Pietta 1860 army wedge won't budge

budman93 · Nov 9, 2015

BenL said:
Or buy an 1858. (no wedge)

I would like to add one of those to the collection eventually.

I did get that stupid wedge out though. I smacked it out with a steel punch tonight. Turns out the problem was likely not the wedge, but the extremely jagged metal on the right edge of the slot in the barrel. I smoothed it a little with a file and I might do a little more later.

platekiller · Nov 9, 2015

budman93 said:
I would like to add one of those to the collection eventually. I did get that stupid wedge out though. I smacked it out with a steel punch tonight. Turns out the problem was likely not the wedge, but the extremely jagged metal on the right edge of the slot in the barrel. I smoothed it a little with a file and I might do a little more later.

So you went the use a bigger hammer route. Glad it came out.

budman93 · Nov 9, 2015

platekiller said:
So you went the use a bigger hammer route. Glad it came out.

.

AntiGun · Dec 10, 2015

Yes this again.

Friend bought 1860 army and the wedge is stuck.
Screw was bent(@%#$!) How??
Wedge was too big (#%$@!) They must press them in with a machine.
Took both out and replaced, works fine now, but what a PITA(pain/Pietta in the ass).
Pietta needs to boost the quality control but at least replacement parts are easily available.

Threeband · Dec 10, 2015

There really should be no reason to remove or even loosen the screw above the wedge. It's just there to prevent the wedge from coming all the way out and getting lost.

In other words:

Don't remove the screw!

AntiGun · Dec 10, 2015

Threeband said:
There really should be no reason to remove or even loosen the screw above the wedge. It's just there to prevent the wedge from coming all the way out and getting lost.

In other words:

Don't remove the screw!

He wanted to lose this wedge...
but yes you are right under normal circumstances.

I was going to get myself another Pietta for Christmas but after seeing too many quality issues lately I think I will pass.

BeoBill · Dec 10, 2015

Glad there's a happy ending. Grease the wedge before you put it back in.

Blacksmith101 · Dec 10, 2015

AntiGun said:
He wanted to lose this wedge...
but yes you are right under normal circumstances.

I was going to get myself another Pietta for Christmas but after seeing too many quality issues lately I think I will pass.

There is always Uberti. :innocent0

winch · Dec 11, 2015

I had the same problem yesterday with mine. I usually use a wooden crab mallet on mine but it did not want to budge. Got home from the range and applied a bigger hammer with success.

lee2 · Dec 14, 2015

call Cabelas

BeoBill · Dec 14, 2015

winch said:
I had the same problem yesterday with mine. I usually use a wooden crab mallet on mine but it did not want to budge. Got home from the range and applied a bigger hammer with success.

That's usually the correct approach to many things in life...

AntiGun · Dec 14, 2015

winch said:
I had the same problem yesterday with mine. I usually use a wooden crab mallet on mine but it did not want to budge. Got home from the range and applied a bigger hammer with success.

BeoBill said:
That's usually the correct approach to many things in life...

.

Threeband · Dec 14, 2015

winch said:
... applied a bigger hammer with success.

BeoBill said:
That's usually the correct approach to many things in life...

.

ras_oscar · Jun 23, 2016

budman93 said:
Yeah, their return policy specifically states no returns on firearms or black-powder guns so I'm out of luck on a return.

I purchased a plastic powder flask at Walmart. It didn't throw the correct charge, so I returned it. When I went to the counter to return it, the clerk scanned the receipt and then called for a manager. Manager arrived, typed in a code and I received a refund. Manager told me that firearms related items were not returnable, Because they can't resell them. He said the store would simply eat the cost.

You have a defective product. They need to make you whole, Likely need to talk to the store manager, not the clerk at the returns counter. If not returnable, exchange it for a product that they can demonstrate to you works.

SHMEEB · Jul 23, 2016

In my experience, I've found that a slightly molten crowbar tip works wonders in this situation

iH8DemLibz · Jul 23, 2016

SHMEEB said:
In my experience, I've found that a slightly molten crowbar tip works wonders in this situation

How does heating a crowbar tip to an almost liquid state help to pull a wedge?

SHMEEB · Feb 17, 2017

Depending on the material the wedge is made of, the molten iron of the crowbar can dislodge any dust, dirt, or detritus that is obstructing the wedge without destroying it.

Blacksmith101 · Feb 17, 2017

I thought you were applying the crowbar tip to the store managers more sensitive areas.

Threeband · Feb 18, 2017

Threeband said:
Notice on the end of the wedge there is the tip of a flat spring clip. This clip catches the dummy screw head on the left side of the revolver to prevent the wedge being completely removed and possibly lost. (That dummy screw should never be removed: the wedge does not need to be completely removed either.)

Top and side view of the wedge-and-catch combination. Notice the spring clip is designed to catch on the right side of the barrel, locking the wedge in just like the latch on a door. You can't just push on a door, you have to release the latch at the same time.

This shows the second function of the spring clip: It catches on the dummy screw head when the wedge is loosened, to prevent the wedge from coming out and getting lost. You should never need to remove the dummy screw head, unless to replace an old worn out wedge. Otherwise you should never remove the wedge completely.

View attachment 198458

Anyway, that spring clip in the top of the wedge may be catching on the barrel, locking the wedge in.

Lay the gun down on a couple of blocks of wood; even a pair of books might work. Place the tip of your punch against the tip of that spring clip, not the wedge itself, and angle your punch slightly so that it will compress the spring as you drive the wedge out. Now give it an authoritative WHACK with a mallet.

Worst case, if you trash the wedge you can easily replace it.

You could even clamp the gun securely, mask the area with thin sheet metal or flashing, and carefully and surgically remove first the clip, second the end of the wedge using a dremel.

But I suspect that spring clip is the ne'er-do-well here, and a properly positioned punch will simultaneously depress it and drive the wedge out.

Frankly, it is not absolutely necessary to remove that wedge, ever. It makes cleaning a lot easier, but you can load, shoot, and clean the gun without ever removing that wedge.

Now what's this about a stuck ramrod?

.

budman93 said:
...

I did get that stupid wedge out though. I smacked it out with a steel punch tonight. Turns out the problem was likely not the wedge, but the extremely jagged metal on the right edge of the slot in the barrel. I smoothed it a little with a file and I might do a little more later.

I don't think the extremely jagged metal on the right edge of the slot was the original problem. I think the tip of the spring clip created that jagged metal, damaged the edge of the mortise, because of all that banging on the wedge.

If you bang on a door hard enough, you can open it by damaging or destroying the latch, or the strike plate, or the jamb itself. It's better to turn the doorknob.

Reading over my old post here, I can see where people could misunderstand or be confused by what I was trying to say.

I don't think the problem was a tight wedge. I think that spring clip attached to the wedge was physically locking the wedge in, like a door latch fastening a door. You need to turn the doorknob.

It is not a friction fit. It's not wedged. It is mechanically attached, and everybody banging on the wedge is neglecting to simply release the mechanical catch which is locking the wedge.

You are banging and banging on a door, when all you have to do is turn the doorknob. The door isn't stuck: you're just not turning the doorknob.

The spring clip (which is permanently attached to the top of the wedge) does two things.

1--- The spring clip prevents the loosened wedge from being completely removed when the gun is disassembled, because it catches on the dummy screw head on the left side of the barrel. (That dummy screw should never be removed.)

2--- The spring clip prevents the wedge from coming loose or "walking" out. The tip of the spring clip pops up and catches the right side of the barrel when the wedge is installed. It is like the latch of a door which catches when the door is closed.

You can't open the door without releasing the latch.
You can't loosen the wedge without releasing that spring clip.

In many guns, that clip is weak and may not catch. I have guns which only require a casual tap to loosen the wedge. Someone may have a gun which is so worn that they can remove the wedge entirely with just their fingers. I don't want to hear about it.

It sounds to me like the OP has a new, tight gun with a wedge-and-catch combination which is working exactly as Sam Colt designed it to work.

So here is the way to ~~turn the doorknob~~ release the wedge-and-catch combination:

Place the tip of your punch against the tip of that spring clip, not the wedge itself, and angle your punch slightly so that it will compress the spring as you drive the wedge out. Now give it an authoritative WHACK with a mallet.

budman93 · Mar 5, 2017

Threeband said:
I don't think the extremely jagged metal on the right edge of the slot was the original problem. I think the tip of the spring clip created that jagged metal, damaged the edge of the mortise, because of all that banging on the wedge.

If you bang on a door hard enough, you can open it by damaging or destroying the latch, or the strike plate, or the jamb itself. It's better to turn the doorknob.

I could see how that could happen but with mine it was not the case. The jagged metal was on the bottom of the slot while the spring clip latches on the top edge.

Pietta 1860 army wedge won't budge

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