Problem with 3rd Model Dragoon

[Doug Bowser]

I have a Replica Arms 3rd Model Dragoon .44 C&B revolver. When you cock the hammer, the cylinder turns and locks in place. When the hammer is dropped, the cylinder lock does not keep the cylinder locked and the cylinder turns slightly.

Any ideas?

It is in great shape. A friend from California gave it to me last month.

[smkummer]

You would have to take off the trigger guard to find out. good luck

[StrawHat]

Doug,

I had Walker replica that I installed a stronger stop spring (bolt spring) under the triggerguard and it cleared up that problem.

Someone is now offering a wire spring version of the bolt spring, might be better than the old flat spring.

[Doug Bowser]

Doug,

I had Walker replica that. I installed a stronger stop spring (bolt spring) under the triggerguard and it cleared up that problem.

Someone is now offering a wire spring version of the bolt spring, might be better than the old flat spring.

When I received the revolver from Kalifornia, the bolt spring was broken. I replaced it with a new one purchased from Dixie Gun Works. The spring was oversized and of not very good quality. Thank you for pointing out something I should have seen with my own eyes. I will get a Uberti replacement. The revolver is one of the first replicas imported in to the USA. They were made by Uberti and this one is 98%.

Doug

[Hang Fire]

Not knocking Uberti, but most of the early C&B revolver replicas were pretty sorry stuff. (AKA junk) BOTOH, the quality today for most is outstanding. I cannot believe how Pietta has cleaned up their act, was a time when I would not touch them, but after getting one of their 1858 Remington's, was amazed at the quality for the price.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Try vtigunparts.com. Good service, talk to a helpful person, reasonable pricing, Parts for all Italian manufactured guns. Schematics on their site too. BvT

[KCSO]

Get the wire spring replacment from Brownell's, they are about bullet proof and last forever.

[StrawHat]

Doug Bowser
I have a Replica Arms 3rd Model Dragoon .44 C&B revolver.

Doug,

Anytime you want to post a phot or two it would be appreciated.

I have a soft spot in my head for the stuff imported by Replica Arms of Marrietta Ohio.

Thanks.

[oldhickory]

Doug,

Anytime you want to post a phot or two it would be appreciated.

I have a soft spot in my head for the stuff imported by Replica Arms of Marrietta Ohio.

Thanks.


I agree, in the 60s and early 70s their stuff was as good as it got for repros!

[Doug Bowser]

I agree, in the 60s and early 70s their stuff was as good as it got for repros!


I saw many of the early replica firearms. I was in the NSSA. Centennial Arsm offered an 1860 Colt repro. It was beautifully finished but soft as butter. It was a wall hanger after 500 shots. I had an 1863 Zouave .58. I replaced lock parts as often as I used it.

I shoot the Uberti Remmie in .44. It is as good as it gets. I also shoot a Navy Arms Griswold & Gunnison .36. The only real problem with it is the sights are atrocious.

The Dragoon was given to me by a friend and buying parts from Dixie is not going to be an option for me any more. I believe the bolt/trigger spring I got from them was the crudest replacement part I have ever seen. I have purchased Uberti replacement springs for other model pistols and rifles and the quality seems a lot better than what I got from Dixie.

Even if I have to play with it a bit to get the Dragoon working, The price was right.

[jhrosier]

Hearing folks talk about Replica Arms and Centenial Arms sure brings back some memories.
When I was younger I would get their catalogs and drool over them for months.
Money was real tight in those days and I wound up with some third rate brass framed Navy.
I shot that one a lot until the base pin would no longer stay on the frame.

Later, in the early '70s, I bought an abused Navy Arms 1858 Remington and had to replace all of the internals before I could use it. I still have it although it hasn't been fired in many, many years. The bottom of the barrel is marked "A.Uberti" and it has a 1960 proof mark. I recently retrieved it from the top of the book case where it has rested for 25 years and scraped about 1/8" of dust from it. The hand spring is weak and the cylinder doesn't always index unless the gun is pointed up. Maybe it's time to replace the hand and make some smoke.

I had a bunch of pretty decent C&B revolvers back in the early '80s but lost interest in black powder shooting and traded a half dozen or more for a .357 Ruger Blackhawk.

I got interested in shooting the C&B revolvers again recently and when the wife asked what I wanted for Christmas, I had her order one of the charcoal blued Uberti 1860 Armys. It is sure a looker! I've only been able to get it out once since Christmas because of the weather. I did make the mistake of putting bore butter on the base pin for a lube. It froze solid. Who would have guessed that it was water based.:(
Well, between the frozen lube and the powder fouling, I only got to shoot 25 rounds and I had to help the cylinder turn for the last ten. It was putting five shots into about two inches at twenty yards. I was pretty impressed as that is almost as good as some of my cartridge guns. That was fired with some powder that was still in my flask from about 1982.
I had bought quite a bit of powder because the supplies were spotty even back then. A few years ago I sold off most of the powder for $4 a pound and was I ever surprised to pick up a pound of Swiss a few weeks ago and pay $27 a pound.:holysheep

Anyways, thanks for the pointers to parts sources and please excuse my long ramble down memory lane.

Jack

[Doug Bowser]

I was a Cowboy Action Shooter for several years. I enjoyed it until it became a gamer sport with light loads and tricked out guns. This is my opinion and I respect other peoples opinions but spending $2500 on a tricked out 1873 rifle is not in the spirit of the West.

The guys asked me to design a stage. Here are the firearms I provided with real BP:

1- .44 Remington C&B revolver loaded with 5 shots

1- Hopkins & Allen single barreled shotgun 5 shots w/ BP shotgun shells

1- TC Hawken .54 rifle w/ RB and patch

Here was the firing order:

Draw the revolver and shoot 5 shots on 5 targets 1-5-2-4-3

Pick up the shotgun and shoot 5-1-4-2-3

Pick up the loaded .54 TC and cap it, fire a shot standing at an NRA D-1 target at 50 yards, reload under time and fire another shot at the D-1 standing.

It was not the most popular stage. We did it with a small crew but it WAS realistic. I called it the SODBUSTER STAGE. Most settlers of the old west bought C&B revolvers and .58 Muskets from dealers like Hartley and Sons. They could not afford repeating rifles, 2 fancy Colt handguns or a double barrel. They just bought the CW surplus for about $1.50 for the C&B revolver or the Musket. A single barreled shotgun at that time was about $2.00.

I would rather shoot the SODBUSTER STAGE, with my blue kepi, blue jeans and balloon sleeve shirt and re-live the olde west, not some drugstore cowboy version of it.

[Doug Bowser]

Doug,

Anytime you want to post a phot or two it would be appreciated.

I have a soft spot in my head for the stuff imported by Replica Arms of Marrietta Ohio.

Thanks.

Strawhat, here's the photos; The Patent # on the photo is the serial number. It is stamped on the barrel, frame and trigger guard. It must be an early one to be that low.

Doug Bowser

[StrawHat]

Strawhat, here's the photos; The Patent # on the photo is the serial number. It is stamped on the barrel, frame and trigger guard. It must be an early one to be that low.

Doug Bowser


Thanks for the photos Doug. Nice looking revolver.

The serial is a low one. Somewhere on your frame should be a box with a couple of letters in it. This is the date code, and all Italian blackpowder firearms are supposed to have it stamped on the frame. Accent on supposed to have.

Anyway, if you find it, go here and look it up.

http://store.bluebookinc.com/Info/PDF/POWDER/MBPProofmarks.pdf

When I can, I will post photos of mine, a twin to yours.

[Doug Bowser]

Thanks for the photos Doug. Nice looking revolver.

The serial is a low one. Somewhere on your frame should be a box with a couple of letters in it. This is the date code, and all Italian blackpowder firearms are supposed to have it stamped on the frame. Accent on supposed to have.

Anyway, if you find it, go here and look it up.

http://store.bluebookinc.com/Info/PDF/POWDER/MBPProofmarks.pdf

When I can, I will post photos of mine, a twin to yours.

Strawhat,

It is early XXI or 1955. Thanks for the info. I know a lot more about Military rifle proofmarks that BP repro. New knowledge is always helpful

[bobk]

Doug,
Not to be picky, but that's a second model. The 1st had oval notches and a square trigger guard, the 2nd had square notches, square guard, and the 3rd had square notches, round guard, and some of them had a leaf sight at the rear of the barrel.

Bob K

[Doug Bowser]

Doug,
Not to be picky, but that's a second model. The 1st had oval notches and a square trigger guard, the 2nd had square notches, square guard, and the 3rd had square notches, round guard, and some of them had a leaf sight at the rear of the barrel.

Bob K

Thanks for the heads up. I am more infomed on military rifle san d pistols than cap and ball revolvers.

I have ordered a trigger bolt spring and I hope to have the hog-leg abck in service soon.

[bobk]

Doug,
It's a minefield, that's for sure! If you ever get into Colt cartridge conversions, it will drive you nuts. Supposedly there were 17 different styles in Colt alone. Tell you what, though, 200,000 Civil War soldiers weren't wrong; handle a 1860 sometime. I suspect my Rem New Army rep is more accurate, but I'd rather have a '60 in my hand.

Bob K