Hello the Camp! Howell Pietta cylinders

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Well, it has been a couple years since I dropped out of CAS shooting.  I sold off the guns, and pursued other interest. 

Well, I got bit by the bug again, so I bought a pair of Pietta 1858s: One 8" and one 5 1/2".  I also ordered a couple Howell's R&D .45 Colt cylinders for them.  I could have just picked up a couple SAA or 1875s, but since I will be shooting a 45 Colt 1860 Henry, I like being able to either shoot cap and ball or cartridge conversions.

I have used the conversion cylinders in 1858s in the past, but I can't remember if Black Hills .45 Schofield brass will work in the R & D cylinders.  No big deal, but I would like to shoot my .44 Henry flat duplicate loads using .45 Schofield, 200 to 230 grain bullets and 27 grains of FFG.

Anyone know if the .45 Schofields fit the cylinder?  Thanks in advance!

[Major 2]

They do

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Great, thanks!

I really like the .44 Henry duplication load I came up with years ago: .45 Schofield, 200 grain Meister (or Stateline) Schofield bullets, and 22-23 grains (Volume)  of Triple 7 (I'm lazy in my old age.  I used to use 28 grains FFFG Goex, but too messy and almost impossible to get in California.).

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Here's my girls:  Pietta 8" and 5 1/5" 1858s.  My R&D cylinders should be here Friday.  I'l going to use some black  Slim Jims cut for the 1858s.  The 8" will be strong side, and the 5 1/2" will be cross draw.  The Belt is a Carico Fairweather Christian belt with leather belt loops and an 1874 belt plate. They should also be here within the next week.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I also have a mismatch set of 1858s. Deciding which side to have the short barrel puzzled me for a bit. My conclusion was to have the short one strong side so lifting staight up wouldn't crick my shoulder too much. The long one, I decided, would ride weak side so dragging it out would cross the body with minimal interference.

In a stage I usually deploy the weak side pistol first when I still had the presence of mind to handle it properly with a shift from weak to strong hand, returning it the same way while reaching for the strong side pistol. I shoot single strong-side handed, for both pieces.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

I notied that the R&D page says the Pietta cylinders are 5 shot, but Taylors, where I ordered them from say 6 shot.  The ones I had before were six shot for the Remmy, and 5 shot for the 1860. Howell says the 5 shot holds Schofields.  Do the earlier 6 shot Pietta cylinders hold Schofields also? I know you said they do, but is that 5 shot or 6 shot?

Thanks in advance.  My cylinders won't be here for three more days and the suspense is killing me.

[hellgate]

Funny how we do things. I ave always put the longer barreled gun in the cross draw so I don't have to pull the gun so high up if it were on the strong side. It is more awkward for me to reholster the longer barrels into the strong side. I always pull the cross draw first.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

I think I may do that also.  The 8" is tough to get out of a strong side holster!

UPDATE on cylinders:  Aparently, Taylor's (where I got my 1858 Pietta cylinders) is now the exclusive outlet for the SIX SHOT version of Kenny Howell's R&D cylinders for Pietta 1858.  The Howell web page sells a five shot version, as does Midway USA, and a couple other places that list them.  I am glad I got them from Taylor's, as I really like 6 "holes in the wheel" as opposed to 5.  Also .45 Schofield cases do fit in the Taylor's 6shot version (I know because I tried them LOL), as well as the 5 shot ones.

Now to load some "200 grain Schofield duplication loads..."

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Well, my Remington 1858s with R&D .45 Colt cylinders (and my Uberti 1860 Henry) HATED the Triple 7 loads I was using (as did my 65 year old arthritic hands!), so it's back to smokeless for a bit.  The 28 grain volume/23 weight of Triple 7 in the Schofield case with the 200 grain bullet is a max load, and was actually pretty nasty fired from the 5 1/2" Remington, and not much better from the 8".  The knuckle of the middle finger of my strong hand really took a beating from the recoil.  It was very distracting, and I was starting to flinch.  Oh well, as busy as I am (even though I supposed to be retired) I don't have time to mess with loading BP shotshells for the matched anyway (especially when I have cases of smokeless 12 gauge loads!).

I have some Unique, so I figure for now I'll use about 6.5 grains Unique with the 200 grain bullet in a Schofield case.  Its a medium load. eventually I'll pick up some Trail boss or something, but I have a pound of this to start with.

[Cowtown]

My "Taylors" 45 Colt conversion cylinder for my Pietta 1858 holds 6 as well. I just had to see for myself now that you'd asked. If I remember correctly, older 45 Schofield rims were a tad wider then they are now. Starline makes them a tad smaller than the brass was some time ago.

My Ruger NMV also hold 6 45 Schofields but just barely. With the cylinder out of the gun, looking down on the loaded cylinder birds eye view-ish there does not seem to be any room between the case heads. Maybe half a hair's breadth.

Try loading Trailboss for your smokeless ammo. It is the smokiest of the smokeless powders and might still give you some sensation of shooting BP. I was actually asked one time what BP sub I was using when shooting Trailboss in 45 Colt.   A calm day it was though.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Thanks, when I run out of Unique, I plan on getting Trail Boss.  I settled on 7.1 grains of Unique, a 200 grain Stateline bullet, WW large pistol magnum powder, and 7.1 grains of Unique.  I tied 6 grains, and it was below wimpy, 6.5 grains was better, but still lighter than I wanted. 7.1 (which is what I used in my 200 grin 45 ACP loads, seems just right.

[mtmarfield]

   Greetings!

   My first Real Handgun was an Lyman 1858 Rem .44 C&B; I believe that I bought it in '83,
and I still have it. It's in lovely condition, and it shoots like a dream.
   I've been thinking that I need a Rem NM "Conversion" in .44-40; anyone have experience
with one of these...? I want a period revolver to go with my Henry.

                 M.T.Marfield

         

[Tuolumne Lawman]

I also got an 1863 Remington .31 with 32 S&W R&D Cylinders for my pocket pistol.  Here's the thread:

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,58813.0.html

[Tuolumne Lawman]

It also dawned on me that I never posted pictures of the 1858s with the R&Ds in them in this thread!





And the 1863 for good measure:

[River City John]

Go right for the Trail Boss, you won't regret it.


RCJ