I've been awonderin'. Is it a 6 shooter?

[swampyankee]

 Why are the conversions bigger than the .36 (.38) never a 6 shooter, like we all heard as kids in the movies? All I've seen are the 5 shot cylinders.

 Is it this way if you buy a purposefully made metalic cartridge firing open top? Like the Cimmeron offerings? Or are the factory models real, honest to goodness, 6 shooters.

 BTW, the lore of the old west was still alive in the minds of some in the east. For example, when I was a Marshal in an eastern state I was told not to load my .38 with 5 rounds but to put all 6 in the wheel. They had to write an order to counter some people's ideas about carrying a 6 gun.  

[John Smith]

My 3 44/45 conversion cylinders are all 6 shots, as are mt 2 open tops.

[Pettifogger]

Double action revolvers and single actions are two entirely different animals.  Virtually all modern double action revolvers are safe to carry with six as they have built in safety devices.  Colt pattern revolvers have no safeties and if you load six and drop it, it can go off.  The Rugers are modified single actions and have a transfer bar so they are safe to load with six although ALL CAS matches require that only five be loaded and the hammer is resting on an empty chamber.  Most of the conversion cylinders are fix shots because there simply isn't enough metal in the cylinder to allow for six.  The factory "conversions" and open tops have slightly larger cylinders so they can accommodate six.

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[Hoof Hearted]

Why are the conversions bigger than the .36 (.38) never a 6 shooter, like we all heard as kids in the movies? All I've seen are the 5 shot cylinders.

 Is it this way if you buy a purposefully made metalic cartridge firing open top? Like the Cimmeron offerings? Or are the factory models real, honest to goodness, 6 shooters.

 BTW, the lore of the old west was still alive in the minds of some in the east. For example, when I was a Marshal in an eastern state I was told not to load my .38 with 5 rounds but to put all 6 in the wheel. They had to write an order to counter some people's ideas about carrying a 6 gun.  

I believe you are asking why the "drop in" conversions are 5 shots.........

The available area in the cartridge circle will not allow six 45 Colts. This is a by-product of shooting currently available 45 caliber ammunition in a pistol design based on 44 (.451 or so) caliber balls.

So five just fit where six will not......

Regards, HH

[pony express]

Adding to what HH posted- the origionals wern't in .45 colt, but used a ".44" cartridge with a heel base bullet(looks like an oversize .22rf, bullet and case same diameter) with a very narrow rim. That way six can fit.