fjm03
November 5, 2008, 11:40 PM
Following are my recent experiences with the Uberti 1858 Remington (New Army) Conversion - Taylor's #1000 - Benelli's #341001.
The firearm is marketed as a convertible weapon allowing use of either 1) lower pressure, smokeless powder loads in metal cartridges or 2) black powder in all charging forms (loose, pelletized, pager cartridge or metal cartridge). To accomplish this flexibility the weapon is offered with two different cylinders; a center fired metallic cartridge cylinder derived from the Rollin White patent of 1855 and a traditional percussion cylinder derived from the Beals' patent of 1858.
Because of advances in machining technologies between manufacture of the original 1858 Remington in 1862 and its metallic cartridge conversion in 1868, the two cylinder ratchet systems are different in their ratchet rack design and geometries. The more modern cartridge cylinder requires a different travel interval of the racket pawl to advance the cylinder than does the older, percussion cylinder design. As a consequences, the two cylinders require different timing.
A compromised timing, using one ratchet pawl leaves the operation of both cylinders less than desirable. Using two different pawls; a shorter version for the percussion and a slightly longer pawl for the metallic cartridge version, creates the legacy of a bit of extra hammer travel when the percussion weapon is cocked but the offense is slight compared to the unpredictable timing under all conditions when using a single pawl.
Changing the pawls is not rocket science but certainly not something done quickly or routinely at the range and not a process advertised by either Uberti, Benelli or Taylor's on their public face.
To their credit, when asked, Taylor's promptly outlined the limitations when using the available percussion cylinder. Within 7 days of the receipt of my weapon at Taylor's Winchester Virginia facilities, at no cost to me except the initial shipping, Taylor's 1) repaired the cosmetic damage to the percussion cylinder used during my experimentation, 2) provided and timed the second pawl for use with the percussion cylinder and 3) had the weapon back in my hands via FedEx Overnight Express.
The firearm is marketed as a convertible weapon allowing use of either 1) lower pressure, smokeless powder loads in metal cartridges or 2) black powder in all charging forms (loose, pelletized, pager cartridge or metal cartridge). To accomplish this flexibility the weapon is offered with two different cylinders; a center fired metallic cartridge cylinder derived from the Rollin White patent of 1855 and a traditional percussion cylinder derived from the Beals' patent of 1858.
Because of advances in machining technologies between manufacture of the original 1858 Remington in 1862 and its metallic cartridge conversion in 1868, the two cylinder ratchet systems are different in their ratchet rack design and geometries. The more modern cartridge cylinder requires a different travel interval of the racket pawl to advance the cylinder than does the older, percussion cylinder design. As a consequences, the two cylinders require different timing.
A compromised timing, using one ratchet pawl leaves the operation of both cylinders less than desirable. Using two different pawls; a shorter version for the percussion and a slightly longer pawl for the metallic cartridge version, creates the legacy of a bit of extra hammer travel when the percussion weapon is cocked but the offense is slight compared to the unpredictable timing under all conditions when using a single pawl.
Changing the pawls is not rocket science but certainly not something done quickly or routinely at the range and not a process advertised by either Uberti, Benelli or Taylor's on their public face.
To their credit, when asked, Taylor's promptly outlined the limitations when using the available percussion cylinder. Within 7 days of the receipt of my weapon at Taylor's Winchester Virginia facilities, at no cost to me except the initial shipping, Taylor's 1) repaired the cosmetic damage to the percussion cylinder used during my experimentation, 2) provided and timed the second pawl for use with the percussion cylinder and 3) had the weapon back in my hands via FedEx Overnight Express.
