Chapter 4 – Fiction, Odds and Ends

4.7 Gunsmithing the Belgian “1960 NEW MODEL ARMY“

 

4.7 4.7.1 4.7.2 4.7.2.1 4.7.2.2 4.7.2.3 4.7.2.4 4.7.2.5 4.7.2.6 4.7.2.7 4.7.2.8 4.7.2.9 4.7.2.10 4.7.2.10.1 4.7.2.10.2 4.7.2.10.3 4.7.2.11 4.7.2.12

Gunsmithing the Belgian “1960 NEW MODEL ARMY“ Spare Parts Gunsmiths Barrels Bolt Bolt/Trigger Spring Cylinder Grip Hammer Hand Mainspring Nipples Newly Made Screws Screws Connecting Frame with Backstrap and/or Triggerguard Other Screws Frozen Screws Trigger Wedge

 

4.7	Gunsmithing the Belgian

 

 

“If the Belgian is Together Right it Shoots Real Good” Respectfully quoted from our good old friend and pard FROCS #4 Rifle the Centaure Doc. Much to our regret for some time already he cannot be reached anymore.

 

4.7.1

Spare Parts

 

Many of these Belgian made Colt Armies offered today at auctions, gun shows or elsewhere have signs of many years of abuse in black powder shooting. Often parts are worn and/or need to be replaced. Since production of these pistols was terminated in 1973, original spare parts are rare and would be a lucky find. Therefore, sharing information regarding sources for parts; but, also gunsmiths who are capable or experienced enough to make such parts or repair our favorite licensed Belgian Colt 1860 Army pattern pistols (aka Centaures, aka Centennial Armies) is needed.

On many occasions, however, commercially available parts of Italian 1851/61 Navy and 1860 Army clones, respectively, can be used with little fitting.

Selected original Centaure spare parts might be available from Waffenhaus am Bodensee in Friedrichshafen/Germany. Check back with Werner H. Withum there. During the late 1960s and early 1970 Withum aka WIKE was one of the original dealers of the Centaures in Germany. You will find the contact information in chapter 7.3 of this website.

 

4.7.2

Gunsmith

 

Consulting with gunsmiths very knowledgeable with the repair, making or the replacement of parts of the Belgians is always a good idea. Below are a couple of suggestions from expert gunsmiths; but, Centaure tinkerers from around the globe also. Most of these tricks of the trade, however, were provided by this U.S. expert C&B hobbyist gunsmith who goes by the alias of Rifle. Unfortunately, and as mentioned above, he is no longer available for services.

Go over to chapter 7.3 of this website for addresses of gunsmiths in your geographical area.

 

4.7.2.1

Barrels

 

Barrels of Uberti made Colt 1860 Army reproductions can be used for replacements to Centaures. A new arbor may have to be fitted or some welds may need to be strategically placed on top of the original arbor to tighten the fit of a replacement barrel to the smaller diameter Centaure arbor.

The alignment of the bore of the barrel to the chambers is a thing to check to properly fit a replacement barrel to a Centaure. Please, note that the Centaure barrel groove diameter is .446 inch. It is adjusted to the chamber diameter for maximum accuracy, whereas the Uberti barrel groove diameter is usually ca. .451 inch.

 

4.7.2.2

Bolt

 

Competent gunsmiths make replacement bolts from scratch or use bolts from Pietta or Uberti and make them work nicely in a Centaure. German FROCS #76 Gunfire aka Wolfgang Pfeiffer is making Centaure bolts from Uberti parts. Check chapter 7.3 regarding his contact information.

 

4.7.2.3

Bolt/Trigger Spring

 

Uberti springs for 1873 Single Action Armies, 1860 Armies, 1851/61 Navies or 1871/72 Open Tops will usually work. Aftermarket piano wire springs might be the better choice if you wish to use your Centaure frequently in bulls-eye or dynamic S.A.S.S. cowboy action shooting activities.

 

4.7.2.4

Cylinder

 

If a functional replacement is needed Uberti cylinders will work with some fitting, but their chamber diameter might have to be adjusted to the groove diameter of the Centaure barrel.

A current production Pietta cylinder is the right chamber diameter being only about .001 inch bigger than the barrel groove diameter and can be modified to fit a Centaure. The ratchets at the rear need to be reduced in diameter to fit the Centaure.

 

4.7.2.5

Grip

 

To remove the protective shellac from (gun and) the grip applied at the Belgian factory but also to clean old worn grips a good wipe with some steel wool soaked with ethyl alcohol works for me. Once the wood has dried, I give it a further treatment with dry steel wool before an application of Schaftol or linseed oil as a protection. This will also enhance the grain structure. Repeat application as needed, use steel wool between applications until the surface has the desired level of smoothness and silkiness.

 

4.7.2.5_1 Ethyl alcohol and steel wool work for me

 

4.7.2.5_2 Application of Schaftol or similar oils with a Q-tip

 

I have that fat area at the bottom of the grip panels of my pair of main match Centaures used in dynamic shooting like S.A.S.S. Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS) flattened by ca. 2,0 mm on each side. For me this provides for a more positive grip during the draw, faster target acquisition and there is no sideways twist to talk about during recoil.

 

4.7.2.6

Hammer

 

A Pietta hammer can be fixed to work in a Centaure. Be prepared that it has to be thinned a lot. Hence, grinding is the way to go.

 

4.7.2.7

Hand

 

A Pietta hand can be used with some tinkering. German FROCS #76 Gunfire aka Wolfgang Pfeiffer is making Centaure hands with a leaf spring, German master gunsmith FROCS #77 Sliding Horse aka Klaus Mumme makes them also with plunger and coil spring. Check chapter 7.3 regarding their contact information.

 

4.7.2.8

Mainspring

 

The original factory mainsprings are of the heavy-duty, stiff kind. They were installed at the Belgian factory for good reasons:

# Positive ignition of the caps even under adverse conditions.

# No backward movement of the hammer when the gases blow back through the nipples, to prevent

# Chain-fires from badly fitting caps, but more important

# Misalignment of chamber and barrel if the bolt leg is close to the hammer cam the cylinder can be moved by the hand upon firing. That would set the chamber alignment off too much before the ball is out and make the pistol shoot suboptimal with hits spread all over the target.

Uberti mainsprings will usually work without fitting. However, theirs are weaker than the original Belgian ones. That’s why the expert gunsmiths rather reanimate a dead original spring, or work down a heavy-duty Dragoon spring and make it fit to the Centaure.

Please, consider these experiences of U.S. Centaure doc Rifle:

“Revitalize a weak or over-bent original spring back to proper shape and function?”

“You can bend it if you soften it by heating it red and letting it air cool slow.“

„Then after it’s bent heat it red and throw it in water then polish it off some and heat it ‚til it turns blue and let it air cool.”

“If that doesn’t work on the type of spring steel then maybe you can file to size a Dragoon spring to fit the Belgian unless it’s as short as an Uberti 1860 spring then use the Uberti.”

 

4.7.2.9

Nipples

 

Before you can replace worn or burned-out nipples you have to get them out of the cylinder pocket first. This is often an issue. This wooden board with the 2 hardwood pins might be a useful little helper in this process.

 

4.7.2.9_1 The little helper wooden board with two dowel pins as guiding pins

 

4.7.2.9_2 Chambers of cylinder „anchored“ by the two guiding pins

 

However, even with the best nipple wrench you are at a loss when the nipples are nicely baked into the threads because this previous owner of your Centaure never cleaned that pistol properly. Penetrating oil, application of heat alternated with cold gets you only so far when the nipples are really stubborn and uncooperative.

Here is what Rifle is suggesting in such a situation:

„It’s the downward pressure that does the trick.”

“Use the drill press to get out stuck nipples. The drill press is not turned on. The drill press is used only to exert downward pressure on the nipple wrench so it doesn’t slip off the nipple.”

“The spindle or chuck with the nipple wrench in it is turned by hand to loosen the nipple.”

 

4.7.2.9_3 Doing it Rifle’s way this is the arrangement

 

4.7.2.9_4 Four stubborn nipples stuck in cylinder

 

4.7.2.9_5 Tough job for FROCS #18 Lucasia even with his expert equipment

 

4.7.2.9_6 Mission accomplished, the deed is done, nobody hurt, nothing damaged

 

4.7.2.9_7 Excellent job, thanks Lucasia

 

Not all of us cowboys and cowgirls are lucky, own or have access to sophisticated machinery in our shop like Lucasia or Rifle. Or they are not comfortable using such high-tech equipment like me. Often it will be necessary to do the job using available rudimental tools only. Here is what works well for me.

 

I start with a caveat: This method works but the fix of the wrench on the nipple is a fragile one!

 

Tools recommended are

1. The afore mentioned board with the 2 hardwood pins,
2. A solid C-clamp (vise)
3. A perfect fitting, ideally flat headed quality nipple wrench (round head will work, too but you need to be even more careful that it is not slipping off from under the vise),
4. Just in case a tube of some kind that can be slipped over the handle of the nipple wrench as an extension of the lever, to apply more torque if needed.
5. Here we go:

 

4.7.2.9_8 Step 1 fix the board to your bench

 

4.7.2.9_9 Step 2 position your cylinder on the guiding pins of the board, breech side up and place your nipple wrench on the frozen nipple.

 

4.7.2.9_7

4.7.2.9_10 Step 3 view of fixation of the nipple wrench with the C-clamp

 

4.7.2.9_11 Another view of fixation of the nipple wrench with the C-clamp, note tube to extend handle of wrench

 

Make certain that the wrench is in an absolutely straight upward 90° position all the time!

 

Step 4 turn the lever of the nipple wrench slowly and carefully to loosen the frozen nipple, a tenth of a mm or inch at the time. Use an extension on the handle of the wrench as needed. Adjust counter-pressure of C-clamp as the nipple is coming loose. As per Rifle’s recommendations the C-clamp is only needed to exert the downward pressure on the nipple wrench.

Once the old nipple is out commercially available nipples from Pietta are of the same thread size as the Centaures, namely 6 mm-.75. Use a lathe to turn the shoulder of the cones to match the nipple rebate in the cylinder. Cone threads are longer, may need to use a tap of same 6 mm-.75 threads to extend threads in cylinder, or shorten the threads of the nipple if it is possible without enlarging the ignition hole in the nipple. Shorten top of cones to match Centaure’s lengths for caps.

Alternatively, you may want to consider installing newly fabricated beryllium nipples made for Centaures. They are available from Vorderlader-Shop in Eschenbach/Germany. Jürgen Achenbach is the man to talk to at Vorderlader-Shop. His address is listed in chapter 7.3 of this website.

 

4.7.2.10

Newly made Screws

 

Check with your gunsmith or the contact information in chapter 7.3

 

4.7.2.10.1

Screws Connecting Frame with Backstrap and/or Triggerguard

 

Our U.S. pard and FROCS #130 Footsour aka David M. Evans has arranged for the production. He ships to Europe, too. Alternatively in Europe check Austrian master gunsmith and conversion artist FROCS #50 Luger Master aka Karl Nedbal, or German engineer and FROCS #76 Gunfire aka Wolfgang Pfeiffer. There addresses are listed in chapter 7.3 of this website.

 

4.7.2.10.2

Other Screws

 

Check Austrian master gunsmith and conversion artist FROCS #50 Luger Master aka Karl Nedbal, or German engineer and FROCS #76 Gunfire aka Wolfgang Pfeiffer. There addresses are listed in chapter 7.3 of this website.

 

4.7.2.10.3

Frozen Screws

 

You may want to try the same technique that worked to loosen the nipples! Instead of the nipple wrench fix a bit of the right size and a proper fitting spanner as lever. The removal of the uncooperative screw will usually require some fixing and stabilizing to secure the 90° upright position of the bit!

 

4.7.2.11

Trigger

 

A replacement trigger can be made from a Pietta (for cases where a long one is needed) or Uberti trigger. Although longer than the Centaure trigger, it can be used if the long length is not needed with some fitting and contouring.

 

4.7.2.12

Wedge

 

Take the measurements of the hole for the wedge in both barrel lug and arbor. With these measurements in mind get a replacement wedge from

# Uberti: Best fit. A hair narrower at the rear, works good, or

# Pietta: Fit would work but the rear is narrower than the Uberti.

ASM: Went through too easy, and

ASP/Euroarms: Went right through, cannot be recommended.

Re-contouring an oversized wedge to proper size might be easier than fixing a shim to an undersized wedge.

The front of the arbor’s slot can be welded and re-filed to make a slot narrower so that a narrower than original wedge available from the factory-made replacement or another manufacturer can be used and providing available replacements in the future.

 

This list will be amended as additional gunsmithing trade tricks become available.

 

 

Updated January 25, 2024

© Michael, Neely & Wolf 2007/2024

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