Another recent project- Remington 1858 'Gunfighter' conversion.

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Perusing the shelves at Pinto's I spotted a somewhat unusual Pietta 1858 reproduction. It had a color case-hardened frame and handsome checkered grips. As I was looking for a new home for my Kirst gated .45 Colt converter and the price was right it was a no-brainer.

I don't much like shooting long-barrelled revolvers, but I already have two 1858 snubbies. I settled on shortening the barrel to 3-1/2"- a handy length that for some reason I think of as 'gunfighter' length. No, I am not aware of any historic gunfighter who shortened a Remington to this length; it just seems quick and handy. I mounted a bronze front sight, then shortened and reconfigured the loading lever to act as a cylinder-pin retainer. I did this by boring down the center of the rod and installing a spring-plunger to engage in a hole in the end of the cylinder pin. Naturally I had to cut a loading port in the blast shield to use with the converter, but that was the extent of the modifications. Happily the Kirst unit dropped right in and functioned flawlessly.

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The result is quick-handling, well-balanced and points naturally for me.

At some point I'll take off the writing on the sides of the barrel and re-blue it, but other than that it's finished as far as I'm concerned. As it turns out it's a good shooter, too. With standard-pressure loads it shoots pretty much to point of aim, and the recoil is a satisfying thump, but in no way uncomfortable.

The first seven-yard target:
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Quite pleased with the result, and I wouldn't be surprised if this gun didn't find itself riding my belt in the woods now and again.
 
Love the gated convertor, can't beat the caliber the Rem can certainly take cowboy loads, at least . I keep an 1875 Rem Outlaw in .45 Colt and hidden under my work bench in the man cave for defense, and I could have anything other than a pulsed lazer in the gigwatt range for that purpose , :)
The thing about Tinker's work is when you get one of his customs it is sighted in at a useful distance , say 7 yards like his picture. Almost every antique pistol or especially replicas of them that I come across need work to get them sighted in at 7 or 15 yards or the old 50 feet range I prefer. And then some guns have various quirks or wear that he addresses like all the old timey smiths did . Plus he adds sensible and attractive embellishments like grip or mechanism reshaping . He gives
a Tinker's damn :)
 
I love it! Sorta like a Sheriff's/pocket model. I want a 1858 cartridge conversion but I'm also not a fan of the 8" barrel. This would be right up my alley!
 
i have a uberti colt sheriffs first generation colt. in 45 long colt. it is as accurate on my 1/2 size man target as any of my longer barreled ones.it is very well made and a real shooter. the only thing i did to it was a wire spring to replace the small flat spring, redone the forcing cone. cylinders are fine, and a nice set of checkered grips. the man who sold it to me is sheriff of the county west of me. it makes a good carry in a shoulder holster.
 
Tinker

Every time I see one of your guns I'm even more of the belief that in a former life you were some town's full-time blacksmith and part-time gunsmith!

Just sayin'...

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