Loading-lever modification for short-barrel 1858 conversions

[Tinker Pearce]

A number of people-- including me-- have done 'Bulldog' conversions on 1858 repros, making the guns into 'snubbies.' The way the cylinder-pin is removed means you cannot retain the loading lever. Solutions to the need to retain the cylinder pin range from running a set-screw through the t-head of the cylinder pin to a rather inelegant after-market lever. When I did my first 'Bulldog' a few years ago I was dissatisfied with these options and sought a different solution that would look better and preserve some of the look of the un-shortened gun.

I shortened the loading-lever to barrel-length, then bored through the upper part of the lever and into the cylinder pin, then installed a spring-plunger with a cross-bar in the loading lever. This holds everything in position and I think looks much better than the options- not to mention that you don't need a screw-driver to remove the cylinder.  You can see how this works in the pictures-




Anyway I thought that I would share this for the benefit of others that might be looking at doing a similar conversion.

[Coffinmaker]

Hey Tinker 

THAT is one very elegant solution.  Superb   

[Tinker Pearce]

Hey Tinker 

THAT is one very elegant solution.  Superb   

Thank you!

[Lucky R. K.]

Here is the way I did one a few years ago.



Lucky

[Tinker Pearce]

Here is the way I did one a few years ago.

Neat!

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Looks good, Tinker. Thanks for sharing this idea.

Do you have a picture of the end of the lever? It's hard to tell from the photos what you did for a spring retainer. It looks like maybe a thin piece of brass, perhaps silver soldered on the end of the lever or something.

[Tinker Pearce]

I drill through the tube from the top into the loading-lever and use a 1/16" brass nail to secure the spring. If you need a better picture let me know.




The plunger shown has a 3/16" diameter narrowed to 1/8". This proved unnecessary and subsequent guns I just used a 3/16" rod.  I bore the hole in the loading lever first, then I mount the lever and superglue it in position before boring the hole in the end of the cylinder pin.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I drill through the tube from the top into the loading-lever and use a 1/16" brass nail to secure the spring. If you need a better picture let me know.




The plunger shown has a 3/16" diameter narrowed to 1/8". This proved unnecessary and subsequent guns I just used a 3/16" rod.  I bore the hole in the loading lever first, then I mount the lever and superglue it in position before boring the hole in the end of the cylinder pin.

Thanks. I can see it, now that I know what I'm looking at. I like it a lot. It's a simple and effective system. Compliments to that one. l guess I'll have to make one myself one of these days. In the past I've held off for lack of a good retainer method.