Original loading levers on 58's

[Hendershot]

First of all Merry Christmas everybody! I have been poking around some of the antique gun sites and have come across a couple of examples of the loading levers being cut down across the the top so they can remove their cylinder pin without dropping the loading lever. Were they not worried about their pin falling out?

[Fox Creek Kid]

Not per my experience. I've polished my cylinder pin so it feels like glass AND machined in a few lube rings and it won't move a hair unless you pull hard or hit with something.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

A friend of mine has an older Pietta that will completely toss the cylinder pin if the lever is down. He had to pick it up off the ground one time. There are probably others like that out there. I don't think mine would loose the pin but I haven't tried. I have had the loading lever on one drop down while shooting if I didn't lock it up correctly and the pin stayed in place.

[Hoof Hearted]

The slot you are refering to is on an "old model" ARMY. The New Model captured the cylinder pin because the old model did have issues. If you look more closely the pics you are seeing will also not have a notch cut in the frame for the "wings" of the cylinder pin, a high spur hammer and the patent date on the barrel will be 1861 (1858 on the New Model). Remington also used up a lot of old parts so you will see "high" spur hammers and the like on some New Models. If a Fillister screw is used the cylinder pin will come all the way out.

[Hendershot]

HH, Thanks for clearing that up for me. I'll go back and take a closer look see. Did notice that high hammer spur on the newer models had wondered about that also. One other thing.... that you or somebody else might know about. Ive seen some cylinders with safty notches some without and one which looks like a "V" notch cut in between the nipples. Was this an early attempt at safty notches by the factory or a maybe a gunsmith job?

[Hoof Hearted]

Hendershot

Safety notches came about in late production on the "Old models" and were standard fare on the "New models". I'd have to see the "v" notches but I seem to recall seeing a few guns that had been "played with" or dry fired to the point the notches had become V shaped.

[Hendershot]

Tried but can't find that photo. It was on an antique gun listing or auction. It was an old model. It had no safety notches not even worn out ones like you explained. Looked as if someone took a 3 angle file and cut the v notches in between the nipples. The only way I could see those to work would be to file the hammer face to match. Pictures ARE worth a thousand words. I need to learn how to link to photos and web sites.

[Flint]

Two things were mentioned here, perhaps confused.

The early Remingtons had a cutaway on the top of the loading lever to allow removing the cylinder without lowering the lever.  In military service it wasn't working well, so Remington removed the cutaway to prevent the cylinder pin from moving forward.

The other reference was to the cylinder pin stop on the pin, which prevents the cylinder pin  from being completely removed unless the loading lever is removed from the gun.  I removed the stop by running the "D" flat all the way to the end, so I could remove the pin and use it as an empty case ejector on my R&D cylinder.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I removed the stop by running the "D" flat all the way to the end, so I could remove the pin and use it as an empty case ejector on my R&D cylinder.

Now I'm impressed. I really like that. I have to carry a little stick or something with me and that will completely eliminate that. Thanks for the great idea, pard. I'll do it to one of mine right away. Such a simple solution to an annoying, although minor, situation.

[Hoof Hearted]

Will

Depending on which "type" of remington you are dealing with you mat be able to "index" the rammer screw and just slightly file a flat on it to allow the cylinder pin to slide past it. This is much easier to do than the above and if you "flatten" it in the right place you can turn it slightly in or out to regulate this feature

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Depending on which "type" of remington you are dealing with you mat be able to "index" the rammer screw and just slightly file a flat on it to allow the cylinder pin to slide past it. This is much easier to do than the above and if you "flatten" it in the right place you can turn it slightly in or out to regulate this feature

This would work fine but then I'd have to carry a screwdriver to the unloading table. I like the idea of just yanking it out without any tools and using it for an ejector rod. It sure won't fall out with the lever locked up and that will eliminate the need to carry something else along to do the job. I have an extra pin or two so it's no big deal to do one. Thanks for the other idea, though.

[Hoof Hearted]

Will

I was just throwing out another option
By the way, you miss interpreted the "regulate" part. You don't have to turn it to be able to remove the pin, but you CAN turn it to negate this feature.

Grind away and don't be shy, parts are cheap (this was the motto in a shop I used to work in building race guns)!

[Marshal Will Wingam]

By the way, you miss interpreted the "regulate" part. You don't have to turn it to be able to remove the pin, but you CAN turn it to negate this feature.

Grind away and don't be shy, parts are cheap (this was the motto in a shop I used to work in building race guns)!

I did misunderstand what you were telling me. Thanks for the clarification. That puts a whole different twist on it. Many thanks.