Remington Pocket

[Flint]

Someone out there that can give me the dimensions of a Pietta 31 Remington Pocket Pistol?  I need to see how it compares to a CVA version.

[Major 2]

Early Brass frame CVA and current Pietta's are all but the same, minor bore variations but I'm 99% sure they share outside dimensions.

I have been thinking about doing a conversion to 32 short for one of these 

http://stores.brigadesutler.com/Detail.bok?no=351

[Flint]

Thanks for the info.  I'm planning a 22 cal conversion.

[Hoof Hearted]

Flint

I have an original and will supply you with whatever you need from there.......
Mine was a conversion to 32 Rim Fire and then the guy I bought it from "smithed" it into a centerfire 32 Colt.

22 Rim Fire should be real simple, You could do a back plate like a New Model Army conversion and cut off the back part of the factory cylinder, install a thin plate and solder a new back section on the stock cylinder, then sleeve the chambers and barrel. Or make a back plate like mine has that is slotted for the rim fire firing pin. This would require milling ratchet teeth into the plate.

Walt Kirst made some Konvertors for the steel frame guns but the tolerances were all over the place and they had BIG problems. I do know he has been working with the Italians to get a more uniform product. I don't think it is here yet.

You outta be able to use a brass frame Pocket for a 22 conversion

[John William McCandles]

R&D is selling a drop cylinder thru Taylor's.
I may try one in the Pietta I have.
Hoof Hearted how did the propr owner of your '63 do the RF to CF .32 conversion? I see a number of Police revolvers converted to .38 RF and a CF would be nice if it could be done.

Regards
JW

[Hoof Hearted]

R&D is selling a drop cylinder thru Taylor's.
I may try one in the Pietta I have.
Hoof Hearted how did the propr owner of your '63 do the RF to CF .32 conversion? I see a number of Police revolvers converted to .38 RF and a CF would be nice if it could be done.

Regards
JW

He elongated the small rectangular slot that exposed the rim to the firing pin in order to allow a new (lower on the hammer) firing pin to strike the centerfire primer. Then he made and attached a new firing pin out of flat stock to the hammer (like a flat RM firing pin). Of course this kinda killed the collector value, woulda been semi OK but then he drilled a hole between chambers (on the backing plate) to act as a place to rest the hammer (SASS safety?). It would have been alright if he had told me he did this to the pistol, instead of lying and telling me it was factory

This manner of modification would/could work but you have to be careful that pressure does not cause pierced/blown out primers. If you decide to do this and run into these problems, I can help you rectify this (yes I have been down this road before)

[Hoof Hearted]

By the way, remember, this pistol is about 30-40% smaller than a comparable Colt (like a 48-49).
They feel like a "kids" gun in yer hand

[John William McCandles]

He elongated the small rectangular slot that exposed the rim to the firing pin in order to allow a new (lower on the hammer) firing pin to strike the centerfire primer. Then he made and attached a new firing pin out of flat stock to the hammer (like a flat RM firing pin). Of course this kinda killed the collector value, woulda been semi OK but then he drilled a hole between chambers (on the backing plate) to act as a place to rest the hammer (SASS safety?). It would have been alright if he had told me he did this to the pistol, instead of lying and telling me it was factory

This manner of modification would/could work but you have to be careful that pressure does not cause pierced/blown out primers. If you decide to do this and run into these problems, I can help you rectify this (yes I have been down this road before)

Thanks for the info. I may try sometime when I can find an origianal I'm willing to lay the cash out for.
Collector value is ok but I want to shoot the thing if i happen to come up with one.
I think I'll play with working the '63 Pietta over like Rusty'e first and watch for a Police conversion in the mean time.

JW

[Hoof Hearted]

Some how, I ended up with 3 Euroarms 44's

Have you seen my string about modifying a Pietta 44 into a pseudo "Belt" pistol?
I'm thing about using the smaller frame of the Euro and building a "police" look alike with about a 4 1/2" barrel and shortened, recontoured rammer. No biggie to make and install a half moon silver sight.

I think Pietta (or is it Uberti?) makes a smaller frame "Navy" in 38. That might make a good platform also. By the way, there is a bunch of metal a guy can remove from the grip frame on these pistols in order to make the grip smaller and shaped more correct.

[John William McCandles]

Some how, I ended up with 3 Euroarms 44's

Have you seen my string about modifying a Pietta 44 into a pseudo "Belt" pistol?
I'm thing about using the smaller frame of the Euro and building a "police" look alike with about a 4 1/2" barrel and shortened, recontoured rammer. No biggie to make and install a half moon silver sight.

I think Pietta (or is it Uberti?) makes a smaller frame "Navy" in 38. That might make a good platform also. By the way, there is a bunch of metal a guy can remove from the grip frame on these pistols in order to make the grip smaller and shaped more correct.

I think the Uberti has the smaller frame.
That would be a cheaper alternative to working over an original. There is also a drop in cylinder offered as well.
I have a mill and lathe so some machine work is not out of the question. If I can't do the machining the machinist at work can.
I'm an Industrial Electrician but play at the machinist thing.
I also sent an e-mail.

JW

[IE300]

I just picked up a Pietta Remington Pocket .31, and my first thought was of also of converting it to .22 rimfire. From vintage rimfire conversions I've seen pictures of, it looks like the conversion cylinder back plate just has slots to allow the hammer to contact the rim of the cartridge case. It doesnt even look like the hammer has been modified, relying on the original configuration to just crush the top exposed edge of the cartridge. If this were the case, the backplate wouldn't need any mechanicals such as firing pins, etc. It would basically just be a spacer between the recoil shield and the back of the cylinder.
The second possibility would be to actually run the .22 liner in each chamber all the way back to the recoil shield. The back of the recoil shield would have to be squared at the topstrap and bottom as well, in order for these extended chambers to clear the frame. I was thinking that if it was chambered for .22 short only, the substantial hammer spring in these pistols would probably provide enough resistance to support the cartridge base. The base would already be supported on either side of the firing pin slot, so assuming the hammer (being as wide as it is) would detonate the rimfire primer, it's width would support the middle area of the case. I'm figuring we're talking about a plinker anyway, so .22 short seems like a good low power choice.
It would be a strange looking conversion, if it were possible, with the back of the cylinder showing the individual chamber liners extending past the nipple area. But if it could be made to work, it might be a pretty simple conversion.
All that being said, I have no idea what I'm talking about. I've never done a project like this, so there are probably many considerations I'm not taking into account.
That's my 2 cents, and worth every penny of it.