help from 1860 gurus

[Capt. JEB Forrest]

I have a brace of Pietta 1860's. These have been my main match guns for a couple of years.

Both have the "Pettifogger" work done to them. Both have a reduced power bolt/sear spring.

One has started to not pop caps. As I checked it I saw that the cylinder would come into battery but when the trigger was squeezed and the hammer was moving forward the cylinder would rotate just enough for the hammer to catch on the shoulder of the nipple opening.

I have been taking it apart and checking all that I know how, but no luck.

Any ideas?

[Noz]

First place I would look is at the notches in the cylinder. If the edges of the notches are beat up the bolt may be moving them as it comes up.
I just had to clean mine up for just that reason. Mine had not progressed to the point of hitting the cylinder but there was movement.

I shoot the same set up but with the 5.5" barrels. Sweet ain't they?

[rifle]

I explained the reasons for that movement in a post a good while back. I've actually posted it in multiple places over the years.
It wouldn't be the movement mentioned above by Noz since that movement would be as the hammer is drawn back and not as explained in the initial post as the hammer is falling.
In short......the wear to the bolts leg  that rides the hammer cam and it's loose on it's screw coupled with wear to the top edge of the hammer cam lets the bolt under spring pressure(the bolt legs are springs) squirt up over the top of the hammer cam early and getting ahead of the rest of the action parts lets the bolt desengage from the cyliders lock notch and the cylinder can move from the hands spring pressure on the back of the cylinders ratchet teeth as the hand moves down as the hammer moves down.
Usually a new hammer cam and a new bolt can fix it. A smith can fix it without new parts unless the hammer cam is too bad. Sometimes the bolt legs are spread too far apart  and that exasperates the cause and squeezing them together some can remedy the problem. The hand spring may be too strong also and need bent closer to the hand.
The core of the problem is the wear to the bottom of the bolt leg that rides the hammer cam and the hammer cam wear makin the top edge too rounded.
I should mention that the trigger/bolt spring may be too light also.

[Lucky R. K.]

Hey Capt. JEB,

Don't be workin' on them hoglegs.  It's hard enough to get an edge on you now.

Lucky 

[Capt. JEB Forrest]

Lucky, my friend, I am only trying to keep up with you! There is no telling what is gonna come out of that workshop of your's after this winter!

Actually, this all started when I got a set of Slix Shot nipples to see if I could run a reduced power main spring. My current spring is thined, but I was looking to go lighter. When caps would not go off I got to lookin to see what the problem was and discovered the cylinder rotation.

I did try a new hammer thinking that it might be the cam. You know any Frontiersman has tons of spare parts laying around! What eventually fixed it was a new hand. I don't know how it caused it but all parts are the same except the hand. Was my last one so I placed an order to Dixie for some spares.

Alas, at least on my gun the reduced power main spring would not work. Inconsistent hits on caps and fragments in places they don't need to be. I was able to thin my current spring a little more.

Noz, I have tried others but always come back to the '60. I even use the Army grips. Mine have the full length barrel. I have some troubles with my thumb/hand/wrists and with a load of about 28 grs. powder, a lubed wad and a round ball, I get enough muzzle flip on firing that I can put thumb on hammer and the weight and leverage from the longer barrel helps me cock the hammer as it comes level for the next shot.

[Noz]

Alas, at least on my gun the reduced power main spring would not work. Inconsistent hits on caps and fragments in places they don't need to be. I was able to thin my current spring a little more.

Noz, I have tried others but always come back to the '60. I even use the Army grips. Mine have the full length barrel. I have some troubles with my thumb/hand/wrists and with a load of about 28 grs. powder, a lubed wad and a round ball, I get enough muzzle flip on firing that I can put thumb on hammer and the weight and leverage from the longer barrel helps me cock the hammer as it comes level for the next shot.

My Slix/reduced power mainspring is working like a charm. I have the Woolf Colt spring installed.

I too have thumb problems but I find the above load as you mention allows me to keep the 5.5" inch barrels looking down range and still reach the slightly bent down hammers.

[Lucky R. K.]

Hey Capt. JEB,

Not much coming out of the shop this Winter.  I got old and fat and am moving kind of slow.

I am working on a new gun belt for the Rugers and 1858's for this year. 

I have signed up for Junkie's South Carolina state match and will probably go to North Carolina and Georgia.  I hope to see you somewhere down the road.

Seems like nobody wants to shoot Frontiersman.

Lucky   

[rifle]

Capt Jeb,
Glad to see ya got er fixed. If the problem creeps up on ya again you might reason that the hand can't move the cylinder unless the bolt is not engaged in the cylinder notch for some reason.
Regards,
Wayne(aka Rifle,Enyaw,Wayner,Waynerinskistiener,Blue Tick)