Traditions 1860 conversion in .38 SPL ?

[goon]

Does anyone have a traditions conversion? Does anyone know anything about them? I found one at a gun shop the other day and the thing has taken a hold on me. It is chambered for .38 Special which is a cartridge that is easy enough to find loaded and one that I already have brass and bullets for. Can this thing use regular pressure factory rounds or would I have to load BP rounds for it? Regardless, I know I would be best off to avoid anything +P in it. The action does have just a little bit of a rough place at almost full cock but it locks up good. I think it would smooth out with use but if it didn't it shouldn't be too awful hard to smooth the action up.
It is not on "The List" and I would have positively no use for it whatsoever but I still sort of think it is cool and I still sort of want it.

[Old Fuff]

Well you won’t blow the topstrap off.

These guns were designed so that cap fragments could escape and not fall back into the action (didn’t always work that way though) and powder fouling could escape around the front of the cylinder. For the purpose intended this might have been fine, but the design is a very weak one.

The barrel is held to the frame with a key, or “wedge,” that passes through a slot at the front of the cylinder base pin. It is almost impossible to keep a consistent gap between the barrel and cylinder because each time the wedge is reseated during disassembly/reassembly the gap can change. Also it is not unusual to have the base pin crack at the front of the slot.:eek:

At best, you don’t want to shoot anything over standard loads using a 158-grain RNL bullet. Black powder handloads are also not a bad idea either. See if the gun you have in mind isn’t marked on the barrel, “black powder only.” Or words to that affect.