colt SAA cap and ball to cartridge?

J

jason41987

New member
i have an 1873 SAA revolver that was given to me as a gift a while ago.. its a cap and ball version... anyway, i dont like it very much, and wanted to sell it and buy a real one, but it was a gift, so i do feel a bit obligated to keep it... so i was wondering, is there some way to convert it?....

i read a previous thread relating to these on another forum, and apparently standard SAA cylinders do in fact fit and line up fine.. but the firing pin hole is offset... the thread i read involved a guy drilling out the firing pin hole to fire it, and it did fire, however, the hole was enlarged a bit too much and it allowed the caps to pop off the cartridges and push the hammer back

so i was wondering if anyone whos more familiar with the colt design could shed some light onto this issue, and maybe give some advice as what could further be done to mine to convert it to a standard 1873 cartridge revolver?..

if im not mistaken, didnt colts have a larger-than-needed firing pin hole that had a bushing pressed in and pinned into place... this way the bushing could be replaced in the future when the revolvers would wear out in this area?.... would it be possible to get a colt bushing, drill the firing pine hole out and pin this bushing in to rebuild this area of the frame... thus converting it back into what it should be?

so... is this doable? or do i really need to sell this and buy one? or can it be converted by adding a recoil shield / bushing to the enlarged firing pin hole?
 
Talk to the giver....

....Tell them of your plans with regard to the revolver. Sell this revolver and replace it with one you will shoot.

OR

Hang it on a wall and buy the one you will shoot.

I looked into this conversion and it is more trouble than it is worth.
 
Mine can be turned as well....

....But the problem is that the frame will not permit the firing pin to pass through in any but its original position.

The frame would have to be modified. At least this is the case on the one I have.

Perhaps the Frame on the Uberti UK is different as well.
 
if im not mistaken, i believe colts had a larger hole, but had it plugged with some sort of bushing or recoil plate they called it... i guess they did it so they can rebuild this part of the frame quickly and easily after its damaged from repeated use... wonder if the hole could be machined out to fit this part?
 
wanna send me some good pictures of the frame in that area? i came up with a way to convert it to cartridge long time ago, just need to redraw it.

not expensive, but not cheap either.
 
This is a Uberti.

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