A. Uberti 1873 .44 Black Powder with a .45 ACP cylinder OK to shoot?

P

patriotguns

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I picked up a used but 95% looking 1873 Uberti last weekend. It says CAL .44 BLACK POWDER ONLY on the barrel. It came with a .45 ACP cylinder. The seller said he has shot it only with the ACP cylinder in it. I believe him as the .44 BP cylinder looks new and unfired. I was a little hesitant about the purchase taking his word and all regarding the safety of shooting a cartridge round such as .45 ACP in a gun marked black powder only. I have wanted a SAA style gun chambered in ACP for some time now. I took it out to shoot it and it was more accurate than I expected it to be but the firing pin is oval shaped and off center to accommodate the 44 cylinder so the primer didn't get hit hard enough on the first strike ever. The second strike however fired them all. I am looking for feed back from someone with experience with this set up before I continue with it. I am considering modifying the firing pin to a little more of a point so as to ignite the ACP primmer reliably.

P.S.
I have an 1873 Cattleman in 45LC too and the ACP cylinder will not fit into it. I know it would need to be fitted and timed. I really don't plan to ever shoot 44 BP in the Quickdraw (BP 44 gun); only ACP if it is safe to do so.

Thank you,
patriotguns
 
As a matter of fact I have one of those pistols, the Uberti Cattleman.
This is one beautiful pistol, really handles nice when you remove the ejection mechanism.

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I am not an expert on the .45 acp cylinder, but I have to go along with the Bright Boys at Uberti that invented this gun, and say, Black Powder Only.
 
FMJ not OK

I understand that with the .45 acp conversion cylinder on black powder pistols the ammo do not have to be loaded with black powder- they can- but its not required-What is required is they be lead=unjacketed

I have several cylinders and would have chosen one in 45 acp as I have plenty of that and can use it in a lot of non-BP pistols I have- and would have except for the no FMJ part- around these parts lead acp is almost always remanufactured/reloaded
 
Whether it's recomended or not...?

Thanks for the input so far...

I have as a matter of fact used both FMJ's and lead 230 grain rounds in it so far with no signs of trouble... maybe I'm lucky or just haven't had a problem yet. :confused: The FMJ's were factory Winchester white box 100 ct from wally world and the lead ball ammo was personal reloads with 5.0grs of Winchester 231. It is a surprisingly accurate pistol; more so than its counterpart look alike my Catelman 1873 in 45LC. Next I am going to modify the firing pin to a thinner point so it will detonate the 45ACP primmers reliably. I may order another barrel that doesen't state CAL .44 BLACK BOWDER ONLY as I do not ever plan to shoot it as a black powder pistol.

For Sale: One never used .44 Cal Black powder A. Uberti cylinder.
 
Simonkenton?

Hey simonkenton- why remove the ejector assymbly? Is it to suit your asthetics prefferences or is there a functional value?
 
Next I am going to modify the firing pin to a thinner point so it will detonate the 45ACP primmers reliably.
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I am not a lawyer, but it is my understanding that if you do that, it might amount to Manufacturing a Firearm in the same manner as installing a loading gate on a regular c&b conversion. This is legal for you to do for your own use under federal law, but you may not sell it as you do not have a manufacturer's license. State law may be more repressive on the matter.
 
Next I am going to modify the firing pin to a thinner point so it will detonate the 45ACP primmers reliably.
Click to expand...

I am not a lawyer, but it is my understanding that if you do that, it might amount to Manufacturing a Firearm in the same manner as installing a loading gate on a regular c&b conversion.
Click to expand...

This sounds like pure nonsense to me. Since when was simple gunsmithing ever the same thing as "manufacturing a firearm"?
 
The answer is really pretty simple. If you modify the gun so that it can ONLY fire modern cartridges, then it no longer comes under the definition of an antique or antique replica and is no longer exempt from the GCA of '68. If that is the case, then you can make the modification but you cannot sell the gun without an excise tax license.

I don't know if modifying the firing pin would constitute such a mod; I rather doubt it, but crazier things have happened. What's more important, in my opinion, and in opinions expressed by BATFE, is that installing the cartridge conversion cylinder is such a mod. That is, the gun with the cartridge conversion cylinder installed comes under the '68 GCA; the same gun with the percussion cylinder installed does not. The simple act of replacing the percussion cylinder with the cartridge cylinder constitutes manufacturing a firearm, which anyone can legally do. But you can't sell it that way. If you sell the gun, it must be with the percussion cylinder (or no cylinder) installed, and the cartridge cylinder must be sold separately. Silly, but true.

The bp percussion version of the 1873 single action Colt Peacemaker was designed expressly to shoot percussion cap ignition only; this was intended for European markets where cartridge handguns are prohibited. 'Simple gunsmithing' that is clearly intended to circumvent that design would be considered by many authorities to be an illegal act in those jurisdictions. Here, it would be a simple tax law issue.
 
That pistol is a cap and ball pistol.
I removed the ejection mechanism because it serves no purpose.
I have a Uberti loading stand that I load the cylinder with.
I like the way it handles with that weight removed.
 
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Y'all just don't understand custom gun work.
Look what I did to my 1860 Colt Army.
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I understand custom work but IMHO that ain't it. Not putting it down, if that's what floats your boat go for it.
 
My premier gunsmithing tool is the Sawzall.
I am a master, with the use of the metal cutting blade.

Y'all can send me your cap and ball pistols, I will fix them up for a reasonable fee.

Please note, in the case of the 1860 Colt Army, it is historically correct, many pistols were modified this way in the 19th century, for use as "belly guns."
 
My premier gunsmithing tool is the Sawzall.
I am a master, with the use of the metal cutting blade.
Click to expand...

That is fantasic SawzAll work! As an ex-carpenter, I should know. I do hope you remembered to recrown the bore. A 5/8" bit works the best as a 1/2" bit tends to seize too easily.
 
Please note, in the case of the 1860 Colt Army, it is historically correct, many pistols were modified this way in the 19th century, for use as "belly guns."
Click to expand...

That's very true, some were even completely without barrels. They just don't interest me.
 
i have fired 500+ 45 acp fmj rounds with my converted 1873 uberti. with out any problems. i also have a pietta 1873 black powder. that i converted to shot 45lc. both gun's have run flawlessly. i only shoot cowboy loads in the 45lc pietta.
 
1873 Pietta conversion to 45lc

Hi Breed! I just want to know how did you made the 1873 Pietta C&B conversion to 45 lc? Did you just change the cylinder or need to do some smithing work? thanks.
 
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