Making a 1858 Belly Gun

[Fredcdobbs]

I was inspired by another poster to make a Remington Snubbie pistol. Got a good deal on the 1858 and with discount coupons my Pietta 7.5 inch 1858 Remington cost me all of $150, so why not cut it up and make a belly gun?
Here is Redsport91s original excellent series on making his snub.
http://1858remington.com/discuss/index.php?topic=6082.0
I don't have extensive power tools. I have an ancient Sears Craftsman drill press and a Dremel Tool. I also have a combination disk and one inch belt sander from Harbor Freight that cost under $50. I also have a drill press vice and a small part adjustable bench vice from Harbor Freight. My standard bench vice is a four inch also from H.F. I am doing all the work myself except for cutting the barrel and cutting a dovetail in the barrel for the front sight from Track Of The Wolf. I have a machinist friend who is performing those two tasks but I needed to get the proper front sight dovetail cutter from Brownells for him. About all I needed for the rest of it were some standard tools. Screw drivers, sand paper and files including small needle files etc.




first job was to disassemble and strip off bluing with white vinegar. It took about ten minutes to clean off the old finish. Removing the barrel was a bear. I put it in the vice with a couple aluminum angle pieces to protect the finish but with all the pressure involved. Brass or copper sheet would have worked better. I heated the thread area with a propane torch, and unscrewed the barrel with  a three foot piece of 2x4 with that had the end cut for the cylinder opening. Be sure to grip the barrel in the vice as close to the frame as possible. The barrel turns about 45 degrees from snug to it's proper location and undoing it required a lot of pressure. I thought I'd damage the gun but I didn't. When you can hear a 2x4 starting to crack in places, you wonder.
So far I opened up the nipple openings on the cylinder. I Shortened the loading lever and drilled the pocket for the spring. I drilled four holes in the cylinder pin to hold lube. I relocated the grip locating pin and drilled now locating holes in the wood grips using the new hole as a drilling guide and temporarily keeping the old pin in place. I rounded the frame on the disk and belt sander, then the grips to match. Final shaping with a sanding block and 400 grit with the gun in the vice. I stripped the grips and refinished in Plinkingtons Pre64 spirit stain and their Red/Brown stock finishing oil.
Next immediate jobs are to open the sight notch and slim down the main spring a tad. I also need to make a functioning spring to hold the loading lever stub in place. When the barrel gets back, I'll reinstall it on the gun, finish it in antique blue or browning and properly adjust the front sight. I got a set of slixshot nips for it.

[Fredcdobbs]

More progress. First of all, my thanks to Redsport91 for showing the way on this gun.
I opened up the sight notch to work with the new front sight. I made a small sleeve to go over the grip screw and between the panels to keep from damage upon tightening. Also here is a shot of the frame in the drilling vice.

Realizing the barrel cutting would make necessary removing the interrupted lettering on the side of the barrel, I decided to also de-proof mark the frame as well. Used a medium mill bastard file. When I got down close to the end of the last letter, I wrapped some 220 wet/dry over the file and removed the file marks and last of the letter. then some 320 paper and a polish with 1500. In order not to round the frame you file differently.  One hand simply moves the file back and forth with no pressure. All the pressure is provided directly over the letters to be removed by pressing directly down on them with the side of your other hand. It keeps the file from tilting and rounding corners. Keeps things square. Using a file for a sanding backer works well for precision sanding when a flat surface is mandatory.
Also removed .010" from the .060 thick main spring. Trying to get it out of the John Deere catagory.
Next job is dealing with the spring for the loading lever. I may have a new idea on that one. I also want to toss the parts in the toaster oven, heat them up and cold blue all the internal areas not see on the exterior of the gun, inside of the cylinders etc, for rust protection. Later I'll just finish what remains of the outside. Haven't decided on finish yet.

[The Trinity Kid]

Looks good, Fred.  Wish I had another Remmie to do something with...

Keep us posted.

--TK

[pony express]

Looking good! This would be a great project for a brass frame, no finish needed, just polish it up.

[Wolfgang]

I did it with a very rough ( kit gun ? ) ASM that I got as part of a deal on other stuff and didn't know what to do with it . . .

http://s1259.photobucket.com/user/DrBurkholter/media/cmyshorty58andnipplewrench_zps4d07032c.jpg.html?sort=3&o=10

[Fredcdobbs]

Progress of sorts. I got one of the Taylors RD 45 Colt conversion cylinders and it works perfectly after I had to remove a few thou from the frame for a proper fit. I'll make a decision on browning the conversion cylinder after I shoot it.
So far so good. Just need that barrel back. Trouble is the mills at the place where I'm having it done are in constant production so I'll have to wait some more. All I need now is to finish the frame and barrel and put that barrel back on.

[Wolfgang]

Looks good so far, . . . . how long a (  NO . . how SHORT )  a barrel are you putting on it ?     

[Fredcdobbs]

Looks good so far, . . . . how long a (  NO . . how SHORT )  a barrel are you putting on it ?     

Three and a half inches. It's already cut just needs the dovetail. j

[Fredcdobbs]

More progress, barrel mounted. Sight dovetail cut and sight installed. Needs finish and adjusting front sight height.
Lubed barrel with borebutter, clamped in 4 inch vice with brass jaw protectors and turned the 45 degrees to home. It went in amazingly easy compared to removal. I also removed the partial lettering on both sides of the barrel.

[The Trinity Kid]

Looks nice.   Now I'm getting ideas...very costly ideas.

--TK

[Fredcdobbs]

Looks nice.   Now I'm getting ideas...very costly ideas.
Well. I had a discount coupon for Cabelas, the gun came on sale and with the coupon, I got it for $150. Friends did the barrel work for $40. A set of Slixshot nippes were $35. That's it. The rest was sweat and sanding. Pretty good investment for $225. Didn't break the bank this time. The Conversion cylinder was $208 on sale. I was watching the bucks on this one. That's how I got the nerve to cut it up. If I ruined it, I could part it out and just lick my wounds.

--TK

[The Trinity Kid]

That's a way to do it. 

--TK

[Fredcdobbs]

Final pictures of the finished 1858 Snubbie. Browned with Laurel Mountain Brown and it does seem on some metals to impart a straw color with the brown. Finished lever spring and reshaped the end of the loading lever stub. Can't wait to shoot it Monday. Adjust the sight down.
That's it. No projects for the future.

[Tornado]

Great job Fred!

[Fredcdobbs]

Here is the cylinder loader. I made a bigger aluminum base for it and JB welded on a brass pipe for a better handle. Also had to elevate the stand to get the geometry correct.

[Shawnee McGrutt]

Cool

[Fredcdobbs]

Shots fired: I took it to the range today. 20 grains of 3F. I had to take about .100" off the sight to get it on a five inch target at seven yards. This is from a rest at seven yards. More than satisfactory accuracy consistent with the use of a snubbie. I'm quite pleased. With the short barrel it has a nice authoritative BOOM! I'm really impressed with this Pietta. Goes bang every time with Slixshot nips. No jams no grief.

[Fredcdobbs]

Just realized that I am taking some pictures with a Sony "Toy" program. Here is a more true color for the gun.