OFFICIAL Open Top (1871/72) Thread (post pictures here)

[Long Johns Wolf]

Very nice, Seth, very nice.
Good decision to stay away from the 225 grainers in your .44 Henry CF for the Open Top.
Here is my recent experience with .44 Colt factory ammo from BH in open top design conversions, namely smokeless behind 230 grainers: while attending a CAS match in TX I had to load my Centaure LCCs with this factory  ammo.
They resulted in a MIP of almost 170.
Significant recoil and muzzle flip of my 5,5" pistols. During the 6th (last) stage and the last pistol round finally the wedge of one of the LCCs had worked its way out of the gun from recoil although I had checked them after each stage.
Found it later in the grass. No harm done to pistols, shooter or bystanders.
IMHO such a round is definitively to hard on open top type pistols.
Long Johns Wolf

[Justician]

Beautiful. Does your round differ from a .44 Colt Original?

It looks just like the .44 Colt brass loaded with a heeled .451 bullet that I had loaded for my Colt Second Generation 1860 conversion.

Justician

[Seth Hawkins]

Beautiful. Does your round differ from a .44 Colt Original?

It looks just like the .44 Colt brass loaded with a heeled .451 bullet that I had loaded for my Colt Second Generation 1860 conversion.

Justician

I wasn't trying to duplicate an original 44 Colt round for the pistols.  I was just trying to develop a round that put the least amount of stress on my guns.  I experimented with a number of different bullet weights and styles that I got from Bernie.  There was a hollow-based bullet that showed a lot of promise, but they are a PITA to cast, so I ruled it out.  This bullet was #2.  He made a 4-cavity mould for me so I can crank these out when I cast.  It's outside diameter is 0.452".

[Justician]

I suspect that you can load yours a good bit hotter for the Opentop than I would dare to do for the 1860 conversion.

I am also interested in what it took to convert your Henry to this round.  I might be tempted to do something similar to my 66.

I also like the silver plated trigger guard and backstrap.

Thanks,

Justician

[Seth Hawkins]

For the Henry conversion -

I bought a new .45-cal barrel.  I then had a custom chamber made.  This was "pressed" into the breach of the barrel.  I'm not sure if that's the correct terminology for that, or if that's the correct order that things were done in.  I know the new barrel was a .45 Colt barrel, which is what is needed for the bullet.  But it's obviously too big for the cartridge.  So a new chamber was made for the cartridge.  IIRC, the 'smith who did the work basically reamed out the .45 Colt chamber, then "inserted" a new chamber.  I don't recall if the new insert was already reamed to the proper size, or if it was sized after it was installed.  And a bolt was modified to accommodate the .44 Colt's dimensions, which includes the extractor and ejector "fingers".

If your conversion is a true conversion of an 1860 C&B I would say yes, I can load mine much hotter than you can.

The silver plating on the back strap & trigger guard make them kinda "disappear" when you're looking at the grips.  It's an odd trick of the eye.

[Justician]

Seth,

You did a great job on both the revolvers and the rifle (could you post a picture of the rifle when your camera is back working?).

I spent so much on the revolvers, that I may just try to trade the 66 for a 73 in .44-40 and figure that .44 Colt revolvers -. 44 Winchester rifle combos are what many cowboys, outlaws, and lawmen would have carried in the early 1870s.

Thanks,

Justician

[Seth Hawkins]

I have a few pics of my rifle in the "1860 Henry" forum.  In there, look in the ".44 Henry CF Ammo" thread.

[Justician]

Thanks, I will.

Justician

[HolliferADollar]

Just gave myself a to-me/from-me Christmas gift, a pair of 1871s in 45 Colt.  Smooth as silk!

Holler

[Justician]

Isn't it amazing that when you buy for yourself you tend to get what you want?
They look great!

Justician

[Graveyard Jack]

Awesome pair! 

[HolliferADollar]

One of my 1871s in action.  This picture was taken at the FL State match by a photographer for a St, Augustine tourism site.  The whole slideshow is here: http://staugustine.com/slideshow/home-page/2014-01-12/slideshow-single-action-shooting-society-state-championship#slide-1

[Seth Hawkins]

Awesome Pic!  Gotta love those flames!  ( causes a little... stir... in my nether regions  )

[Mean Bob Mean]

They are beautiful and you shoot them superbly.

[reno]

Here is my two Open Tops both in 44 Colt. They aren't to pretty but I shoot them alot, have had them for years with no trouble. I know alot of people like the new look of guns which is great if that is what they like, but I never did like pretty guns, for if they are to pretty, they are being looked at, and not shot. No offense just my veiw.
NCOWS #810
Reno

[Seth Hawkins]

Nice looking guns, Reno.  I like a little patina on my guns, too.

[Laughing Buffalo]

Just thought I would chime in with another woman's perspective... I have 1871 Open Tops and I absolutely ADORE them.  Some women may not like the weight, but I really like it.  I don't even notice cuz I'm focused on the shooting.  I shoot mine nightly in the shootout gang.  I do fast draw, rapid fanning, quick reload and a spin or two with mine during the show.  It is one of the few guns that will handle the rigors of what I put it though and never misfire.  Weight is not an issue.  It may take a while for your wife to get used to it, but she just might end up with a full blown love affair with it as I have with mine. 

[CptEnglehorn]

Hello, finally got myself a pair of open tops and after about 4 months from first answering the add, to the end, I love them, they are excellent guns, when I received them the uberti case colors had faded and one had a nasty drag line. I sent them to Joe Perkins of classic single actions and had a full action job done, forcing cone, rear sight widened, cylinders honed and chamfered, screws hardened and replaced the firing pins with smith shop tool steel pins, also had the safety in the hammer welded up and hidden, to top it all off they were antiqued with antique walnut grips added. Joe did an amazing job and they were well worth the wait and investment, unfortunately one of them is a little sensitive and over rotates if not worked just right, the other can handle being operated at a decent speed.

Before



Link to the rest of the pictures

[Major 2]

could have sworn I posted this one in

[Graveyard Jack]

Good lookin' case colors on that one!