Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Cowboy Action Shooting Conversion revolvers

I had been considering a black powder revolver and then came across a Cimarron replica of an 1860 Richards-Mason conversion. It seems like the best of both worlds; classic style and cartridge convenience.

I don't know anyone who has one, and didn't know the replicas existed until this week. I understand the open top Colt style isn't as strong as the Peacemaker or Remington with the top strap, but how do these guns really hold up in use? I wouldn't load hot loads (I'm considering 45 Colt).

I guess I should add at this point I don't have a clue what I would actually do with the gun. I own mostly DA revolvers and autos, but am intrigued with the older style SAs. Can anyone tell me more about the conversion replicas?

I shot and still shoot BP for SASS but I have taken an interest in the conversion revolvers. I own one of the Cimarrons in .38 and while I like it, it is a little finicky. On the clock I have had it fail to index just last weekend and some brass seems to be too thick for the action. Otherwise it is accurate and an instinctive pointer since it has no top strap.

There are also a few conversions out there to make your own such as Kirst, R&D, and therifleshoppe.com/ but call TRS to make sure that they have parts in stock before sending money. I have an old 1851 Navy with a conversion cylinder that took some work to tune but works about as well as the Cimarron. They have definitely given me an appreciation to both the improvements over cap&ball as well as the handicaps over later production revolvers.

Had the same problem with a couple of Uberti .38 conversions, the timing went out at a couple of matches and I gave up on them and went back to .44 cap & ball.

Well, a funny thing happened at the gun show this weekend...

I picked up a Pietta 1851 Navy Civilian Yank Model Colt replica in .44. It has a silver plated trigger guard and backstrap, color case-hardened frame, trigger and hammer, and it's new. I bought it from an estate and it was in the box. So now I need to pick up the accoutrements.

Any advice on getting started? I have read the Pietta manual and the Cabela's manual that came with it. I've been told that nothing shoots like genuine Goex xxx, but that stuff is unstable when it gets hot, and this is summer in Texas. Does Pyrodex P really work okay?

http://www.kirstkonverter.com/coltnavy.html I hear good things about these folks but the only ones that I have seen are either out of production kits or the R&D drop in cylinders. The two R&D shooters I have met eventually just put the original cylinders back in and shot BP.

Hmmm...I never considered converting this gun. Unless it's super easy, I'm more likely to just shoot this one as-is, and then pick up a "conversion" gun later. This gun is so nice and tight, it's timed perfectly and locks up with no movement in the cylinder. I hate to mess it up.

I think if I ever got into competition, it might just be with a SAA replica.

Actually, I was asking how to get started on the "right foot" with black powder.

Not sure where you heard that BP was unstable in hot weather, but that hasn't been my experience since I moved to Texas.
3f or 2f work just fine year 'round without issues.

Ed

Yep, the BP is fine and 777 works just as well in my experience. Get a powder flask with the proper spout (30 grain), some .457 round ball and some Remington #10 caps and go forth & have fun.

C&B is the most fun for me. The 1860 is my favorite, because i've got big paws.

The biggest thing to remember is not only don't shoot hot loads, but don't shoot anything approaching hot either. I would want to stay under 800 fps with regular 158 grain lead bullets. This is around "Cowboy Load" territory. These guns simply don't have the strength to shoot some loads that are considered regular nowadays.