Colt Army Model 1860 Wedge Assembly

Jason DVM

Cadet
Joined
Jul 5, 2019
Location
Issaquah, Washington
Quick question regarding wedge assembly. Is this the correct orientation for the wedge spring, i.e. concave surface up with thick spring end to the left (same side as thick end of wedge)? I purchased this revolver with the wedge inserted/jammed upside down. Thanks for the help!

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Jason,

Glad to see you got the wedge out!

Yes, you are correct. The "lip" of the spring should be on the right side of the wedge, concave side up, so it can secure the wedge against the right side of the barrel lug when driven in. I don't see it in your photos, but there should be a very small screw that secures the spring to the wedge on the left side of the wedge (looking at it from the top). The wedge and spring appear very rusty, and you have them separated, so that small screw may be gone. If so, the easy fix for display is to obtain a new replica wedge (either Uberti or Pietta) and fit it to your gun for a thumb/finger fit without using a mallet to drive it in. You can always age the new part with a slight bit of watered down vinegar wiping to make it look period/original for display to your satisfaction.

Item #4 for $23.50

https://www.vtigunparts.com/store/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=15&cat=Uberti+1860+Army

Hope this helps.

Jim

Edit: ucvrelics beat me to it. :smile:
 
Jason, I am also curious about a few things now that you have it field stripped. Is the arbor (the large "pin" that the cylinder revolves upon) loose/wobbly or is it firmly secured to the rear of the frame? Does the load lever latch securely latch to the latch catch on the barrel? The hammer screw appears to be a replacement as it does not conform to the other two frame screw heads, but they appear very pristine as if no one ever disassembled this pistol farther than you have. It is very interesting that the recoil shields are cut for a Colt Type 3 shoulder stock (which Colt patented rather than the Types 1, 2, and 4 that he experimented with previous to his patent) but it does not have a 4-screw frame to which a shoulder stock needed for attachment. Does the bottom of the backstrap have a "divot" for the attachment of the shoulder stock? Colt had very many early variations on the 1860 Army model (prior to his contract with the US Army for their specifications that they would accept) to include an 1851 Navy sized grip frame, a 7.5" barrel, and a full-fluted cylinder to keep the weight of the gun commensurate with the 1851 Navy.

IMO, I would obtain a copy of Charles W. Pate's book "The Colt 1860 Army Revolver" (2018), available on Amazon from many sellers for about $60 - $65. I have one and I feel it is a very valuable investment. I just collect Italian replicas, but strive to make them as close as possible to the original guns.

Kudos on your progress so far!

Regards,

Jim
 
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