Remington Conversions - How are yours holding up?

[Professor Marvel]

I would like to hear from folks who are using conversion cylinders in their .44 Remington New Army revolvers (aka 1858, aka 1863).
I am considering making the plunge, but I would like to shoot the same .45 Colt load as my Yellow Boy, and  I am concerned that  I would be beating my poor Piettas into an early demise with a 250 grain bullet and 35+ grains of BP.

I am interested in the following info If you are willing to reply:
- what manufacturer cylinder you chose?
- what brand of revolver?
- what load you are shooting?
- do you shoot the same load in your rifle?
- how long have you been shooting the conversion?
- how is the revolver holding up?  any endshake? timing problems? any repairs/ smithing required (beyond installation issues)?

thanks for your time
yhs
Prof Marvel

[Scorpion]

+1 on the replies to this. I'm looking at doing the same thing.

S

[Daniel Nighteyes]

I've been shooting my two Uberti  NMA's with R&D 45 Colt conversion cylinders in two to three matches per month for more than a year.  A friend shot another pair in almost the same way for about the same time.  We both shot Ten-X smokeless ammo, or similarly-charged reloads a friend does for me, with 200-grain bullets.   No deterioration, etc., at all.  I shoot the same exact loads in my '66 carbine.

One thing I have noticed with every R&D Remington conversion cylinder (seven so far, one in each of the six guns I've "converted" plus a spare that I keep around just in case) is that the chambers are quite tight.  They have to be, in order to cram 6 chambers into one cylinder, and even then they're drilled at a slight angle. Particularly with reloads, I have to test-fit each bullet at the loading table.  Those that don't fit always go into my '66, which is dimensionally much more forgiving.

Since Kirst conversion cylinders, as I understand it, contain only five actual chambers, this likely isn't so much of a problem.

As for any smithing needed, that will vary considerably.  With four of the guns I have converted (all Ubertis), the cylinders were truly drop-ins.  With the other two (Piettas), some adjustments to the hand and cylinder were required.  Another CAS shooter I know had to have a fair amount of metal taken off the back of his conversion cylinders so they would rotate in his Uberti NMA's.

Hope this helps!

-- Nighteyes

[Hoof Hearted]

I would like to hear from folks who are using conversion cylinders in their .44 Remington New Army revolvers (aka 1858, aka 1863).
I am considering making the plunge, but I would like to shoot the same .45 Colt load as my Yellow Boy, and  I am concerned that  I would be beating my poor Piettas into an early demise with a 250 grain bullet and 35+ grains of BP.

I am interested in the following info If you are willing to reply:
- what manufacturer cylinder you chose?
- what brand of revolver?
- what load you are shooting?
- do you shoot the same load in your rifle?
- how long have you been shooting the conversion?
- how is the revolver holding up?  any endshake? timing problems? any repairs/ smithing required (beyond installation issues)?

thanks for your time
yhs
Prof Marvel

Howdy again, Marvel!

I have boocoo experience with most of the conversions (especially Remingtons)

- what manufacturer cylinder you chose? I favor the Kirst. The newest version of Walt's backplate allows you to use it in much the same way as the R&D (unported) but allows you to port the pistol and this greatly enhances unloading/loading. The 5 shot cylinder is a non-issue as it is SASS compliant and like any "non transfer bar" pistol should only be carried with 5 anyway.
- what brand of revolver? The Ford vs. Chevy question......I like Piettas (although I have 6 or 7 Ubertis also). The Pietta quality in it's current state is much better than before. Yes they have "fat" grips but that is easy to remedy if you have "girly" hands.
- what load you are shooting? From MILD to WILD! Really. The Pietta sight is high enough for the SASS loads and I love to shoot full cases of Swiss fffg.
- do you shoot the same load in your rifle? Yes and no........I have Remingtons chambered in 5 or 6 different calibers and tend to shoot smokeless (Trail Boss) in the 45 Colt. BP in the heel base stuff.
- how long have you been shooting the conversion? I have had some for over 20 years. My Original Remingtons are approaching 150 yrs old! BP loads their whole life and are IRON. The New pistols are products of 20/21st century metallurgy and the Kirst cylinder is TOUGH!
- how is the revolver holding up?  any endshake? timing problems? any repairs/ smithing required (beyond installation issues)? If you install a NEW Kirst in a NEW pistol you should have NO install problems. The install into older pistols of new cylinders can take some tuning/adjusting. The Italians love to make changes and things do wear. Endshake is something I seldom see in Remingtons firing LUBED bullets fired from cartidges (remember the case and larger bullet reduce BP capacity compared to cap and ball). This is no more of an issue than with an Italian SAA type pistol.

Feel free to email me if you have additional concerns. I will call you or you can call me.
Yes I am a Kirst dealer. But I shoot, own and enjoy everyone's products!

HH

[Deadguy]

I have a R&D 6 shot conversion cylinder for my Pietta Remington, and here's my experience with it so far.  The chambers were way too tight to easily accept cartridges, I literally had to pound them in with a wood block!  The accuracy was absolutely atrocious as well.  I later meausred the cylinder mouths and found out why.  It had throats measuring .449"-.450"!  Since then I have honed out the throats to .4535" and polished the chambers until the cartridges actually fit like they are supposed to.  When the snow melts and the range becomes accessable again, I'll find out if those modifications actually helped or not.

[Flint]

I have both Kirst and R&D in Piettas and Ubertis, 36 and 45.  I prefer the R&D, personally, I had issues with getting the uneven rachet required for the Kirst 5-shot + safety spot tuned in the 45.  The Kirst works fine in the 36 Navy Remington out of the box.

I never had the tight chamber problems others have mentioned, I shoot 452 bullets, perhaps they are shooting 454.

No wear and tear that I can see, both Ubertis and Piettas hold up fine after several years of smokeless.

[Raider2000]

I've been hinting at Moma "my wife" that a R&D conversion cylinder for my lil Pietta w/ 5.5" barrel .44 would be a great Christmas or Birthday pressent, I hope she catches on & gets me one soon.

[Major 2]

A little off the subject (Remington)
but a + 1 for R&D ..I've had one in a Colt 1860 now for 4 years... it was a drop-in after very minor adj. ( gun is a well used and cared for, nearly 25 year old Colt 2 Gen.  and R&D cyl. was also bought slightly used LNIB though)

The R&D locks up tighter than the 25 year old OEM Cyl. and the only Issue is OAL of some reloads I have. ( they'll work fine in My Henry's then)
Normal Black Hills or Goex Factory are fine or I can use Schofield rounds no tight Dia. issues or rim clearence with Schofield's.

Granted mine is the Drop-in not gated Cyl. but I'm fine with that...I have a Remy Forged Frame Factory Conversion to scratch that itch (gated reloading) and several Type 1's and R&M .

[River City John]

While I had it:
Kirst non-gated .38
Cimarron Uberti Remington Navy .36
14.8-15gr ffg black, 158gr bullet, Starline brass, anybody's magnum primer.
Yes
Used as a main match revolver for 2 years. Sold Kirst cylinder in a moment of poverty. Now shoot all my cap 'n' ball revolvers as such.
No problems. Accepted that I had to pull cylinder for reloads if required, time not important to me. Kirst cylinder was a drop in with fit, lock-up actually a bit better than the original c 'n' b cylinder.

I have since done some shadetree gunsmithing of my Remington in order to get maximum efficiency out of it as a cap 'n' ball shooter, but nothing to do with correcting anything from using the Kirst. She is a shooter.

One comment: In the beginning I would use HB wadcutters or conicals, as the barrel was unlined. After a while, because the distances to the pistol targets weren't all that great at many of the ranges, I just loaded with any flat-based .358 I could get the best deal on at the time of purchase. Still plenty accurate to hit at typical pistol target distances, and no leading to speak of.

RCJ 

[Professor Marvel]

I thank you one and all for your time and considered replies. I find that one cannot rely upon the hyperbole of the advertising lackeys, and it is more efficacious to learn from the experiences of others and often achieves a more harmonious outcome.

yhs
Prof Marvel

[Harley Starr]

Howdy again, Marvel!

I have boocoo experience with most of the conversions (especially Remingtons)

- what manufacturer cylinder you chose? I favor the Kirst. The newest version of Walt's backplate allows you to use it in much the same way as the R&D (unported) but allows you to port the pistol and this greatly enhances unloading/loading. The 5 shot cylinder is a non-issue as it is SASS compliant and like any "non transfer bar" pistol should only be carried with 5 anyway.
- what brand of revolver? The Ford vs. Chevy question......I like Piettas (although I have 6 or 7 Ubertis also). The Pietta quality in it's current state is much better than before. Yes they have "fat" grips but that is easy to remedy if you have "girly" hands.
- what load you are shooting? From MILD to WILD! Really. The Pietta sight is high enough for the SASS loads and I love to shoot full cases of Swiss fffg.
- do you shoot the same load in your rifle? Yes and no........I have Remingtons chambered in 5 or 6 different calibers and tend to shoot smokeless (Trail Boss) in the 45 Colt. BP in the heel base stuff.
- how long have you been shooting the conversion? I have had some for over 20 years. My Original Remingtons are approaching 150 yrs old! BP loads their whole life and are IRON. The New pistols are products of 20/21st century metallurgy and the Kirst cylinder is TOUGH!
- how is the revolver holding up?  any endshake? timing problems? any repairs/ smithing required (beyond installation issues)? If you install a NEW Kirst in a NEW pistol you should have NO install problems. The install into older pistols of new cylinders can take some tuning/adjusting. The Italians love to make changes and things do wear. Endshake is something I seldom see in Remingtons firing LUBED bullets fired from cartidges (remember the case and larger bullet reduce BP capacity compared to cap and ball). This is no more of an issue than with an Italian SAA type pistol.

Feel free to email me if you have additional concerns. I will call you or you can call me.
Yes I am a Kirst dealer. But I shoot, own and enjoy everyone's products!

HH

Howdy Hoof Hearted(hmm... tongue twister )

Ridgway here, formerly Sixgun Kilrain, my question is alittle odd but it here it goes.
When I look at the loading lever on the Italian guns, their appearance is alittle off. An original 1858's loading lever is much more streamlined whereas the Italian guns look overdone.
Could a Uberti 1858 loading lever be altered just enough to more closely resemble an original?

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Could a Uberti 1858 loading lever be altered just enough to more closely resemble an original?

Yep. It isn't too hard.

[Harley Starr]

Yep. It isn't too hard.

Now that's exactly what I'm looking for!
Looks so much more authentic too.
Thank you Marshal!

[Hoof Hearted]

Yep. It isn't too hard.

Marshall

Ya stole my thunder

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Glad to help, Ridgeway. That bothered me about them, too, until I decided to do something about it.

Ya stole my thunder

Didn't mean to step on anything, pard. Show him your Beals mod. THAT'S impressive. I have a ways to go in that department.

[Harley Starr]

Well Hoof Hearted, as soon as I can get my hands on a Uberti 1858, I'd like to get that loading lever modified.