Sudden Reliability Problems With Uberti 1860

[Guy La Pourqe]

Hey fellas.

I have one a those beautiful Uberti 1860 repros and have had nothing but fun with it. It's as accurate as any pistol I own - with my home cast boolits, no less!

The problem I have is that all of a sudden, the thing just can't seem to smack the caps hard enough to set them off. I notice that Mike the Duelist on YouTube pushes the caps down onto the nipple and 'seats' them with a wooden dowel. I've had to start doing that too and even so - ignition is spotty. What the heck is going on??? I am using CCI No. 11 caps and have never had a bit of problem with them. I bought some high-end replacement bronze nipples from Track Of The Wolf and they have always worked great.

I am wondering what has changed to cause the reliability problems? Any ideas? As usual, your two cents is sincerely appreciated!

[country gent]

Did it slowly start having this issue or all at once started? I would disassemble it and look for build ups slowing restricting the lock works also look for bits of cap in the action. Last is a mainspring that's slowly wearing out and may need replaced. Any other changes lighter trigger pull, often a sign or by product of a mainspring weakening. Problems with lock up of culinder or other little things

[Beagle333]

I agree that the first check should be that there isn't any junk that has fallen down into the transmission and that the hammer is moving and falling freely. Also check to see that the hammer isn't rubbing the channel real hard on either side. Sometimes that will slow the fall down enough to have light strikes.

[jcren]

I love cci primers but have had nothing but problems with their caps. One tin was great the next would fail 2 out of 6. Been years since I tried em, but something to watch for.

[Gtek]

New tin of caps, remove just cause and check orifice in nipples (welding tip cleaner works awesome), nipple tip flaring, as stated above main spring, binding in hammer. When was the last time is was down to the last screw? Maybe just the main spring screw backed off. I would do a full disassembly and clean/inspection/lube just to remove unknowns and move on from there.

[swathdiver]

A spent cap falling into the action or one smashed and camouflaged between the frame and hammer is not uncommon even for the most well trained eyes. After that, check your wedge fitment, that your cylinder has not moved slightly forward and away from the hammer.

[bigted]

If ... as you state ... it began to mess up all of a sudden ... then look at what is different in your routine or new.

If nothing has changed in the loading routine ... no new items added or replaced ... then i would then and only then ... look at the mechanics of the revolver.

First check i recommend is to look at the wedge and the cylinder gap. If the wedge is beat up or has gotten lose in any way. This will allow the cylinder to run too far forward and can limit the crush of the hammer on the nipple. ( have you fixed the arbor length on it?).

After determining that the above is a-ok then disassemble it to parade rest ... each and every screw and closely inspect each component for disfigurement and the springs for cracks and breaks. Inspect the frame, hammer, hand, cylinder notches for foreign items and or broken parts.

I would lean to the wedge/cylinder gap myself. This will keep the hammer from completely contacting the cap with force that apparently has lost its luster. Look at the portion of the hammer that would contact the frame where the arbor comes through the frame and has been peened to keep it from backing out ... this will probably put marks on the hammer face where it contacts the frame instead of the nipple. If the hammer is marked thusely then the cylinder has moved forward away from the slotted hammer face.

[Good Cheer]

Hey fellas.

I have one a those beautiful Uberti 1860 repros and have had nothing but fun with it. It's as accurate as any pistol I own - with my home cast boolits, no less!

The problem I have is that all of a sudden, the thing just can't seem to smack the caps hard enough to set them off. I notice that Mike the Duelist on YouTube pushes the caps down onto the nipple and 'seats' them with a wooden dowel. I've had to start doing that too and even so - ignition is spotty. What the heck is going on??? I am using CCI No. 11 caps and have never had a bit of problem with them. I bought some high-end replacement bronze nipples from Track Of The Wolf and they have always worked great.

I am wondering what has changed to cause the reliability problems? Any ideas? As usual, your two cents is sincerely appreciated!

Is there any way that you could post a photo of wedge and it's surrounds?
The reason I ask that is there can be a geometry to the wedge fit so that the corner of the slot (on the side towards the cylinder) is taking the load. With any crushing of that corner the length from barrel to hammer effectively becomes longer. That's not a usual problem but I've seen it happen and hence bringing it up. If that is the problem you will be able to see distortion of the steel at the side of the slot.

[indian joe]

A spent cap falling into the action or one smashed and camouflaged between the frame and hammer is not uncommon even for the most well trained eyes. After that, check your wedge fitment, that your cylinder has not moved slightly forward and away from the hammer.

until this gun has been pulled apart, cleaned, and checked thoroughly for cap residue in the innards - everything else is just wheelspin - do the simple stuff first!