1858 Remington Base Pin Fowling

[Taos]

I like shooting my Remingtons (Pietta) but the base pin fouling is not much fun.  I cut grooves in the pins and that helped a lot, but I still have to pull the cylinder after 10 rounds, sometimes every 5 rounds, to clean the base pin and cylinder.  

 

I ran across this mod to the base pin and wondering if anyone has done this and can give me a few measurements.

It's a long video, the begining few minutes are really all one needs to watch to see the base pin mod.

 

Thanks

 

 

[Sedalia Dave]

Previous thread on the from the same video.

 

 

 

I did a lot of looking but never found anything that gave dimensions.  One thing I did discover is that the modification is far from new.

[Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329]

Larsen E Pettifogger took a diferent approach.

He removed the cylinder, milled the frame a bit, and installed a bushing in the front of the cylinder to stop the cylinder fouling.

I don't feel up to digging it out in my basement gun room, but in this picture, you can see the bushing filling the gap between the cylinder and the frame

--Dawg

[Old Man Graybeard]

I put plenty of red Mobil 1 synthetic grease on the pin and that seems  to help also. I ran 30 through both to simulate a match...and had no problems

[Taos]

Thanks Sadailia Dave.  In the old post there are a couple very good pics of the modified base pin.  Clear enough.

New base pins ordered.

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

I went a different approach. I use Wonder Wads.  But they don't have much lube. I soaked them in my long range bullet lube. 50/50 bees wax and crisco. I can shoot 6 stages without touching them. I also used the Mobile red lube on the base pin.

[watab kid]

i love my 1858 remington revolvers , ive not had an issue so far , in ny of them - i think i have three now , might be four 

[Lucky R. K.]

On 7/8/2026 at 1:24 PM, Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329 said:

Larsen E Pettifogger took a diferent approach.

He removed the cylinder, milled the frame a bit, and installed a bushing in the front of the cylinder to stop the cylinder fouling.

 

--Dawg

I made this modification to my two Pietta's when I first saw Larsen's video. They will shoot a six-stage match with no extra attention. I do shoot Big Lube bullets with either Goex or Schuetzen powder.

Lucky 😁

 

 

[Taos]

9 hours ago, watab kid said:

i love my 1858 remington revolvers , ive not had an issue so far , in ny of them - i think i have three now , might be four 

That is pretty amazing as all 1858's foul.  How many consecutive rounds have you fired through a pistol?

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

6 stages, 60 rounds, real BP, no issues ever. 

[watab kid]

12 hours ago, Taos said:

That is pretty amazing as all 1858's foul.  How many consecutive rounds have you fired through a pistol?

all of mine are converted to smokeless powder cartridges , im not shooting black in any that i shoot ....sorry i get it that those that do experience the fouling 

[Lucky R. K.]

20 hours ago, irish ike, SASS #43615 said:

6 stages, 60 rounds, real BP, no issues ever. 

Same here but that is 30 rounds per pistol or 60 rounds total.

Lucky 😁

Lucky 😁

Edited Saturday at 01:47 PM by Lucky R. K.

[Taos]

On 7/11/2026 at 8:43 AM, Lucky R. K. said:

Same here but that is 30 rounds per pistol or 60 rounds total.

Lucky 😁

Lucky 😁

Maybe I'll try some real black before anything else.