Pietta Conversion

[The Avocado Kid]

I have just picked up a New Model 1858 Army (Remy,Pietta) and I'm new to this gun and would like to add a drop-in cylinder of .45 or .44 cal-I know this can be done from reading some of the post on this forum BUT my question is this does the Pietta Remy work well for this conversion,I have always been a fan of Uberti but Cabela's had such a low price on this gun($199.99) I could not pass it by. I would love to hear your thoughts. Dusty.

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

I had a late model 58 Remy from Pietta with a Kirst conversion cylinder in it and it worked very well. Old Baldy on this forum has it now(gunslinger 4 3/4") it was a "drop in non gated that I ported myself. The Pietta was bought used on Gunbroker and arrived in unfired condition. There was a boo boo( indentation under the front sight, like the sight was applied with undo pressure) in the bbl under the front sight and I whacked the bbl off because of it. It shot POA. A good gun.
I have owned 2 Kirst conversion cylinders one gated and one not. the gated one kept opening with the first shot. it was a distraction.

I now have had 4 R &D drop-in conversions and these are the ones with 6 firing pins. I tend to like them better than the Kirst with one firing pin, but only because the Kirst firing pin is staked into place and the R &D firing pins are held in with ferrules that can be removed to replace the firing ppins. Also I like the idea of dropping the cylinder out to load and unload ALA Clint in "Pale Rider" I can do that quicker than I can eject cartridges out of the Gated Kirst.

Having owned both I now prefer the R & D drop-ins.
All of mine, save one, were/are in 44 Rem/Colt C.F. cartridge. one was 45 LC.
The 44 Remington is fun to load and is very accurate and more historically correct than the 45 LC. 44 Rem. was the third chambering of original Remy Conversions, with the 46 R.F. being first and 44 R.F. being second.

[The Avocado Kid]

WOW! .46 RF Thanks for the input-the new Pietta looks good to me but I have never cared for them in the past but I must say its a good looking revolver for a replica,I hope it shoots as good as it looks,not much to ask for  Dusty.

[Moose]

 I have a R & D Conversion ( 6 Shot) that I use with my Pietta and I think it is great!  Shoots well  ( with 10X ammo) and changing of the cyl. is very easy.  You can't go wrong with the R & D.

[Dusty Morningwood]

Have had two.  No problems.  Your results may vary. 

[Flint]

I have 2 Piettas I put R&D cylinders in, and they have worked very well for me.  The only problem I've had with Piettas is the mainspring which is harder to lighten without getting too weak at the firing pin strike..  When you narrow the mainspring and get it feeling right at full cock, it's too light with hammer down.  Ubertis seem to be more easily tunable, and since they are so similar, I don't know exactly why.

Nevertheless, it can be tuned for the conversion, which does not need, nor do you want,  as heavy a hammerfall as needed for cap & ball.

I converted the two of them to use a Ruger coil mainspring and strut, which are very nice, and feel like an Old Model Ruger action, but that is a bit extreme, I did it because I could, and for the challenge.

I have Ubertis with R&D, and also have Kirst.  The Kirst is great in 38 caliber, but I prefer the R&D in 45.

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

I lightened my Pietta mainspring by making it like a knife edge on both sides, from mtg area to about a 1/4 inch behind where the hammer roller rides (top) of the spring. Ground it down from the middle out to the edge and didn't scallop the spring and it worked really well. That keeps them from breaking.

[Capt. Augustus]

Flint,
Any chance of a picture and description of the coil spring and strut conversion?  I've heard of this, but I have not seen it.  I'm setting up a pair of Piettas now.

[Flint]

If I don't have the pictures on Photobucket, I'll put them there and post them...

[Flint]

Found'em and uploaded'em.  Sorry the camera I had then wasn't as high a definition as I have now, but....

The strut seat hole is a cross hole as in the Ruger Hammer, and the roller slot is opened up to accept the strut nose.



View of the installation.  The adapter is made from aluminum, fitted to the frame, retained by the former spring tension screw.
All the geometry was copied from the Ruger.



The grip screw must be relocated, as it would pass through the coil spring.  The original screw bushing holes are plugged here with brass.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Mighty fine work. With the number of people gravitating to the Remingtons, you could probably sell a few if you were inclined.

[Capt. Augustus]

Thanks Flint for the pictures.  It looks interesting to say the least.  You could probably do well making the plates for sale.