Modding a Pietta New Model Army .44

[ovenpaa]

I use superglue when collimating, then drill through in-situ and finally strip and solder for rifles such as 4(T)

[Dark Skies]

I use superglue when collimating, then drill through in-situ and finally strip and solder for rifles such as 4(T)

Do you have issues silver soldering stainless at all?
I have managed to silver solder up the rear notch sight on regular steel 1851 hammers in order to re-cut s notch without issue. However, I just can't get it to flow on dummy runs with stainless.

[1066]

Could you not file a traditional dovetail to allow for a bit of windage correction. A few thou either way makes quite a difference at 20 yards.

When you say "inacccurate" - Was it grouping ok, just in the wrong place, or not grouping at all. How are you shooting it? one --hand, two-hand, from a sandbag?

Y'know I went through a period when I kept a shooting log of all the things I tried to make the 8" original shoot.
I just couldn't even get it to be a viable shooter. It shot very much to the left but the word 'grouping' isn't really applicable. I could get it to hit the target - and by target I'm including all the white surrounding areas it was printed on too. Where the ball would strike in that area was anyone's guess. I even had some of our really consistently very good BP shooters try and figure it out. No joy. Hence this gun being turned into a project. I was just done with it. I hated it.

I shoot one-handed as I shoot muzzle loading postal comps at 20 yards. I'm a reasonable shot - scoring consistently high 90s and the odd 100 with my similarly sized / weight Ruger Old Army.
High 80's / mid 90's with my Pietta 1851.
I even do reasonably well with the itty bitty Uberti 1849 - all on target albeit nothing to shout about
So I'm confident there really was an issue external to me - seemingly with the barrel. However, I suppose the weight of the gun plus the uncomfortable pressure the rear of the guard placed on my mid finger (I have large hands) may have influenced my grip / performance.

Now, had you suggested cutting a dovetail and putting on an adjustable sight back then I'd have been up for it. The worst that could go wrong was I mucked up the file work on a crap performing gun I wanted rid of. and I'd free up a slot by having it scrapped.
However, the mods I've made and the potential I've seen with just a mock up bodged foresight has rekindled my enthusiasm for the gun. I really like the look and balance of it. I favour a traditional period looking sight purely based on it just looking pretty.
That and I'd hate to place myself in the position of snatching disaster from the jaws of victory by making even the slightest of errors filing a dovetail into stainless.

Being told by a professional that gluing a sight on is considered acceptable practice now makes me feel less bad in exploring this approach - especially as Pietta have done this albeit in an interference fit pocket.
I have some ideas as how to make a sight with improved surface area for bonding - I'm thinking a length of brass T section from a modelling shop can be fashioned into a blade sight akin to the Colt SAA and fixed using JB between keyed surfaces. Furthermore I could zero it in before finally gluing it in place by trial and error using a temporary glue. I can hear gunsmiths spinning on their stools even as i type. :)

Sounds like you have all bases covered. - I was going to give you a couple egg sucking tips.

[Dark Skies]

Sounds like you have all bases covered. - I was going to give you a couple egg sucking tips.

:)

[Dark Skies]

I'm just waiting on the JB Weld to fully cure. Then I'll clean up, polish, and try it on the club range.

[ovenpaa]

Acetone works well on JB Weld for cleaning off excess when it is first applied.

[Dark Skies]

Acetone works well on JB Weld for cleaning off excess when it is first applied.

Cheers, I've a bottle of nail polish remover kicking about somewhere.

[ovenpaa]

Erm, well I guess it is close enough.

[Dark Skies]

Erm, well I guess it is close enough.

Should be fine. This one contains a decent amount of acetone according to the label. It smells the business too.

Has the label "SOLVENT ABUSE CAN KILL INSTANTLY" so you know it's the good stuff.

<sniff> This is AWESOME <sniff>
It's like permanent marker pens, I just can't pick one up without a quick snort.

https://youtu.be/AgvQMisrmo4

[ovenpaa]

Nail varnish remover has added 'value' such as lanolin to stop your nails and skin drying out. If you have a need for it, buy pure Acetone, by the time you get to 20 litre drums it is very sensibly priced an a drum lasts us 12-18 months.