Spiller and Burr

[Pettifogger]

Picked up a couple of Spiller and Burrs.  Thought I would tune them up and maybe campaign them next year.  Not terribly well built and an odd combination of parts.  I have an original and a lot of the parts look like a 51 Navy.  (Except for the top strap.) The Pietta variation is built more like a Remington.  Same kind of ratchet etc.  However, the only common part with a Remington is the hand.  All the other parts are unique to the Spiller.  The cylinder and nipples on the original look like a 51 Navy -- the nipples have no angle and the hammer nose is square to the bore axis.  The Pietta Spiller has a cylinder that looks more like a Remington.  Very narrow nipple windows which would make capping a chore like on a Remmie, and angled nipples.  I have already opened up the nipple windows and chamfered the chamber mouths.  The hammer hits the nipples WAY off axis.  The nose hits the top of the nipple and causes the hammer to stand about .020" away from the frame.  Left as is, the hammer would beat the nipples to death pretty quick so I'm getting ready to mill the hammer nose.  The nipples are set fairly deep in the cylinder so its hard to get an accurate angle reading.  Anyone know the angle the nipples set in the cylinder?  (Probably the same as a Remmie.)  The full cock notch was also shaped like a bird's beak and had about a 20 pound trigger pull.  Had to re-cut the hammer full-cock notch and put a proper angle on the trigger sear surface.  Milled out the sight groove in the frame and will put on a new front sight.  If it works OK when I test it, I'll use it in Frontiersman next year.

[Bad Ramon]

         Very interesting.......................Once you remill the notches on the hammer, will they need to be rehardened? Seems like every Italian copy of anything I have ever owned has a case hardening about .007-.009 thick and once you go thru its soft as butter. I use Kasenite; good stuff! I also have 2 Spiller&Burr replicas I got from Navy Arms about 12-14 years ago. They were having a year-end clearence and I just couldn't say no. Good luck and good shooting......................Ramon