip being too far forward.  If my grip is further back, that should alleviate that problem entirely.

Now, the hammer notches in the cylinder.  People complain that the hammer doesn't go down in them well.  I have found the problem.  The notches themselves are PLENTY deep.  The problem is in the hammer.  Take yours and set the hammer down in the hammer notch.  Note the bottom corner of the hammer nose.  See how it sits right on top of the "boss" on the rear of the cylinder (upon which the ratchet cuts are on the backside)?  There's the problem.  There's no need for that much hammer below the nipples, so I'm fixing to go out to the shop and cut down that bottom corner of the hammer nose just ever so slightly, and see how that does.  I expect resounding success. 

I shall post photos of my modification shortly.

I'll also keep you all posted on my other modifications.

[Cimarron Lawman]

Whoa. It sounds like you purchased the wrong gun.

[Stophel]

Maybe in this photo you can see where I knocked the corner off the bottom of the hammer nose.  I actually took off a bit more than I should have, but it's fine.



Voila...I now have fully functioning safety notches!

I think anyone who gets one of these guns might consider the possibility that they are actually buying a "gun kit"...

I also found that when they drove in the pin to hold the roller in the hammer, they squeezed it shut, and the little roller didn't roll.   I fixed that too.

It's 200 bucks, for that I suppose one shouldn't expect to get a Smith and Wesson...

[hellgate]

Who's the maker? You will find a great variation in grip shapes between Euroarms, Uberti, & Pietta. As in small, medium, & large respectively.

[Stophel]

Pietta from Cabela's.

[Mason Stillwell]

WOW sorry to hear you got a KIT GUN.

I own 16 58's in Uberti and Pietta not one has been in that condition..

If you think that gun is heavy then pick up a Rooger old Army.


Mason

[sundance44`s]

I was going to suggest maybe you should try a Ruger Old Army in hand ...The Remmies fit my hand great ...and I don`t like the feel of the Rugers ...........and I`ve owned( 7 ) 1858 Remmies and never had those problems out of the box ...Pietta or Uberti .... Being Cabelas ...they would take it back and send you another or just give you your money back  I`m sure ....they are real good about that .

[Stophel]

Well, today I worked on the grip frame.  I took a piece of 3/8" square stock and silver soldered it to the bottom of the frame.  I didn't use tin solder, since when I soldered on the backstrap later, I would end up melting the bottom off.  Actually, I probably would have been fine simply with the extension on the bottom, BUT I had already filed on the backstrap to accept my grip-filling strip.

I shaped the rear of the grip strap to accomodate a 1/8" thick strip that I sawed out of sheet.  I fitted it, and tin soldered it to the backstrap.  I don't think I've ever soldered anything that large together before, and it wasn't a pretty operation, but I finally got it fairly well (well enough, anyway).  It'll stay on till doomsday.  Shape it up, file it out, and SHAZAAM, I now have a FAR more comfortable grip that fills my hand much better, and is long enough to actually get all my fingers on!  Frankly, I think it looks a lot better too, and is much more proportional to the rest of the gun.  I filed the frontstrap back just a bit where the middle finger goes to get it away from the triggerguard (it wasn't that awful here to begin with, but since I was working on it already...).

Take a look:







With the original grip panels on, you can see how the grip frame has been altered.

Now, I need to get out and make up myself some new grips.

[hellgate]

I've had a couple triggers that bit my finger but all I had to do was take them out and grind off the sharp corners of the bottom of the trigger to round them a little. Took about 30 sec of grinding and i was done. The Ubertis are noticeably lighter to heft and the Euroarms even more so (lighter). The grips on the Euros are very small so I doubt you would like them now that I see your modifications to the Pietta which have too big of grips for me.

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

I love the Euroarms Grips and the guns as they more closely approximate the real Remington-Beals that they were designed after, but the good lord blessed me with small hands. Pietta's were too big for me too.

[Stophel]

Well, I have grip panels now.  It took me longer to make the grips than it did to do the grip frame!  And man, oh, man, it is SOOOO much better!  I can handle the thing now.  I can even manage the full length.  Photos this afternoon...

It's hard to believe my hands are THAT much larger than everybody else's.  I know they're large, but they're not Incredible Hulk large.  Ah well, you know what they say about a man with large hands and large feet don't you?  They say he's a clown! 

[sundance44`s]

Nice job on the gunsmithing ...looks like ya have it under control .

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Howdy Stophel

                       I think you did a great job on the grip frame , look forward to seeing the gun finished with the new grips.

                                                     You have a real talent, who knows, maybe this will start something new for all us guys with big hands

                                  Ten Wolves Five Shooter 

[Mason Stillwell]

" Shape it up, file it out, and SHAZAAM, I now have a FAR more comfortable grip that fills my hand much better, and is long enough to actually get all my fingers on!" 

For me and Just Me the little finger goes below the grip frame.Corse I have very large hands.
That is some interesting work you have done there.

Mason

[hellgate]

One of the attractions to the Remington for CAS (it's a minor one though) is the reach to the trigger is shorter than on a Colt. If you grip the gun and then swing your thumb up to touch the hammer spur, note where the tip of the hammer contacts the thumb. On a Colt it is closer to the tip of the thumb and you need to reach a little to cock it. On the Remmies the hammer contacts the middle of the meat of your thumb so there is less arching the thumb forward to get a grip on the hammer spur. Of course, mileage varies with the size of one's hands. That is how it is for me.

[Wolfgang]

People were smaller back in the mid 1800s.  Had smaller hands.  Pietta makes the '58 with larger grips.  Cabelas doesn't carry it, but Dixie Gun Works does.  A shame to do all that work.  ya could have swapped the pistol back.  Very unusual now to find a Pietta out of the box not smooth and shootable.  But it does happen occasionally.  Nice work you've done on yours.  Keep posting.  Good shootin', . . . . 

[Stophel]

People seem to be a lot smaller than I am today!  Go and try to shop for clothes that fit me...I am now convinced that I am the tallest man in the world!  Why, you people all look like ants to me!  Try and find a size 16 1/2 shirt with a 37-38" sleeve.  I dare you.  And I'm only 6' 1 1/2" tall....

Varnish is drying on the grips, will post photos when all done.

The gun actually handles OK now with the better fitting grips....though I ain't gonna be doing any fancy gun twirling with such a front-heavy thing.  Cocking the hammer is now MUCH easier.  My hand sits just a bit further back, and to cock the pistol, I don't have to draw my thumb further back than it is naturally inclined to go.

Believe me, most of the problems I have had with the gun would likely NEVER have even been noticed by anyone else.  I can actually see a thousandth of an inch discrepancy in something.  When other people don't see what I see, I wonder how they get around without bumping into everything.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Hey Sttophel

                  Got the same problem , I'm 6' 4" tall and have 36" sleeves, so I know how hard it must be to find 37-38" sleeves, call Pennys and ask for there Big and Tall catalog, also Kingsize.com is another good source, Causal male.com is another.
                   Will I'm looking forward to seeing the gun, finished, I guess you have blued the grip frame already, how does it match up with the rest of the gun, That varnish always takes longer to dry this time of the year, anyway can't wait to see it

                                    Ten Wolves Five Shooter

[Stophel]

I blued it with Brownell's Oxpho Blue, which is the best of the cold blues.  Doesn't make an outstanding color, but makes a decent color.  It looks OK, especially since I only cleaned off the original blueing from the grip frame area.  The new blue only joins the old blue at sharp corners of the frame...no real blending in, so you don't notice the color difference so much.

I got some caps at the gunshop the other day.  Also looked at an Uberti SAA with the so called "case hardened and charcoal blue" finish, and it was pretty nice.  I was kind of surprised how nice.  They also had a 2" model 10 that I REALLY want...  So many guns, so little money.

I order some from King Size.  It was actually easier before I started losing weight.  About 50 pounds ago, I could find XL shirts with long enough sleeves (though even then it was difficult), but now I'm a Large and you may as well forget finding them in any store.  I think in years past it surely was easier to find tall clothing.  It was worthwhile for clothing companies to make them.  Now, I think that with the way that the sewing industry is (and every other industry), that they deem it unprofitable to set up their production for a  relatively small amount of tall size clothing. 

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

You got that right Stophel

                  Stay with the catalogs, that way you don't have walk all over the place, and still come up empty

                                           Cant wait to see the gun

                                      Ten Wolves Five Shooter...