My "New" Robert Millington 1862 Pocket Police Conversion in.38 Short Colt

Captain John Jarrett · April 05, 2012, 06:59:00 PM

All,

Won this little beauty on GB a week or so ago and just picked it up from my dealer last night. Have never seen one for sale on any of the auction sites and I'm very happy to have won it, especially for the price paid and the fact that I didn't have to endure the two + year wait from the smith!! The only problem is that I stumbled upon the auction with very little time remaining so instead of being able to ask all the pertinent question that I would normally ask I had to buy it on a leap of faith!

The seller listed it as being from Robert Millington in .38 Short Colt, which has been confirmed by Mr. Millington! I don't have any .38 Short Colt ammo and as the barrel looks to not have been lined I'm assuming I will need to find heel/hollow base ammo for any type of accuracy.

John.

smokin6 · April 08, 2012, 11:10:54 AM

Thats a great looking pistol .

Captain John Jarrett · April 08, 2012, 08:20:12 PM

Thanks! I'm pretty well in love with it...Now if I can just find someone to load some ammo for it!!!

Major 2 · April 09, 2012, 05:21:18 AM

Try Gary Barnes aka Hoof Heatred on this BB

Captain John Jarrett · April 09, 2012, 02:26:15 PM

Major,

Have talked with Gary and he won't be loading any ammo for awhile now, will def. get him to load some when he does!

Captain John Jarrett · April 09, 2012, 04:12:53 PM

Just got an email from Robert Millington confirming that it is in fact one of his conversions, and was made in 2002!

So now just to find some loaded ammo!!

HogDoc Olliday · April 09, 2012, 04:25:41 PM

Quote from: Captain John Jarrett on April 05, 2012, 06:59:00 PM
All,

Won this little beauty on GB a week or so ago and just picked it up from my dealer last night. Have never seen one for sale on any of the auction sites and I'm very happy to have won it, especially for the price paid and the fact that I didn't have to endure the two + year wait from the smith!! The only problem is that I stumbled upon the auction with very little time remaining so instead of being able to ask all the pertinent question that I would normally ask I had to buy it on a leap of faith!

The seller listed it as being from Robert Millington in .38 Short Colt, which has been confirmed by Mr. Millington! I don't have any .38 Short Colt ammo and as the barrel looks to not have been lined I'm assuming I will need to find heel/hollow base ammo for any type of accuracy.

John.

What a beauty! Have fun with it.

pony express · April 11, 2012, 06:47:40 PM

Well, Gad makes .38 short colt with heel base bullets, but if you search around several forums, he seems to have a problem with both quality control and customer relations......

If you already reload, you could buy some proper bullets and the crimp die from Hoof Hearted or Old West Moulds and load some up. The crimp die works well.

Some have reported good results from HB wadcutters, but I never had much luck with them in my 1892 Colt DA. They wouldn't expand to engage the rifling very well, with any reasonable load in that revolver. And I would think that as small as an 1862 cylinder is, a "reasonable" smokeless load in my revolver might be too much for yours.

Good luck finding loads for it, it's a beautiful pistol!

Captain John Jarrett · April 11, 2012, 07:18:25 PM

Pony,
Mant thanks for the suggestions, but just yesterday I talked with Bernie at Old West Moulds and he casts a lighter 110 grain (I think) heel base bullet. He is going to load some of these in Short Colt for me, and I'll sure be excited when they arrive!!

John.

pony express · April 12, 2012, 12:03:25 AM

Great! I didn't know he was selling ammo, though. Happy shooting!

I'd really like to have a conversion of one of these, but Kirst and R&D don't make them. Years ago, Taylor's listed them, but maybe it was a misprint.....it disapeared from later catalogues.(Discovered the "disapearence after I bought a pair of 1862's)

Major 2 · April 12, 2012, 04:24:45 AM

Quote from: pony express on April 11, 2012, 06:47:40 PM
Well, Gad makes .38 short colt with heel base bullets, but if you search around several forums, he seems to have a problem with both quality control and customer relations......

If you already reload, you could buy some proper bullets and the crimp die from Hoof Hearted or Old West Moulds and load some up. The crimp die works well.

Some have reported good results from HB wadcutters, but I never had much luck with them in my 1892 Colt DA. They wouldn't expand to engage the rifling very well, with any reasonable load in that revolver. And I would think that as small as an 1862 cylinder is, a "reasonable" smokeless load in my revolver might be too much for yours.

Good luck finding loads for it, it's a beautiful pistol!

In a word ! E GAD ! .... you've been informed "caution"

Captain John Jarrett · April 12, 2012, 10:46:20 AM

Major,

Thanks for the info....too bad though, he has very competitave prices and loads that I've not seen anyone else doing! No matter, I'll be getting mine from Bernie at OWBM!

John.

Major 2 · April 12, 2012, 12:51:25 PM

Of the 50 loaded rounds I received EVERY SINGLE ONE had to be resized...

Of the 100 Bullets I got in the same order 35 ( a full 1/3 ) were so bad that they will best be reused as melting stock.

The remainer were resized but it took some real liberial Hmmmmmmmmmm ! to even concider the effort.

NEVER AGAIN !

Pony Racer · April 12, 2012, 08:29:15 PM

Major, as I have said before i was a major suppoter of GAD on the wire a few years back.

His 8mm lebel cartridges and heeled 11mm french ammo was great but the last shipment i recieved from him was questionable for my 45-60 repro.

On top of that he was always very gruff.

PR

Smokin Gun · June 13, 2012, 01:02:36 PM

Quote from: Captain John Jarrett on April 09, 2012, 04:12:53 PM
Just got an email from Robert Millington confirming that it is in fact one of his conversions, and was made in 2002!

So now just to find some loaded ammo!!

Give Gad Custom Cartridges a call 715-748-0919 he's good ... got a 100ea .41Colt from him ... http://www.gadcustomcartridges.com

Major 2 · June 13, 2012, 02:10:39 PM

Quote from: Smokin Gun on June 13, 2012, 01:02:36 PM
Give Gad Custom Cartidges a call 715-748-0919 he's good ... got a 100ea .41Colt from him ... http://www.gadcustomcartridges.com

did you not read the entire thread ?

E GAD !

Thumper · June 13, 2012, 02:29:25 PM

Major2, SG recommended Gad to me a while back for some 32 S&W, I had no problem, maybe now he's delegating some of the work to his son and the quality is suffering from it.

Major 2 · June 13, 2012, 05:09:03 PM

GAD had a lock on his market once maybe $:-\$

I know what I got ..... I won't recommend him

loaded rounds (bullets) supposed to be .378-.379 heeled .... measured anywhere between .389 - .393 and were out of round
.391 was the most common oversize.
NOT one would chamber in a Kirst Conversion.... every one of the 50 loaded round had to be resized & lubed....
a good 1/3 were set crooked.....
Of the 100 Bullets also recieved 30 or more were beyond help (cold pored perhaps) & air pockets .... the rest all .389 to .393

Above you can see the Digital caliper photo of a random loaded round......

NOPE won't recommend him...... others experances may vary

You pays your money and you takes your chance .....

Smokin Gun · June 13, 2012, 08:21:09 PM

Quote from: Major 2 on June 13, 2012, 02:10:39 PM
did you not read the entire thread ?

E GAD !

Yes I did read the entire thread what is yur question?
I have not had any problems with Gad he's a very busy one man operation and got my .41Colts in less than a week ... why wouldn't I recommend him to anyone. If a gruff tone was a problem for me I wouldn't be on any Gun Forums at all ... if he wasn't any good why would I recommend him to anyone on an open Forum.

Smokin Gun · June 13, 2012, 11:24:30 PM

Here ya go ifin any one would prefer another source for .38 short colt carts ... http://www.midwayusa.com/find?userSearchQuery=.38+short+colt

This 1871, 1872 Pat. Colt I load Black Powder in .38SPL cases w/ 148gr HBWC with a 1/4" of lead protruding from the cases ... and a low pressure smokess cart w/ 4.0 gr of W231 powder they fit, shoot and are accurate...

Just thought I'd share this one with yas...
SG