Pietta 1860 army wedge won't budge

budman93 · Oct 23, 2015

I couple weeks ago I got a Pietta 1860 army replica on sale from Cabelas. The wedge was too tight to move so I ordered some brass punches to tap it out without marring the metal. Tonight I tried to tap it out and it will not budge no matter how hard I whack it. At the end I was hitting it hard enough to bend the punches but there was no movement in the wedge's position. I don't know what else to do other than to take it to a gunsmith and see if they can get it out. Suggestions?

platekiller · Oct 23, 2015

You have great luck man. Ever get that ramrod out of your muzzle loader?

budman93 · Oct 23, 2015

platekiller said:
You have great luck man. Ever get that ramrod out of your muzzle loader?

haha no. I don't care about that barrel anymore but it was a nice aluminum range rod that I would like to use again. It's still in the garage stuck as tight as ever. I might just drill out the barrel to get it out eventually.

BeoBill · Oct 23, 2015

Penetrating oil is your friend.

Which end of the wedge are you hitting, BTW?

platekiller · Oct 23, 2015

budman93 said:
haha no. I don't care about that barrel anymore but it was a nice aluminum range rod that I would like to use again. It's still in the garage stuck as tight as ever. I might just drill out the barrel to get it out eventually.

May have to see if 4 guys can unstick it.

rseymorejr · Oct 23, 2015

Penetrating oil and a plastic mallet?

AntiGun · Oct 23, 2015

budman93 said:
I couple weeks ago I got a Pietta 1860 army replica on sale from Cabelas. The wedge was too tight to move so I ordered some brass punches to tap it out without marring the metal. Tonight I tried to tap it out and it will not budge no matter how hard I whack it. At the end I was hitting it hard enough to bend the punches but there was no movement in the wedge's position. I don't know what else to do other than to take it to a gunsmith and see if they can get it out. Suggestions?

Did you take out the set screw first?

Also need to pinch the wedge on the side that slips through. There's a little spring strip of metal that has a lip and holds the wedge.

(not assuming you don't know, just making sure)

budman93 · Oct 23, 2015

BeoBill said:
Penetrating oil is your friend.

Which end of the wedge are you hitting, BTW?

The correct side. Right to left. The majority of the wedge protrudes out the left side and it should pull out that way.

budman93 · Oct 23, 2015

AntiGun said:
Did you take out the set screw first?

Also need to pinch the wedge on the side that slips through. There's a little spring strip of metal that has a lip and holds the wedge.

It should pop out without removing the retaining screw put I did take it out anyway. I also pinched the spring clip in to clear the edge of the barrel. Hard as crap to do though. You need more than two hands.

AntiGun · Oct 23, 2015

budman93 said:
It should pop out without removing the retaining screw put I did take it out anyway. I also pinched the spring clip in to clear the edge of the barrel. Hard as crap to do though. You need more than two hands.

I have a stiff 1851 navy that required needle nose pliers to take out. Needle nose on the spring/wedge while tapping the wedge. It got better after the first removal because I could oil it. Still stiff and I've thought about sanding it.

iH8DemLibz · Oct 23, 2015

You do not have to completely remove the wedge to remove the barrel.

The spring and screw are there to keep the wedge from falling all the way out.

Once it's knocked out, and dangling, the barrel will come off.

AntiGun · Oct 23, 2015

Wedge drift punch.
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/1041/1/TOOL-KEY-B

AntiGun · Oct 23, 2015

iH8DemLibz said:
You do not have to completely remove the wedge to remove the barrel.

The spring and screw are there to keep the wedge from falling all the way out.

Once it's knocked out, and dangling, the barrel will come off.

Yes but it seems he can't move it at all.

iH8DemLibz · Oct 23, 2015

A block of wood or plastic and a BFH will move it.

Some folks have been known to drive them out in the wrong direction too.

Drive it toward the screw side (right to left). The spring doesn't have to be depressed.

AntiGun · Oct 23, 2015

iH8DemLibz said:
A block of wood or plastic and a BFH will move it.

Some folks have been known to drive them out in the wrong direction too.

Drive it toward the screw side (right to left). The spring doesn't have to be depressed.

Mine did have to be depressed but I believe I have an odd wedge. Spring may have been bent? It took two people to get that sucker out. It's a Pietta so slightly off sized or out of spec parts wouldn't be too surprising.

Here's Pietta's version of removal
http://www.pietta.us/pdf/How_to_remove_the_wedge.pdf

AntiGun · Oct 23, 2015

First I've seen this, might be on my shopping list.

Wedge puller
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00162KL4G/

budman93 · Oct 23, 2015

AntiGun said:
Yes but it seems he can't move it at all.

Yeah it won't move at all.

budman93 · Oct 24, 2015

AntiGun said:
First I've seen this, might be on my shopping list.

Wedge puller
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00162KL4G/

Has anyone used one of these?

iH8DemLibz · Oct 24, 2015

If you can't drive it out with a block and hammer, that little pry bar won't help.

No wedge should ever be that tight. And if they are that tight, the cylinder generally won't budge either.

One, good, whack should pop it out because there is literally nothing holding those wedges in place. Just the taper machined on it and slot it goes into.

budman93 · Oct 24, 2015

well I just tried a way similar to that little wedge puller/lever thing, except I used a 15 inch pry par with a notch that fit the wedge. Two people, one holding down the gun and the other levering on the wedge and it still wouldn't move at all. That should have way more force than that little tool but still nothing. Much more than I'm doing is just going to destroy it.

Pietta 1860 army wedge won't budge

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