conversion cylinders

[navygunner]

Anybody fired regular .45 long colt in their R&D conversion cylinders. I know they make "cowboy loads" but was wondering if the standard colt round would be to hot for the barrel.

NG

[blhof]

I've got the Ruger Old Army and I wouldn't do it.  With any of the Italian or Spaniards; I'd be even more careful. Even the Ruger is only proof tested fo B/P level ammo, a big pressure difference from modern ammo.

[Flint]

R&D and Kirst cylinders are made to withstand standard SAAMI pressures.  The loads to avoid are the reloading manual loads specified for "Rugers" and TC Contenders.

Avoid ammo marked +P or any that are known to be hot.

Factory 45 Colt loads are made to be safe in Colt SAA that are 100 years old.

[btr568]

I've been wondering this same thing,offhand seems to me a stainless model could take a factory round

[kitchawan kid]

I shoot all types of 45LC in my Ruger Old Army,not a problem,some have said you can ruin an Old Army no mater what,the conversion cylinders work great,slow to reload thats all.

[bubba.50]

i agree with kitchiwan that it makes them a p.i.t.a. to load. i also agree with everyone that you should only shoot cowboy level loads. you're the only you you've got. do you wanta mess that up for a little more bang? good luck and good shootin', bubba.

[TeamNelson]

Been reading on the .45 ACP Kirst cylinder for an Old Army, supposedly higher pressures than a factory .45 Colt load. Anyone got any experience with that?

I'd figure the Old Army, since it was designed for 50gr. of the Holy Black, should be the strongest action for a conversion cylinder.

[bubba.50]

it ain't the action i'd worry about. it's them thin cylinder walls and back plate. if ruger made their own conversion cylinders they would probably stand up to about anything. just my two cents worth, bubba.

[Nobade]

I know these conversion cylinders are popular, but why? I shoot C&B revolvers so I don't have to deal with cleaning the brass and such. If I want to do that, they make cartridge revolvers. Sure they're faster to load in a gunfight, but they make 1911s for that. It just don't make no sense to me!

BTW, I enjoy casting up a pile of roundballs and then can say "Let's go shooting!" And not have to sit at the loading bench making fixed ammo before I can go shoot.

[musket58]

I lean more to the Cap & Ball side but I do enjoy the conversions place in firearm development. For me its the history.

[bubba.50]

i bought mine to use for the times i didn't wanta hafta do all that cleanin'. such a pain in the butt to reload i've decided maybe that cleanin' ain't so bad after all .

[madcratebuilder]

The conversion cylinder manufacturer is going to tell you what the cylinder can handle.  I know the the Kirst cylinders are made to withstand standard SAAMI pressures for .45lc.  If I was shooting a conversion gun I would be more concerned about cylinder end play and quality of the frame and barrel.

[coyotejoe]

I have the Kirst five shot gated conversion on my 1860 Pietta. The gated conversion is as quick to reload as any single action cartridge revolver and with smokeless powder there is no messy clean-up. I stick to very light loads for two reasons. First the rifling twist of 32" was meant for round balls and accuracy of any 250 grain bullets is piss poor. The 200 grain bullets do much better but best is a .457" ball seated just deep enough for a roll crimp to not bite into the ball.  I stand them in the loading block and dribble a bit of Lee's liquid alox over the ball. These are with a very light load of Red Dot giving about 850-900fps and 25 yard groups under 2".
 Cartridge cylinders put much greater stress on the frame than does a cap & ball cylinder where the initial pressure is contained entirely within the cylinder. The cartridge transfers the pressure directly to the recoil plate and frames tend to stretch much more quickly, that's especially of concern with the open top Colts. But a converted 1860 sure is one fine looking and sweet handling gun.

[kitchawan kid]

One very important fact is in some states that require you to list all handguns by serail number and caliber,you can have two guns in one.

[blhof]

I got the R&D cylinder and started shooting the 45LC as I was loading them for my son's Blackhawk and as long as I'm running a bunch and just gotta check the lot.  I still prefer the blackpowder and ball loads and have 2 spare Ballistix cylinders so I can run 18 rounds between reloads and with the conversion, I can run 24 between reloads.

[coyotejoe]

Well I think a lot depends on your intended use.  I have four percussion revolvers and enjoy shooting them but I don't so much enjoy cleaning them. With blackpowder you have to clean the gun quite soon after firing even one shot or it will be ruined. I carry my 1860 conversion while hunting and I may fire a shot at a jack rabbit today, a couple of shots at something tomorrow and leave the gun in the holster for a month. With smokeless powder I can get away with that, with black my gun would be a mess if I didn't clean it every time. It's one thing to go out and fire a couple of dozen rounds, go home and clean the gun, but quite another when I come home dog tired from  a day spent tramping through the weeds. So that is the attraction to cartridges for me, the fact that I can burn smokeless and postpone cleaning until I feel like it.

[NickSS]

I bought an R&D conversion for my Piatta 1858 remington several years ago.  I have fired it with 250 and 200 gr bullets at about 850 fps.  Both loads shot fine but not anywhere near POA they were High.  So I decided to develop a load that would shoot a RB to the same POA as my black powder C&B load.  This was not hard to do.  I just chronographed my C7B loads and found that they came out at 750 fps and loaded up several loaded rounds using 454 RB coated with Lee Liquid Alox seated in the case about half way and crimped in.  I quickly found a load that duplicated the velocity and POA of the black powder loads and I have stuck with them ever since.  I use the conversion cylinder when I go on and extended trip and do not want to deal with cleaning my pistol till I get home.  It is a real convienience.  If I want to shoot all out loads I have several Colt clones SSAs and a Ruger in 45 colt that will handle anything I think is safe to use.

[TM7]

I have a Pietta 58 Old Army in SS target model. I like the conversion cylinder alot, but yes this gun likes to shoot high. I load a 250 RB to about 800fps or a 200 to 890fps, which exceeds 38 special by quite a margin.  I would never exceed this load in this pistol.....I can't say that the Pietta idea of stainless steel is all that great. The metal seems soft and stretchable to me. BTW, a 250 grainer at 800fps will just about penetrate a 5 gal plastic pail full of dry sand.

..TM7

[beerbelly]

Well I can attest to the R&D cylinder’s strength. About an hour ago, I some how got a .44 mag round mixed up with my .45 colt’s. When I pulled the trigger I thought what the hell!!!!
I pulled the cylinder and there was a .44 mag case. It was bottle necked in reverse. The narrow part next to the back and the front part swelled to .45 size. Amazingly there was no damage!
   This in a stainless steel Old Army. I could not believe that the round chambered and fired. It really shook me after I saw that .44 mag case.
     I was shooting through my chronograph and it clocked 1003 FPS. I am guessing the .429 bullet in that .45 barrel let a lot of the pressure escape around it. And also knocked sone of the speed off the bullet. Possibly saving me from serious hurt.
                                               beerbelly

[kid buckskin]

The difference is burn speed bp slow smokeless fast and with a tight cylder to bbl fit it could distroy it!!! I use bp light cowboy loads well no sence in shooting loads that tear up things