Improving a 36 revolver

[KCSO]

I had picked up a Pietta 36 Navy that just didn't shoot as good as I thought it should and when i checked it out i found that the cylinder was bored 365 or less and not uniform. I chucked it up in the mill and reamed each cylinder hole to an exact .370 as the bore was a tight 372. I wanted to make sure a 375 ball would still be a tight fit and the 370 bore should allow the soft lead ball to slug up into the slightly larger bore.

Well it worked and groups shrunk up to just at 2 inches from a rest and with my old eyes that is better than I expected.
I also polished the forcing cone while the barrel was off. Now I need to try my Lee Bullets and see where and how they print.

[John Taylor]

Something I tried many years ago was adding a small radius to the cylinder so it does not shave lead while pushing the bullet/ball in. Seems to work fine and no pesky lead rings to remove before shooting.

[Outpost75]

I use the Brownells ball chamfer tool on cap & ball cylinders and it works well.

Attachment 289379

[bedbugbilly]

KCSO - interesting - just curious - what is the date code on your Pietta? Is it new or has it been around for a while? I think it's interesting on what you found on your cylinder chamber dimensions and it sounds like your machine work really made a positive change.

My '51s are all Uberti but my '58 Remingtons are Piettas - no favoritism towards either make as all have been great.

I have been thinking about picking up a '51 Pietta "just because" (you can NEVER have too many '51s :-0 ) so thus my interest. What charge are you using in the Pietta? In my Uberti I have found that 18 grains of 3F Goes (been shooting wit DuPont and then Goes for 60 years so have never changed) with .375 RB gives me the best accuracy - but not without changing the front post sight out to one that will tighten POA to POI. On your Pietta, and I'm assuming it is like most that shoot high with the stock front sight (?), have you had to change to a higher front sight on your Pietta?

Thanks and enjoy! Would be interested in hearing hoe the Lee conical shoots for you.

[KCSO]

The Pietta was brand new this year but it is not unusual to find variable dimensions in Pietta guns. About like the Rugers. I am using a 20 grain spout on a flask with a wonder wad under the ball. I swapped out the front sight for a dovetailed in higher sight so I can hold just under q 3 inch bull at 25 yards. I don;t mind the ring of lead as then I know for sure the chamber is sealed.

[StrawHat]

Many decades ago, cylinders would routinely be reamed to accept the proper sized ball or bullet, for competition purposes. Many of the originals needed this. Some would machine a ledge in the cylinder so a 200 or 210 grain SWC could be seated to the same depth each time.

Kevin

[Nobade]

I recently went through a late '90s Pietta fixing everything that was wrong with it. I discovered that a #7 taper pin reamer, if you cut about an inch off the end, is perfect for resizing C&B 36 caliber chambers. You can run it in until the opening is whatever you want, in my case I made it .375" for .380" balls but I could have stopped any time along the way. Since it has a gentle taper on it, there's no step at the bottom and it transitions nicely into the original chamber about halfway down.

[almar]

I was under the impression that the cylinder bores should be + 0.002?
I gave them a slight chamfer as well.
There was no forcing cone on mine so I am made a 11 degree forcing cone. There was no Crown either so I made that.

[Nobade]

I was under the impression that the cylinder bores should be + 0.002?
I gave them a slight chamfer as well.
There was no forcing cone on mine so I am made a 11 degree forcing cone. There was no Crown either so I made that.

+.002" over groove diameter would be a good rule of thumb, just like a cartridge revolver. The bore is .360" and I don't know what the groove diameter is since it's a seven groove barrel and I don't have anything to measure that. But it should be around .375" and it shoots great now with no leading so must fit OK. Isn't it amazing that they build these guns with no or minimal forcing cone and a crown with nasty burrs? No wonder people have trouble getting them to work.

[almar]

+.002" over groove diameter would be a good rule of thumb, just like a cartridge revolver. The bore is .360" and I don't know what the groove diameter is since it's a seven groove barrel and I don't have anything to measure that. But it should be around .375" and it shoots great now with no leading so must fit OK. Isn't it amazing that they build these guns with no or minimal forcing cone and a crown with nasty burrs? No wonder people have trouble getting them to work.

They are also quite cheap...I don't mind these missing features if I can get the pistol for 300$ or so because I have the tools. If they start putting MIM parts in there ill be really disappointed.