A Pair to DRAW to....................

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I got a question, Hoofie:

Can a 45 cylinder be fitted to my Colt (with help from Uberti) 2nd Gen., 1st Model Dragoon?  I'm pretty sure that your pic showing the "in-the-white" C&B cylinder shows the oval bolt stop holes.  Can my gun be safely converted to fire cartridges and still be able to revert back to C&B?

My main concern here is dealing with the oval cylinder stop parts.  I've seen the 2nd & 3rd Mod. conversion advertised on Walt's site, but not the 1st Model.  I assume  that since you just did these Walkers, it CAN be done, but the cylinder holes I can SEE in the pictures seem to be the newer rectangular holes.

Thanks, pard!

[Hoof Hearted]

1st thanks all for the kind words.........

SHB

I had no real issues with the bolt stop. As long as the width and height work (in both cylinders) the only other real issue would be timing the bolt to enter the stop correctly.

My guess is the change to the later (commom on all subsequent models) cylinder notches was done for expedciency, to make timing less critical and to have less problems with overtravel.

Feel free to PM me and I'll send you my number to call if you need additional info!

HH

[Long Juan]

I want to resurrect this thread just long enough to say that I shot one of these great conversions in a match with the Plum Creek Shooting Society in Lockhart, Texas, last weekend and it performed flawlessly.  I shot in the Grand Army of the Frontier Single-Shot category.  In that category, we shoot one revolver and reload on the clock.  For that reason, most of the "gamers" (myself included) use a Schofield most of the time.  The Walker was a bit of a chore to reload, especially on the clock.  I practiced at home with the little "ejector-rod" stick Hoof Hearted provided with the conversions when he sent them to me.  First stage, it took me 110 sec plus to shoot six rounds with my Sharps Carbine and 5+5 with the Walker.  By the sixth stage, I was below 90 seconds and took second in the category, beating a pard shooting a Schofield and a Sharps Carbine.  I got LOTS of style points for the Walker and leather I made for it.  I loved shooting it and will shoot it again next month and at our annual Ride with Pancho Villa match in March.  Who knows after that?  It's a hoot to shoot.  It shoots straight.  I had only one miss with it the entire match.  On the last stage we shot one pistol shot "each" pistol at a rifle target.  For the GAF folks (but not the Cody/Dixon folks??), we shot at the C/D targets.  I hit one of two and if I had used two hands am sure I would not have missed the other.  As it was, I shot single-handed (duelist) all six stages.  I can tell you, it is one heavy gun.  And, as I said it performed flawlessly.  Thanks again, HH.   

 

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[Steel Horse Bailey]

Awesome!

Those are soooooo nice, Hoofy and Long J.!!

[Mike]

Would love to get one Down here in NZ but very difficult to get parts out of the US now.

Real nice job.

[rifle]

Real nice guns...real nice. What type bluing? Oxynate No. 7? Dicropan IM? Looks good whatever it be.
What loads/bullets ect.ect do you shoot out of them Long Juan?

[rifle]

I guess I'll aswer my own question. 
I'd say that if the guns shoot straight they must be loaded with hollow based bullets. The barrel grooves are most likely more than the nominal .451-2 in. of a standard 45 Colt revolver barrel.
I've had people say that the Dragoons and Walkers can shoot 45 cal. cartridge well with standard base bullets. That defies the norm with how bullets fit well in a barrel to shoot well.
Well I'd like to see what the consistancy is with a Walker barrel shooting ...small for the barrel grooves.... bullets.
Pure lead bullets bumping up?
The bluing......I couldn't say from the pics what it might be. Just curious is all.
What are the loads used in the gun? What does the gunsmith recommend?
What type bluing?

[Long Juan]

I'll jump in just to see if the answers I provide are the answers sought.  The Walkers are mine; converted by Hoof Hearted for me.  As far as I know, the bluing is original from Cimarron, subject to whatever HH did to reblue and polish where necessary after the conversion.  HH can correct me if I am wrong about that.  The exceptions are the BP cylinders.  HH will have to tell you what he did, but they are beautiful "white." 

When I shoot as conversions (most of the time), I shoot my normal .45LC load - 450g RNFP Renegade bullet and an appropriate amount of Trail Boss with Federal Large Pistol primers. 

If there are other questions, let 'em rip and I will try to answer. 

[Hoof Hearted]

I'm not sure why the forum was no longer notifying me of this thread...........

The blued parts were completely stripped/ polished and reblued. Brownells Oxynate but I now use the original formula for Colt's Royal Blue. The Color Cased parts are as is original (except a touch up in the loading port). The Cap and Ball cyinders were stripped and high polished in the white. The Italian marking got lost (left off) in the process

45 Colt should be loaded with a .454 bullet but aften a .451/2 is used. Either one shoots pretty good in the Walker which shares the same twist and bore/rifling as other 44 cap and ball pistols.

Regards, HH

I'll jump in just to see if the answers I provide are the answers sought.  The Walkers are mine; converted by Hoof Hearted for me.  As far as I know, the bluing is original from Cimarron, subject to whatever HH did to reblue and polish where necessary after the conversion.  HH can correct me if I am wrong about that.  The exceptions are the BP cylinders.  HH will have to tell you what he did, but they are beautiful "white." 

When I shoot as conversions (most of the time), I shoot my normal .45LC load - 450g RNFP Renegade bullet and an appropriate amount of Trail Boss with Federal Large Pistol primers. 

If there are other questions, let 'em rip and I will try to answer.