New Kirst Cylinders for my 1860s

[rbertalotto]

I have a pair of 1860 Piettas that I converted to 45 Cowboy Special a few years ago. After thousands of rounds through them, slip firing the hammer, the cylinder stops "mushroomed and the cylinders are over rotating.

I bought new cylinders from VTI but I find they are a few thousands longer than the ones they replace. 1.532" vs 1.555".With .025" shim between the action and barrel they work fine. Timed great. But without the shim the barrel gap is zero and they are bound up tight.

Seems I need to put the cylinders in the lathe and correct them to the replaced cylinders......??

But before I go and really screw them up, can you wise folks tell me if I'm on the right track?

Thanks

[Coffinmaker]

Ah .... well .... if they were mine, or if you were my customer, NO.

My question is, are you replacing Kirst Konverters with Percussion Cylinders??  You didn't really explain??  Or are you replacing Kirst Konverters with more recent production Konverters??

If the cylinders you currently have in the guns are trash (Pencil Holders), and you don't plan to return to the original percussion cylinders, then the simplest thing to do is relieve the breach end of the barrel to re-establish barrel to cylinder gap.

Coffinmaker

PS:  insure the bolt is fit to the cylinder notches before the guns go back into service.  You really don't want to know my opinion of "Slip Hammer."

[rbertalotto]

Yes, these are a new set of Kirst cylinders to replace the worn ones. If I remove the material from the barrel, the percussion cylinders will have excessive gap when I use them as cap and ball.
I understand about slip firing. Not good especially for these guns with such shallow notches. But new cylinders every 5 years and thousands of rounds is the trade off for this shooting style.

[Coffinmaker]

Lathe.

Coffinmaker

[Professor Marvel]

Greetings my Good Roy -

When I fit a new/other cylinder to a revolver I often have to shave the face a tad. 
I have seen the quality of work on your other projects and I am sure taking a bit off the cylinders with your lathe will be no problem!

yhs
prof marvel

[wildman1]

Are those cylinders notched the same as the old ones?
wM1

[rbertalotto]

Yes, same as the old cylinders. I spoke to the folks at Kirst as to why these cylinders have a "ramp"  both to and from the notch. I was told because the cylinder needs to be larger in diameter to accommodate the large rim of the 45 LC, the cylinder stop wouldn't release without this release on the locking side of the notch. This causes the cylinder notch to be ctremely shallow.

Last night I fitted the new cylinders. I had to shorten them .020" to get them to run smoothly. This left them .002" longer than the old cylinders. I can't remember, but I don't believe I shortened the old cylinders. I believe they were simple drop in.

The 1860 Colts are now ready for another 5 years of shoot'!

[rbertalotto]

here is a picture of the cylinder ........ showing extreme shallow notch.