.38 S&W Double Action Top Break 2nd Model - REDUX

[Bugscuffle]

O.K. the revolver arrived today, WOW! was that fast! I am thrilled with the gun. It is in much better condition than it was described in the auction description. I will NOT have to replace the barrel as I previously thought and the nickle plating is in a lot better shape than it appeared in the photos. Instead of stripping it and them blueing it, I will just leave it like it is. I do however have a question. How do you remove the barrel? I tried removing the cap screw from the hinge pivot pin, but that's as far as I can get. The pivot pin will not come out even when tapped with a drift and hammer. I am not tapping it very hard for fear of doing some dammage, but I am sure that if it came out that way it would have come out. I can't find a pin or key that would hold in the pivot pin, so is it just frozen in or what? The barrel pivots just fine and there isn't any binding or sticking. What am I doing/not doing wrong?

[Devil Anse Hatfield]

If it aint broke step away from the bench.

[Bugscuffle]

Oh, does that mean that you don't know either?

If it aint broke step away from the bench.

[Advertising]

[Major 2]

I don't have one now... but my DAD did when I was kid .....

seems to me the barrel needs to be open in a certain position , to line up a pin or keyway....

Course that's 55 year old memory 

experts will chim in ....

mean while Devil Anse has an " opinion "  which I myself should have heeded on several ocasions 

[Bugscuffle]

Major - Thanks. I'll play around with it and see what I can do. I guess that you have to hold your mouth just right in order to do that.

[Bugscuffle]

Yep, that's it! The action has to be closed completely. I got a good look into the barrel and was pleasantly surprised. I got it pretty well cleaned up and the lands all look very good, but there is something fouling the grooves. I don't know if it is pitting or lead fouling or what it is, but a brass bore brush will not take it out. After all it is a 128 year old gun. I only hope that my bore looks that good when I'm 128 years old! I am going to try to slug the barrel and use some Flits on the slug and then scub the bore with it to see if that will clear the grooves at least somwwhat. I'm really excited about this gun. It is a cousin to the Schofield, a gun that I have coveted for a long time, and is 100% original and in great condition.

[Popa Kapoff]

I brought a national arms brake top in 38 S&W the nicole was shot and the bore so dirty you weren't sure you should shot it. I found that a sonic cleaning got the bore clean and the gun work very well. As for the nickel caswell make a bush on elector plater for about 90the buck and I touch up the gun nickel it was not even so I bushed the hole gun and it looks mint I've gotten a few comments about how good it looks.

[Bugscuffle]

After I got it all cleaned up it came pout like this:

http://imageshack.us/g/806/dscf4156.jpg/

I was particularly happy with both the nickle plate and the bore. Inside the gunis like new and the action and lockup is great. It shoots really well using 11 Gr of FFFg and a RN bullet of about 146 gr.