Can I order a R&D cylinder only?

[TomasNomas]

Hi All,

I three R&D cylinders with back plates containing the firing pins for my 1858.  Can I order just a cylinder without the back plate?  And from whom can I order it?  Anyone actual buy one?

Thanks,
Tomas

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

I think you can order one Direct from R & D. Look at their website, I know they aren't listed separately , but if you call I think one can be had.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

You certainly can. I've done it. Call Kenny direct if your supplier can't get them for you.

[The Avocado Kid]

You can buy them from Midway but you will have to call them...go to midway.com online to get the phone number.

[TomasNomas]

Thank you for your responses.  I have an e-mail to R&D.  I will have to give them a phone call when I get a chance.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

They get busy around there and don't get to emails too fast. A phone call will probably be better. You'll be in business soon.

[TomasNomas]

Hi all,

I received an e-mail from Jennifer at R&D.  She said I could order a cylinder for $100.  I just needed to let her know what model I need it for. Oops.  Very reasonable offer.

Thanks to all.
Tomas

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

Tomas,
That's a great deal.
I was going to order just a recoil plate from them and modify the original cylinder in that gun to use the R & D recoil plate, mount it the same way and all to make that original cylinder usable, All you would have to do is mill off the pawl machine the femalemating  hole into the original cylinder and drill the index hole and put a  pin in it and VOILA! you have another usable cylinder with a good pawl.......I turn this idea over to you as the proud owner of the Original Gunsmith Remy Conversion.

[TomasNomas]

Hi Charlie,

That does sound like an interesting idea. I sure wish I had a mill and knew how to use it!  The tricky part is countersinking each chamber for the cartridge rim for the correct headspace. Or would a chamber reamer be the appropriate toll for cutting the headspace for the rims?

You got me thinking.

Thanks,
Tomas

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Tomas,
That's a great deal.
I was going to order just a recoil plate from them and modify the original cylinder in that gun to use the R & D recoil plate, mount it the same way and all to make that original cylinder usable, All you would have to do is mill off the pawl machine the femalemating  hole into the original cylinder and drill the index hole and put a  pin in it and VOILA! you have another usable cylinder with a good pawl.......I turn this idea over to you as the proud owner of the Original Gunsmith Remy Conversion.

Remember that the R&D cylinder has the cartridges in at an angle so there's room for the rims. I think you'd need to fill the cylinder and re-bore it for .45 Colt. If you went with a smaller caliber, you may have to use heeled bullets or sleeve the barrel to a smaller diameter. Maybe sleeve the cylinder, too.

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

Tomas,
That original cylinder will accept 44 Spcl brass, 44 Russian, or 44 Mag brass the way it sets.
It will NOT accept 44 Colt brass. 44 Colt brass's small dia rims allow them to slip too far into the chamber to gain head space and will not fire. i tried it, but the gun would fire with 44 spcl brass as it has a spot weld for a firing pin on the bottom of the hammer face at one tine.  It needs the larger Dia rims.

No machining on the chambers needed at all. Just the Alignment/drive pin hole and the center hole recessed to accept the center of the R & D recoil plate. That would be drilled to depth after the pawl is machined off flush with the chamber faces. A simple job for a pard with a lathe and drill press. I suppose that one could cut the pawl off and use a flat file to file the remains of the pawl flush with the chamber face at the breech.

I was going to do it but never got that far. I did check the cylinder out to see if it could be done, and it can. The brass does hang out of the nipple recesses not unlike the witness notches in the R & D. cylinders.

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

Marshall Will,
The original cylinder in Tomas' gun had been started by a gunsmith on the frontier or someplace and is already drilled for 44 Spcl, 44 Russian or 44 mag brass, they all work in the cylinder there was never a Recoil plate that I could see any evidence off , the hammer had a spot of weld on the bottom face to fire said cartridges and it di in fine style, except thet the head spce was too large and the primers backed out. I used a R & d 44 Rem conversion in the gun (now Tomas's) and the spot weld flattened a bit , so I dressed it off.  I checked out the recoil plate idea and just never got around to doing it myself. The firing pins would line up almost perfectly.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

What kind of bullets do you use with those .44 Spl/Russian/Mag cases, Charlie?

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

Old West Mould's 248 Grn outside lubed heeled bullets. They are the same OD(drive bands) as the cases. Bernie also makes a heeled 210 Grn bullet that is shorter but isn't as accurate as the 248 Grn. It will work for CAS ranges in the 44 Mag brass in those longer Original Conversion cylinders....HEH HEH HEH

I'll use this bullet in my just converted 1860 Henry Rifle too. It was converted from 45LC to 44 Rem/Colt C.F. and 44 Henry Flat C.F.to use the the 248 grn bullet, but I have to modify the nose flatter. 

I'll use this in 44 Russian brass to emulate a 44 Henry Flat cartridge in the Henry too. The 44 Russian brass is .072 longer than the original 44 Henry Flat brass, the Henry brass was .447 Nom dia and the 44 Russian is closer to the .451. with a compression die i can get 28 Grns into the Russian case under the heel and not deform the case.. I have to modify the carrier to accept the short cartridge, but it'll hold 15 of them in the magazine, just like the originals did.

I going to try to make the carrier modification so I can easily remove it(modification) to shoot the longer cartridges when I shoot my Original Remy Conversions in FC, and the 44 Henry Flat when i shoot my 2nd Gen Colt Navies in Frontiersman class.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Thanks for the bullet information. I'll go look at the site. I remember the bullets you are referring to from the thread on converting the Henry to Flat.

I going to try to make the carrier modification so I can easily remove it(modification) to shoot the longer cartridges when I shoot my Original Remy Conversions in FC, and the 44 Henry Flat when i shoot my 2nd Gen Colt Navies in Frontiersman class.

How about having a second carrier on hand to change out to when you want to shoot the longer ones? Be sure to post about that carrier mod when you do it. I'd like to see what you do. I have an idea how it might be done but would like to see how you do it.

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

Marshall will,
I'm thinking of a second carrier as well. If that is done all that needs to be done is to change the angle of the carrier to allow for the shorter Cartridge. Since I posted the above post I figured out that a cross bolt won't work...DUH and that the only and best way is to cut the angle back further for the shorter cartridge.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

You may want to talk to Adirondac Jack about the carrier. He has a guy who puts springs in them for the Cowboy 45 Spl cartridges so the run through these rifles. I may want to do that so all I need to carry with me is one cartridge. If changing the bevel on the front works fine, please let me know, as my rifle will feed Schofields but not the M1887 45 Colt Government cartridges and it wouldn't take much to do those in my rifle as well since the case length is the same. I will eventually be getting it converted for the C45S that Jack offers but will keep the other carrier for times when I find an NCOWS match to attend.

Adirondak Jack
518-773-8739 or email: info@cowboy45special.com

[TomasNomas]

Hi all,

I think I am going to purchase a new cylinder from R&D instead of modifying the original one.  Considering the age of the cylinder and after comparing it to a R&D cylinder in 44 Colt, it looks like to "original" gunsmith bored the chambers of the cylinder larger leaving the walls between the chambers thin, scary looking thin.  I did not break out my dial calipers so I do not know how much larger the chambers are compared to the R&D.  I think I will stick to the modern steel and keep the original in its current condition, like Charlie.

Charlie, keep us up to date on your Henry conversion.  I have been following that thread with much interest.

Tomas