I can appreciate what you meant and considered that after I posted.
But folks in the US already have the choice of installing a 5 shot conversion cylinder or a 6 conversion cylinder, [Taylor's Vs. Kirst].
The cap & ball makers have already produced snub nose and pepper box versions to make the same large frame easier for concealed carry, and those are not 5 shots.
To make a new 5 shot would require a lot of investment in retooling and design, and folks already complain about how some current models aren't traditional, thus they call them fantasy guns.
I don't think that many Europeans carry their loaded C&B's for self-defense or are allowed to.
They may use them for that purpose in their home or business, but mostly they're used for competition, cowboy action and recreational shooting just like most people do in the US.
But to think that companies will change the traditional 6 shot designs just to save a few ounces so that a small segment of Americans [or Europeans] can carry them more concealable or conveniently, I don't think that's going to happen.
The Roger's & Spencer has been out of production for years and none of the current makers have even reintroduced it yet and there's known demand.
But they did produce a 6 shot snub nose which many can make on their own, and a pepper box .36.
They could consider making a bird's head grip frame, but that's still not the same as a 5 shot.
When you mentioned the concept of a new 5 shot, I'm not sure most folks realize just how expensive and non-traditional it would be for a company to invest in a such a risky concept.
Why haven't any maker's produced a factory bird's head grip frame?
Perhaps doing so might bring additional anti-gun scrutiny to their industry that they probably wouldn't want or need the extra profits anyway, just to make their guns more concealable than they already are.
If it were a profitable idea, perhaps other private outfits would consider making those options available, but I haven't seen it happen yet.
For example, if some 3D printing outfit produced some bird's head grip frames then it could indicate that there was enough demand to begin casting some real ones.
While that's also unlikely to happen, IMO it's probably less likely that they'll produce a new smaller gun model with a new 5 shot cylinder & frame or barrel.
The 5 shot .36 caliber is not a non-traditional revolver tho, Remington made them in the New Model Police (they were largely converted to rimfire after tho), Colt made the 1862 Navy/Police, and I believe the Adams DA/SA was a 5 shot .45 caliber revolver.
Would people be interested in a 5 shot 1858 .44 caliber? I think they would if like the 1862 Colt vs the 1851/1861 Colt the smaller 1862 weighed a pound less and felt better in the hand.
I was just handling my 5" Pietta 1858 Sheriff last night and between it and the 8" Pietta I also have, the shorter barrel made it feel very different, much faster to bring up to aim and shoot. If that Sheriff model weighed half a pound less and had a similar barrel length, it would be THE cap and ball revolver to have.
I think the reason why it hasn't been done is indeed tooling, but also their being way too much focus on full size revovlers that were used in the Civil War. 1851, 1860, 1858... those were the guns mostly used. The only reason I think Uberti makes the 1849 .31 is it was very popular back in the day with civilians and the 1862 mainly uses the same parts as the 49, so Uberti said, "Why not?"
A medium sized Remington New Police style, while it's bigger than the 1863, it's a lot more shootable. For people who buy an 1863 (which from what I hear they're not that great, loading levers snapping, oversize bores, etc.) I'm sure if given the option they'd rather have a New Model Police Remington repro with 5 shots of .36 or .44 instead of .31.
I look at that 1863 and I say to myself: Whoever the people who are buying them, it can't be that many compared to the larger Remington repros. So, if the market is that small for the 1863's, the Dance & Brothers, that completely non-traditional .36 pepperbox, and Pietta still makes those, then I don't see how they wouldn't be able to sell a ton of the NMP repros at $300.
