Conversion Finished

[Marshal Will Wingam]

A while back, I got a Kirst gated conversion for my .38 Remmie. It went in slick as could be. I still needed an ejector so I got one to put on. It was a bit long for my gun so, after a quick call to Walt to verify a thing or two, I cut it back about 3/8" or maybe a little more. Since I had the rod out of the housing, I filed the ends of it at an angle like some originals I've seen. Installed, it really looks great. Here's a pic. The grips have been re-done as of tonight, but they aren't on it yet. I'll post a photo when they are.

[Oldelm]

Marshal,.....that looks pretty nice, ......if I remember correctly, you got a pair of them, right?

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Thanks, Oldem. Yes, I have a pair. The other one has a drop-in cylinder and this one has the loading gate. It's kind of fun having a non-identical pair of matched pistols. When the grips are finished, I'll post a pic of the pair.

[James Hunt]

Very nice.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

That's purdy-ful !

If I can ever figger out how to post a photo of my 1858 Remmie, I will.  Due to severely shoddy workmanship from the Pietta folks, I HAD to shorten my barrel to just a skosh longer than 6 inches.  (I  could   have made it shorter, but I wanted the barrel to be as long as possible.)  This was about 6 years ago with a gun that had been on display for several years and was back when Pietta was earning a reputation for turning out junk.  I bought the gun when my favorite gunstore owner decided to retire and was having a going-out-of-business sale.

In fairness to Pietta, from what I understand, their new guns from the last 2 -3 years are greatly improved and they seem to be giving Uberti a run for their money.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I HAD to shorten my barrel to just a skosh longer than 6 inches.

I have one that has a 6-inch barrel. I like it better than any other length.

From what I understand, their new guns from the last 2 -3 years are greatly improved and they seem to be giving Uberti a run for their money.

I hear they are making good ones, now, too.

Here's a pic of my guns with the new finish on the grips.

[sundance44`s]

Nice job Marshal !!

[Smokin Gun]

They look great Marshal...ya done a fine job. I like um both, but the gated one sure does spin my wheel. Guess I'll have to have me one a them someday.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Thanks, pards.

...the gated one sure does spin my wheel. Guess I'll have to have me one a them someday.

It's really not that hard to do. I like to fiddle with them, anyway, so the project was fun. If you do one with a 5 1/2" bbl, you will need to shorten the ejector slightly. I ground the end of it off down to the ring that keeps it in, maybe 1/4" - 3/16". Then I modified the housing, shortening it slightly. To put the ejector back in, you simply slip it in and cut a ring around it with a tubing cutter to retain it. Walt had a great idea there, sheer genius in its simplicity. My next project will be one of the R&D gated conversions when Kenny gets them done. Don''t know how long that will be but it may be a while yet.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

As I commented earlier, the one was "purdy-ful."

Both together make a killer combo !  VERY nice work, Marshal Will !!!!!

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

Thanks Will for the heads up on how to remove the ejector and how to recut it. I wonder if one can work the original ring (keeper slot) down , slip out the ejector to chamfer both ends of the mounting, like the originals and then cut the ring again. I ask this because mine are already fit to the pistols and I wish not to have to shorten the ejector or reslot the rammer... HMMMM! I'll have to see if that will work. Cause I want  mine to look as near the originals as possible too. AHH good!  More projects. That means I can fit ejectors to my 4 3/4" bbl Gunfighters too....maybe......

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I'll bet you could do it with a fine file around the ring to remove it. to re-secure it, you'd want to cut a ring about 1/8" from the other one, possible toward the cylinder end of the rammer. I think if you went over the existing ring, it would cut the end off and then you'd be making a whole new one or living with a shortened one. If you re-do them, be sure to post a pic so we can see how they look.

When you install them on your 4 3/4" barrels, be sure to thin down the end of the rammer where it fits into the slot on the loading lever. If you cut it deep enough to hold the standard end, you may cut into the spring that pushes the latch. I knocked about a third of the thickness off mine for that reason.

[tinker2]

Halfway Creek Charlie

Good to see you posting again my friend.

If I can be of any help, like lathe work, with your project
I would be more then pleased to do so. 


Tinker2

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

Tinker2,
Thanks. If I need some lathe work I'll holler.

I bought a Dremel tool and that has speeded up my processes a lot. Now i'm into looking at modifying a Kirst ejector and cylinder pin to work in my Gunslingers.  I have a good idea that I can make them work, but cutting on a $100.00 bill unnerves me a bit. I know I can joint it like the other ones I make for 5 1/2" and 4 3/4" bbls. but locating the notch in the rammer on a short lever will be the trick.  The ejector rod has to be long enough to eject the shells....DUH! I might design one with a spring in it and a  knob on the end. that would allow for not cutting a notch in the rammer and allow for the ejector staying in place on a short bbl.ed pistol too.
Sitting here typing this out I just figured out how to do the Gunslinger Ejector.
Pretty simple really. Now do I want to cut up a $100.00 ejector to fit my Gunslingers..........Maybe.

I love the feel and balance of the 4 3/4" Gunslinger.

[Smokin Gun]

Hey Charlie! I found that the loading ram and lever of my Uberti fit right in my Piettas...i.e. VTI 5 1/2" lever should do well in a shortened to 5 1/2" Pietta barrel. I have to check the ASP haven't done that yet.

[Brizco-Z]

Will,

I sure do like the looks too, the gated one appeals especially.  I just might have to try a conversion on a couple of mine some day.  The shorter barrel length sets them off well.  Any info on the new balance and feel, how are they for accuracy, much less weight or not, did you dovetale the front sights and are you pleased with the ejector assembly on the top one, how's it work for you?

Thanks for the pics, good looking pair.

Brizco-Z

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Well, BZ, the balance is slightly different with the shorter barrels. I actually like it better for CAS. Yeah, the sights are dovetailed. I believe the Ubertis are all done that way. The ejector assembly works fine. It takes a bit longer to eject spent cases than with a Colt SAA, but heck, no one is running a timer at the unloading table.

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

Marshall Will,
I did think about thinning the flat of the ejector. Also thought of a half thickness notch in the bbl. (rammer Keepr dovetail depth), and a slight notch above the spring area in the rammer.  I'll need to hinge the Cylinder Rod and shorten the ejector, but I think it can be done. Yeah, I don't want to get into the Spring area of the rammer catch if I can help it, and to notch behind the spring area might make the ejector too short. I will try to nestle the ejector flat behind the rammer keeper post to keep it tidy. One of my rammers is notched a bit above the keeper anyway due to a slight mistake I made making it shorter. (trying to copy the round of the rammer at the round to flat transition of the origianl length rammer) Boo Hiss, but it still works great and the ejector flat will fit right in there too, so maybe it wasn't a real mistake. LOL

I shot both my 4 3/4" Gunslingers at our CAS match Sunday. I shot 6 stages and except for some leading problems in the cylinders neither slowed down during the 6 stages.  I shoot 35 Grns. BP in the Rem. 44 CF cartridges that I load and the 248 Grn. bullets are really soft, so I get some leading at the case end in the cylinder. A quick swipe of the chambers with the Spiral Spring Steel bore cleaner fixed it right up.  I even shot one of the Rifle targets. they were the bowlegged cowboy steel and this one had a paper badge that I was trying to hit for extra bragging rights, missed the star, but drilled the target in a vital area near the star.

 

[Marshal Will Wingam]

it still works great and the ejector flat will fit right in there too, so maybe it wasn't a real mistake. LOL

I agree, often I've made use of a mistake only to find things worked out better than what I had planned anyway.

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

Marshall Will,

I did the deed.

I hinged both ejector assy's to work in the Gunslingers. The one I made the mistake on works great, I filed the thickness of the flat like you said and it fit right in place, so I guess that it wasn't a "mistake" afterall.  I am working on the second one now and noticed that I have to cut a short ammount off the rod on this Gunslinger due to the location of the rammer. Both Gunslings have the rammer in slightly different places. One has the rammer directly under the sight, the other one I set up like the original placement , so this one needs a shorter ejector rod. If I do another (or When) Gunslinger I'll mount the rammer stop directly under the sight as that allows for a slightly longer Ejector Rod. The flat nestles right next to the stop between the rammer and the bbl.

Both Gunslings will have the ejector flat nestled in the same place.