Need help buggering up my Remington

[Frenchie]

I have a Pietta New Model Army with a 5-1/2 inch barrel that I'm going to do some terrible things to, like install a gated cartridge conversion cylinder and possibly nickel plate it. Things is, I can't get the cylinder axle out because the rammer lever catch is too close. How do I get the catch off? It seems to be a press fit.

[Pettifogger]

The cylinder base pin is designed so it won't fall out by accident while loading or removing the cylinder for cleaning.  You have to take the screw out of the rammer and remove the rammer.  Then, the base pin will come out.

[Montana Slim]

I'm surprised there isn't enough clearance. I cut my own Remmie to about 4" and there is almost (but not) enough clearance to remove the  cylinder pin. The catch on my Pietta revolver was soldered in (as well as the front sight) and I re-soldered in the new position.

Best,

Slim

[Frenchie]

I'm not making myself clear, my apologies. Here's what I'm talking about:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m274/Darkfold_2006/RemPin.jpg

[Pettifogger]

That's odd.  If it is a factory 5 1/2" the base pin should come out.  Was this a longer barreled gun that was shortened?  The lever latch is pressed and soldered into place, so it isn't coming off easily.  Is the base pin just barely in the barrel shroud?  If it is only hanging up by a few thousands you can push it back into the cylinder window and remove a little material off the end of the base pin.  Obviously, you can't shorten it so much that the base pin won't reach the breach area when it is reinserted.

[Frenchie]

The stamping on both sides of the barrel is centered, so no, the barrel wasn't shortened.

In the position you see in the photo, a good half inch of the base pin is hidden by the frame. It's too thick to pass through the slot that's normally occupied by the rammer lever. If I could remove metal from the top front of that area (above and in front of the screw hole) then it would just fall out.

Well, I intend to convert this thing to shoot cartridges, so maybe cutting off the lever catch and fabricating a sort of plug with a "hook" on the front to keep the base pin in place would be called for. I have some skill with files, I bet I could make one out of mild steel or brass.

[Pettifogger]

Scroll down to the bottom on this page.  I think it is what you are looking for.  I ordered a couple with some other stuff.  The other stuff came, but there was a note that the latches were back ordered and would be coming in a few days.  http://www.riverjunction.com/kirst/konverteracc.html

[Frenchie]

Dude, you are the man! I had completely forgotten about those things! Merçi beaucoup!

'Splain somethin' to me... the Remington ejector rod looks like a steel tube welded to a cylinder pin with an L shaped rod in it. Is that right? Does the ejector rod have to be removed when firing and inserted to eject the brass? If that's the case, it seems to me they ought to come up with something better than that for the same money as the much better one for the '51 Navy.

[Paladin UK]

Fer Frenchie....

looks like a steel tube welded to a cylinder pin with an L shaped rod in it. Is that right

Yessiree That's what it looks like ta me too!!

I`m thinkin they are `extracting the urine` with that price tag!!
Looks `bout 1/5th the work involved `n they want ya to spend the same spondoolies as ya would fer a nicely machined 51 jobbie!!

Paladin (What agrees with ol Frenchie  ) UK

[Hoof Hearted]

Frenchie

Yes the Cylinder pin will not come out of a 5 1/2" Pietta
The easiest way (unless you cut the pin in half) is to turn the barrel out a bit (counter clockwise) this will turn the base pin catch out of the way and allow the base pin to be removed.
Of course if you intend to shorten the barrel then you can just cut the barrel back past the catch. But if you want to reatin the stock front sight then you will need to remove the barrel and turn it down at the breech end and rethread.
I do these all of the time.

The Kirst cylinder pin retainer will need to be hand fit to your pistol. It's not hard but I haven't insatlled one yet that dropped right in!

[Paladin UK]

Fer HH.......

But if you want to reatin the stock front sight then you will need to remove the barrel and turn it down at the breech end and rethread. I do these all of the time.

I`ve never shortened a barrel this way as I would be scared that the alignment would be out iffn ya didnt cut the thread just right!! 
Obviously your way saves one hell of a lot of work!!

Sooo, pard can ya tell me how ya make yer re-thead so`s it`ll all line up nice

Paladin (What wants ta know the EASY way ) UK

[Frenchie]

I went and ground off the loading lever latch and am going to turn this thing into an all-the-time cartridge gun with a Kirst gated K ring and cylinder. I'd like a better ejector than the overpriced one that Kirst makes.

[Hoof Hearted]

Fer HH.......
I`ve never shortened a barrel this way as I would be scared that the alignment would be out iffn ya didnt cut the thread just right!! 
Obviously your way saves one hell of a lot of work!!

Sooo, pard can ya tell me how ya make yer re-thead so`s it`ll all line up nice

Paladin (What wants ta know the EASY way ) UK

I make barrels all the time for Remingtons (just made one out of a left over rolling block pistol barrel in 44-40) If the front sight is to be used for TDC then you approximate the original leaving it long at the breech. Screw it into the receiver and it will not line up. Using the trial and error (staying away from the error) you remove material from the shoulder until it tightens up to TDC. The using (the easiest way) a Brownells hand forcing cone reamer and barrel facing cutter you fit the cylinder gap and recut the forcing cone. I can do all of this inside an hour and it really is no big deal, you just need access to a lathe and the ability to cut threads.

[Paladin UK]

Fer HH...
I got me a lathe `n tha ability ta cut threads!!  but, I aint got me a Brownwells forcing cone reamer    nor a barrel facing cutter!!

So,  I spose I`ll just have ta stick with the old and

Paladin (What lurvs ta tinker  ) UK

[Hoof Hearted]

Paladin:

www.brownells.com