Nicest "61 Rem-

[Barbarosa]

Best one I've seen so far >

LINK GONE > edited 6/19/07

Decent fella to deal with also.

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

I second that!
Stan is a fine fellow and I have dealt with him several times. Above reproach.
Wish I had the bucks for that Remy, it looks like the twin to my Armory conversion right down to the color of the reblue at conversion time.

[65bsaA65]

I've never had the opportunity to handle a factory conversion.  So this question is primarily for Halfway Creek Charlie (or anybody else who has played with Rem. cons.).  I assume the frames were milled for that thin recoil shield---were those cylinders machined up specifically for the '58s, or were they adapted from the later cartridge revolvers?  They obviously aren't bored through c&b cylinders.  That is a beautiful piece of history.

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

1. Yes, 2. yes and yes and no.
Clear as mud? right!
Ok here goes.
1. On the factory or armory conversions and some gunsmith conversionsthe frame is dovetail machined the take the 1/2 round out of the frame at the rear of the cylinder window. then a 3/16"(or thicker) recoil plate was inserted into the frame, held in by the dovetail and one screw. Some were cut square and then welded with no seperate reciol shield.
Some had the R &D type drop in cylinder and recoil plate with the 6 firing pins or notches for Rimfire. These dropin conversions were a seperate S/N along with the conversion number of converted (or Cartridge guns as some were sold as) that way you could order the conversion cylinder and recoil plate as an assembly to "convert" your own C & B revolver.

2. Some C & B cylinders were machined off save for the pawl area and a doughnut of metal added and brazed or welded to the existing cylinder then drilled thru to proper chamber dia. Some factory, Armory, or Gunsmith conversions have new made cylinders.

There may be some out there (Gunsmith conversions) that used later cartridge cylinders , but, I have not seen any.

Remington converted thousands of C & b revolvers and then sold them as NEW cartridge revolvers, these (at least All I have seen or handled) had new made cylinders and factory ejectors. All were reblued at conversion or nickel plated.

If you can get your hands on McDowells "A Study of Colt Conversions and other Percussion Revolvers" it is a wealth of information. It has a large section on the Remington revolvers.
It is now out of print and is very expensive to buy. Upwards from $250.00. I think it is still worth every penny, but I bought mine in 1997 for $40.00. I'd not take $400.00 for it now though.

That time in history spans just a few short years, although guns were converted up into the 1890's and even into the 1900's, but the majority or "Glory Years were from 1868-1874, and I agree that it is a wonderful, colorful time in history. That is whart drew me to the conversions, that short period of "Glory".

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

The Navy Conversions (factory) always had that thick recoil shield with gate and had the recoil shields on the frame milled flat.