History of 1851 Navy in Post ball and cap

[Doug.38PR]

How did this gun fare after ball and cap faded.  I know it stayed fairly popular and was converted.  But converted to what?   .38 Special was almost a half a century away, .38 Long Colt was 10 years away, .38 Short Colt was....not much to sneeze at and I think there was even a less powerful .38 than that.

How did this gun stand the test of time through the rest of the 19th century?  was it converted to take .38 Long Colt? 

[Lefty Dude]

Most were left as C&B and were used as back-up for a cartridge Revolver. C&B revolvers were used far into the cartridge era, IIRC.

[Doug.38PR]

Like that bearded fat guy that played John Wayne in the Conan Bros. remake of True Grit?  Had two ball and cap Navy revolvers on his saddle

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[Major 2]

The first used 38 Rimfire & 38 center fire early on , I think the number converted is near 3800 + by Colt, and if you add in the 61 Conversions
upwards to 6000.
Unknown numbers field (gunsmith) conversions, one of the more famous one was the field converted 38 cal. 51 Navy of Buffalo Bill Cody.

As to the test of time, I suppose they were still being used just as we still have old guns today. Cap & Balls were still quite common well
into the early 20th Century.

What they did do is spawn an entire cabin industry resurgency, in the last say 20 + years....
I venture to say Uberti, ASM , Kenny Howell , Dave Anderson, Millington and Walter Kirst have made or converted way more that Colt ever did.
I say they've stood the test of time well into the 21st. Century, and personally I think they will continue for some time.