[BDUAres]

I recently returned to Texas after being in England for 5 years. While I was gone I had let my brother-in-law use some of my guns, including my Pietta. When I got back I discovered that he had not cared for my pistol very well, and there are now 2 problems:

1) a light coat of rust in some patches on the barrel. In at least one place it looks like a rust "fingerprint", which you can make out in the 3rd photo.

What would you recommend for removing this rust layer? I am hesitant about sanding it, as that will likely strip the gun black off the metal, but if there is no other way then that is what I will do, and buy some gun black to refinish it.

2) The gun no longer "locks" at half cock. It will half cock fine and stay there, but now when you pull the trigger at half cock it will fire. It used to lock in that position and not fire. I am not sure what part of the pistol is broken or out of adjustment, but I did find this break down online:

http://www.vtigunparts.com/store/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=67&cat=Pietta+1858+Remington,+Tiro

Can anyone tell me which part of the pistol is supposed to keep it locked at half cock?

Hard to imagine I bought this thing more than 17 years ago from Cabela's, and it still shoots fine. Even harder to imagine I only paid about $100 for it, plus maybe $25 for the BP "shooting kit" they sold back then.

Anyway, thanks for looking at this, and hopefully someone can point me int he right direction

 

[cayugad]

I would get some 000 steel wool and some buffing compound or navel jelly and go after them rust spots. Yes you are going to mark the finish. Just no real way around that. And will probably not get it all out. There are pens you can purchase, Birchwood Casey sells them, that will touch up that area, but it will always be there. So unless you want to take all the bluing off, and back to bare metal then re blue the revolver, you will have to live with it.

As for the trigger assemble, first thing I would do is get some brake cleaner and take that outside and spray down the trigger assembly real good. It might have a piece of cap, or gunk, or what knot in there that is causing the problems. Without taking the trigger out, I would not have any idea what is causing the half cock to slip.

 

[MikeG]

0000 steel wool and any type of oil, basically. Naval jelly will probably remove the bluing. Rub lightly and see how it looks. Rub a little harder, a bit at a time, till it's gone.

The half-cock notch is either broken, or filled with crud. Probably broken from abuse. Take it apart and see.....