Correcting an arbor fit issue on my 1851 Colt Navy.

[Lone Oak]

Interesting topic. I had arbor issues with an Uberti '51 I bought a few years back that I converted to .38LC about a year ago.

When I bought the '51, it had a bent arbor, bent down at the slot. The previous owner, or whoever bent it, then proceeded to file the end of the arbor until the cylinder would just go on with force. Of course the barrel flopped around and it was a mess.

I got a new arbor and fitted it to the frame. BTW, the original arbor was NOT pinned and there was no hole for a pin so this is one Uberti that came from the factory w/o a pinned arbor. It was manufactured in 1992. I drilled a 3/32 pin hole when it was fit properly and pinned it.

Anyway, the new arbor was too short and, just like in the photo Rolling Thunder had at the beginning of this thread, my barrel went past the frame. I tried shims but didn't care for the way they flew around the shop floor when I removed the barrel for cleaning. So I drilled and tapped an 8-32 hole in the end of the arbor about 3/16" deep. I then fit a lock bolt for a m/l with a head diameter same size as the arbor so it extended the arbor about 3/16" and filed it to the proper length for good barrel fit. Stays put, works great.


L.O.

[RollingThunder]

Did you experience any of the arbor slop that rifle mentioned in his post?

[Howdy Doody]

Not to butt in but do you get the Cowboy Chronicle? Larson Pettifogger has in this months edition a couple fixes for the Uberti arbor.
One had to do with the shortness and he shows how he installed a brass end for his using the little pins that hold cases on the rotary table of a Dillon press. The other dealt with drilling, tapping for a set screw.
Obviously Larson is a machinist, but he uses everyday tools that can do the job. I find that very interesting, because I am not about to buy expensive machinist tools and I have the run of the mill common stuff around my shop.

[Lone Oak]

Rolling Thunder,

The barrel was a snug fit onto the new arbor.

L.O.