1851 Navy Conversion Questions

[rep1954]

I have a Colt Second Generation 1851 Navy that I want to set up for firing cartridges. I'm not so sure that I want to chop my frame up just yet for the loading gate clearance. I see R&D has a cylinder that you load and then assemble the gun to shoot. This extra work would not be such a hinderance to me. As I understand this cylinder can be used with 38 Colt or 38Spl cartridges. My questions are is this cylinder a good quality unit in fit and performance? I'm aware about the use of heeled bullets in the 38 Colt for filling out the bore and rifling but how about the use of 38Spl hollow base wadcutters, Do they expand enough to shoot accurate within reason?

[River City John]

In soft lead and at our distances, yes. I have used wadcutters in a Remington .36 Navy w/ Kirst conversion cylinder.


I've never owned an R&D.

RCJ

[Major 2]

Yes R&D is good quality... I've had one for years in a 2nd Gen 1860... Buy the one for the Uberti.
Mine is Drop-in but I did have a tad of adj. to do at the hand....

Mine is about 6-7 years old the gun is 31 years old and was well shot as C&B, the R&D actually locks up tighter.

With the 1860 45 LC is used no heeled bullet.

Kirst also makes Drop-in, main difference is, he only uses 1 fireing pin , R&D uses 5 FP's both are 5 shots.

[Flint]

I have an R&D in 45 for the 1860.  It is a drop-in, 5-shot.  The drop-n for the Navy is a 6-shot.  There are, or were two versions, one through bored for the 36 bore barrel, and one chambered for a relined 357 bore.  Without specifying, you will get the through bored chambers for the existing Cap & Ball barrel.

Use a 38 LC cartridge with either a heeled bullet or hollow base, WC or conical, or the 38 Special case with a 148gr HBWC.  I leave about 1/16 of lead above the case mouth for SASS legality and seeing the case as loaded or fired.  The cylinder is too short to load 38 Special with a conical bullet.

The hollow based bullet is pretty accurate, probably aided by the arrowhead effect of the light tail.  The rifling twist is too slow for a long bullet, but they shoot well regardless.  Suggest a forcing cone cut to 11 degrees to help ease the long wadcutter through the barrel/cylinder gap.