For conversion BP revolver owners
- Thread starter pwillie
- Start date
If you have a hankering for an newly made & shootable decent Colt Army 1860 Richards conversion in .44 Colt check the "What we gonna do now" page of www.1960nma.org. There is the picture story how my Centaure 1960 New Model Army was converted into a nice shooting R1.
Bootsie aka Long Johns Wolf
Bootsie aka Long Johns Wolf
Smokin_Gun
New member
Euroarms 1865 Rogers and Spencer with R&D Drop in .45Colt
A couple ROAs with R&D .45Colt Conversion
A couple ROAs with R&D .45Colt Conversion
Conversions
I recently became interested in the so-called second generation Colt percussion revolvers. Exactly who made these and other production details are a subject that has been discussed to death in other threads and I won't get into that here. Suffice it to say that they are well made and handsome revolvers.
I have a stainless steel 1860 Army, two blue 1860's and two blue 1851 Navys and I wanted to try using center fire conversion cylinders in these guns.
I bought a R&D/Taylor .38 Colt conversion cylinder for the 1851 Navy revolvers from Brownells, but it did not fit either revolver, and I could not figure out why, so I returned it. (Nice doing business with Browells!)
Then I tried a Kirst Konverter with loading gate ring for the Navy revolvers. It worked quite well with a little minor fitting.
I first tried a R&D/Howell .45 Schofield cylinder (from Midsay USA)for the 1860 Army revolvers and it sort of worked with the stainless gun. However, the multiple firing pins tended to hang up on the recoil shield. I later tried it with one of the blue guns and it worked much better with no fitting.
I also tried a Kirst Konverter with loading gate ring for the 1860 Army revolvers. It would not fit on either the stainless or blue gun and I couldn't figure out why. Because I like the look of the Kirst cylinder with loading gate ring, I put this one aside for later consideration.
So the bottom line is that I have a Colt 1851 Navy in which I can shoot 38 Special hollow base lead wadcutters and a 1860 Army in which I can shoot 45 Schofield cartridges and that is what I was trying to achieve.
Of course, the problem is that you have to remove the wedge and barrel assembly every time you shoot and reload. To ease this problem a little, I bought several Uberti wedges from Midway USA and removed the spring. Now I can just drive the wedge in and out with little trouble.
This system may not work for everyone, but I am happy with it. I do like the look of the Kirst Konverters better than the multiple firing pin set up with the R&D cylinders, so I will be trying to get mine to work with the 1860s.
Some fun!!!!
- - Buckspen
I recently became interested in the so-called second generation Colt percussion revolvers. Exactly who made these and other production details are a subject that has been discussed to death in other threads and I won't get into that here. Suffice it to say that they are well made and handsome revolvers.
I have a stainless steel 1860 Army, two blue 1860's and two blue 1851 Navys and I wanted to try using center fire conversion cylinders in these guns.
I bought a R&D/Taylor .38 Colt conversion cylinder for the 1851 Navy revolvers from Brownells, but it did not fit either revolver, and I could not figure out why, so I returned it. (Nice doing business with Browells!)
Then I tried a Kirst Konverter with loading gate ring for the Navy revolvers. It worked quite well with a little minor fitting.
I first tried a R&D/Howell .45 Schofield cylinder (from Midsay USA)for the 1860 Army revolvers and it sort of worked with the stainless gun. However, the multiple firing pins tended to hang up on the recoil shield. I later tried it with one of the blue guns and it worked much better with no fitting.
I also tried a Kirst Konverter with loading gate ring for the 1860 Army revolvers. It would not fit on either the stainless or blue gun and I couldn't figure out why. Because I like the look of the Kirst cylinder with loading gate ring, I put this one aside for later consideration.
So the bottom line is that I have a Colt 1851 Navy in which I can shoot 38 Special hollow base lead wadcutters and a 1860 Army in which I can shoot 45 Schofield cartridges and that is what I was trying to achieve.
Of course, the problem is that you have to remove the wedge and barrel assembly every time you shoot and reload. To ease this problem a little, I bought several Uberti wedges from Midway USA and removed the spring. Now I can just drive the wedge in and out with little trouble.
This system may not work for everyone, but I am happy with it. I do like the look of the Kirst Konverters better than the multiple firing pin set up with the R&D cylinders, so I will be trying to get mine to work with the 1860s.
Some fun!!!!
- - Buckspen
Huntzalittle
New member
I have a Uberti 1858 Remington and bought a R&D conversion cylinder from Midway. It was a drop-in fit and no hassels. I reload the cartriges to Cowboy Action spec's and have a ball plinking with it. 
CaptainCrossman
Moderator
the Colt conversions, while beautiful, are somewhat of a compromise- milling out the right side recoil shield on the blackpowder 1851-60-61 frames for a loading gate, weakens the gun considerably- and it is already somewhat weaker than a Remington, cuz the Colt has no topstrap. The right side recoil shield takes most of the stress in a Colt open top design, and milling that area out takes the one strong area and weakens it. I've looked closely at pictures of quite a few original Colt conversions from the 1800's and many were cracked in the bottom of the loading channel, or the conversion ring where it gets thin there. It's milled away so much, you can see the ratchet teeth on the cylinder with loading gate open. The frame and conversion ring in that area has a tendency to crack over time. Colt fixed this problem with the 1871-72 Open Top and 1873 Peacemaker by making the recoil shield somewhat thicker front to back, and not using a conversion ring.
Another area the original conversions would crack, was the barrel/wedge area on the right side- on the 1860 Army the right side of barrel wedge slot downward would develop a crack, where the blackpowder loading channel cutaway is. This was because the cartridges used most likely generated more pressure and stress than cap/ball loading.
the ultimate blackpowder cap/ball or conversion Colt would be a new stainless gun, due to the inherent strength of the material used.
Smokin_Gun
New member
Pwillie, they both Work great either an ROA or a Uberti. When I fire the ROA with the R&D config in .45Colt I use only the Cylinder pin itself and remove the loading lever and ram works very well. The R&S (Euroarms) takes a hair longer to reload, as I leave the loading lever assembled but is deadly accurate. The Colt Sig Dragoon takes the Uberti R&D Drop in and hot BP loads in .45Colt were not a problem and very accurate.
I am still gona get a Uberti Converter for the Rems I have as it will fit my Uberti 58NMA, along with two of my E.N. Santa Barbaras, an ASP, and a Euroarms...also it would fit mt Original 1861 Rem Old Army...In my opinion the Rems and an R&D drop in would be the most original and fastest drop in 6 shot setup available.
I hope that answered the question Pwillie...
Tha ROA is real smooth and will take a full load all day feeling less recoil... I like the idea of being able to shoot .45 Schofields also in the R&D .45Colt conversions on all I mentioned.
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grymster2007
New member
I have a Pietta '58 5.5" barrel with an R&D. I load to cowboy levels and have a lot of fun with it. Been more than a year and a half since I ordered the R&D (Howell) .32 S&W cylinder for my '63 Pocket Remington, but I'm starting to think I won't be seeing that. 
Anyone heard anything from Howell lately?
Meanwhile I have a conversion cylinder pretty well modeled up and might just make my own.... probably after I retire.
Anyone heard anything from Howell lately?Meanwhile I have a conversion cylinder pretty well modeled up and might just make my own.... probably after I retire.
Smokin_Gun
New member
I just recieved new R&D Cylinder for a Pietta, for a friend a mine ... That's a good combo. While check fitting found that a certain make of the E.N. Santa Barbara rec'd the R&D with a perfect fit. I was sellin' and so my friend bought it on the spot. My other two Santa Barabars take the Uberti Conversions.
They all work purdy good with minor fitting, but Remington is the quickest reloading for me anyway.
They all work purdy good with minor fitting, but Remington is the quickest reloading for me anyway.
For specifics on a ROA conversion to .45 Colt you can refer to this thread: Ruger Old Army - CONVERSION CYLINDERS - Kirst vesus R&D
And for grins here is a picture of my ROA with an R&D conversion cylinder and a Belt Mountain base pin:
And for grins here is a picture of my ROA with an R&D conversion cylinder and a Belt Mountain base pin:
Smokin_Gun
New member
I'm gonna have one a them base pins ... I keep sayin' that and somethin' comes up. Always!
Good Site there...thanks,
Good Site there...thanks,
Base Pin
I really like that base pin-
Wouldn't it be nice if someone made a matching knob ?? to has to be turned in order to remove the base pin instead of having to have a penny or screwdriver. Belt Mountain does not make one which is sad- Is there a reason this part couldn't be changed/modified??
I am using Krist products
Mark
I really like that base pin-
Wouldn't it be nice if someone made a matching knob ?? to has to be turned in order to remove the base pin instead of having to have a penny or screwdriver. Belt Mountain does not make one which is sad- Is there a reason this part couldn't be changed/modified??
I am using Krist products
Mark
I asked Belt Mountain about making a base pin retaining pin that is "turnable" by hand. They basically said they had too many other projects going on to make one.
I bought a couple of extra Ruger base pin retaining pins with the idea that I'd grind down the screw slot side flat then I'd cut the head of a knurled bolt and weld them together. Anyone out there know how to weld stainless steel? You'd end up with a base pin retaining pin with a knurled head that was turnable by hand...no tools!
That's not really a blanket statement that can be made about stainless steel. It depends entirely upon the alloy used as stength can go in any direction from the cheapest grade of steel to the finest aerospace alloys. "Stainless", which requires only 11% chromium content to be considered as such, is not inherently stronger than chromoly steel. Chromium only adds to corrosion resistance.
Smokin_Gun
New member
Hell Hawg that even sounds good... HEEHEEHEE! :O)