Conversion Cylinders ... Safe?
- Thread starter Dino.
- Start date
I think we may have tempest in a tea pot here. I don't think anyone has said the Colt open top wasn't up to handling the job for which it was initially intended; but, the Remington closed frame might be a better choice for a modern conversion to cartridges. And, many (I suspect the vast majority) of the opinions expressed are based on experiences with replicas of various quality levels. I don't think Will Bill's Colts had foreign proof marks. 
This brings us back to a point I have heard on this forum dozens of times. Many people consider these reproduction revolvers (both the Colts and the Remingtons) to be pre assembled kits. From what I understand if you buy one that couldn't benefit from a little smithing you can consider yourself fortunate.
I can't prove it, but my guess would be that most if not all of these pistols started out with poorly fitted arbors.
madcratebuilder
New member
I agree, in it's percussion form the open top Colt functions as well as the top strap revolvers. This is assuming you have a properly fit revolver, so that exclude most new Italian made guns. By changing the open top to a cartridge gun you change the stress dynamics and it is no longer an equal to a top strap cartridge revolver.
Bingo! Revolvers with poorly fit arbors and wedges just beat themselves to death. There is considerable fitting involved. The arbor length, the location and dimensions of the wedge slot in both the arbor and the barrel lug, plus the dimensions of the wedge it's self. When you get this right the wedge locks the two parts together tight. The wedge remains tight and the revolver functions as old Sam intended. Just my .02.
I just couldn´t stay out of this any longer. I have been shooting original/antique Colt and Remington percussion revolvers for a little over 20 years. What defines a Colt in good condition is that the barrelwedge can be pushed out with the thumb, and pushed back in again, to achieve a perfectly tight fitting barrel, without the use of any kind of tool. That´s the level of fit that should be expected. The Ubertis and Piettas just don´t reach this level of fit.
I have several old, 100% original (all numbers matching including wedge) Colt revolvers with bores that are more or less "shot out" (rifling worn thin), with the (origninal) wedge still fitting that well, that should tell how well designed and manufactured the Colt percussion revolvers really were.
As for Remingtons being stronger, I have seen several original Remingtons with bent frames. I have never seen a single original Colt with a loose cylinderaxle. Coincidence? I don´t think so!
Old Sam Colt was no fool, that´s for sure!
I love both Colts and Remingtons, and Whitneys, and Starrs, and....(insert favourite brand of original percussion revolver here). But I´ve seen what I´ve seen and I know what I know. Both guns are plenty strong enough for anything that a shooter with at least half a brain could throw at them. If they are set up and fitted properly.
So yes, the Ubertis and Piettas are to at least some degree "kits". I don´t know how many replica Rem´s I´ve seen where the cylinder didn´t line up perfectly with the bore. Or where the cylinder stop engaged too soon and left a dragmark on the cylinder between the stopnotches.
Anders Olsson
I have several old, 100% original (all numbers matching including wedge) Colt revolvers with bores that are more or less "shot out" (rifling worn thin), with the (origninal) wedge still fitting that well, that should tell how well designed and manufactured the Colt percussion revolvers really were.
As for Remingtons being stronger, I have seen several original Remingtons with bent frames. I have never seen a single original Colt with a loose cylinderaxle. Coincidence? I don´t think so!
Old Sam Colt was no fool, that´s for sure!
I love both Colts and Remingtons, and Whitneys, and Starrs, and....(insert favourite brand of original percussion revolver here). But I´ve seen what I´ve seen and I know what I know. Both guns are plenty strong enough for anything that a shooter with at least half a brain could throw at them. If they are set up and fitted properly.
So yes, the Ubertis and Piettas are to at least some degree "kits". I don´t know how many replica Rem´s I´ve seen where the cylinder didn´t line up perfectly with the bore. Or where the cylinder stop engaged too soon and left a dragmark on the cylinder between the stopnotches.
Anders Olsson
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madcratebuilder
New member
Welcome to the discussion Swede68, your expertise is appreciated.
I handled and shot a lot of Italian made replicas before I got my hands on the real deal. That opened my eyes, Sam knew what he was doing.
I handled and shot a lot of Italian made replicas before I got my hands on the real deal. That opened my eyes, Sam knew what he was doing.
andrewstorm
Moderator
konverter ammo
the 45 acp ammo is hot,45 colt corbon is hot,these cylinders are made of 4140 heat treated american steel,and to sammi specs ,watch for signs of high pressure,sticky ejection,backed out primers ect. as with any gun,just stay away from +p ammo for conversions.
the 45 acp ammo is hot,45 colt corbon is hot,these cylinders are made of 4140 heat treated american steel,and to sammi specs ,watch for signs of high pressure,sticky ejection,backed out primers ect. as with any gun,just stay away from +p ammo for conversions.