1858 conversion cylinder worth it?

[whughett]

I really don't appreciate that snide comment.

Not intended as a snide remark, just a statement of fact. Irrelevant at any rate. The vast majority of fire arms will print on target far better than the average shooter can hold them, including benching the piece. My self I can shoot better with the Weaver stance then I can on the bench, unless with a red dot, on the bench my tendency to move my head instead of the sights for alignment throws me all off.

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[Gordon]

I put a .32S&W conversion cylinder in my 1849 "Wells Fargo " Uberti and for that gun it was the best thing ever ! I got tired removing the cylider to load those little .31 balls in it , and they weren't all ways that reliable to boot, cap wise. Now I have the neatest little. .32 kit gun .

 

[lagerratrobe]

I haven't been able to post due to iOS issues and I don't have a pc here but I've been meaning to ask:

For those that have the Howells 5-shot cylinder, how secure are the in-between bolt positions?

I have one and I think the safety notches work fantastically well. I have no qualms about carrying the gun loaded with the hammer resting in one of the safety notches. The notches are deeply and well machined and the engagement and lock is very positive.

 

[lagerratrobe]

In response to the original question about whether these conversion cylinders are worth getting. Yes, I think they are, but because of the cost they should be viewed as though you are purchasing a second gun.

I have a Pietta 1858 that I purchased from Cabela's last year. It's a great gun, well made, simple and fun to shoot with cap-and-ball. However, since I often stop at the range on my way to work in the morning, I purchased a Howell 5-shot conversion cylinder as well. I felt uncomfortable leaving the gun dirty in the car for the entire day with black powder residue and figured I would have less corrosion problems if I shot smokeless. I already had another .45, an 1875 from Uberti, and was reloading low pressure rounds for it and felt comfortable using them in the 1858. I was not prepared for how much I would enjoy using the conversion cylinder though.

At $250 the conversion cylinder isn't cheap, but the quality is simply excellent. Because it's a 5-shot, the cylinder walls are nice and thick and I find the safety notches to be better than on the C&B cylinder from Pietta. The chambers are also machined to tighter tolerances than my Uberti, which I have always found to be somewhat sloppy (although within tolerance) and prone to seal poorly with cowboy loads. I shoot 5-round cylinders-loads by default, so the loss of one round doesn't bother me. I like to score my shooting and using 5-round groups works well for me. I find myself shooting this gun, with the conversion cylinder, more than any other. I also carry this gun around more with me, simply because I like it and am comfortable with it. It's big and heavy, even with the 5 1/2" "Sheriff's" barrel, but the size works with a backpack or glovebox and I've even stuffed it into the front pocket of a loose pair of jeans with the butt sticking up over my waistband and covered by a shirt. Did I mention it's heavy though?

Regarding ammo, as I mentioned above I reload most of the time. I find reloading .45 Colt to be really enjoyable and have found some loads that I like. For the most part, I prefer using 200-grain lead, round nose, flat-point bullets in the 1858, as that keeps the pressure down on the loads. I've shot 250 grain reloads through it as well and they work fine, but shoot about a foot high and I'm not ready yet to dovetail a new front sight on the gun. The 200 grain loads print about 4 inches high of center, which works for me right now. Note that I'm not giving load data here because I think people are complete retards when it comes to .45 Colt loads and use FUD to scare people off. I use Trailboss and like it, your mileage may vary. The hottest, most unpleasant rounds I have ever shot were cartridges loaded with 27 grains of Pyrodex behind 200 grain lead bullets and I hated it. I've shot Winchester, Fiocchi and Hornady Cowboy ammo through this conversion cylinder without a problem and wouldn't hesitate to shoot them again.

So yes, I think the conversion cylinder is a great purchase and I would recommend it.

 

[Colombo38]

I was just thinking: are the howells and Taylor's cylinders drop-safe? All those firing pins...

 

[lagerratrobe]

I was just thinking: are the howells and Taylor's cylinders drop-safe? All those firing pins...

I cannot imagine that they would be. With the hammer in a safety-notch, a bullet wouldn't come out the barrel, but I imagine you could set a round off in the cylinder by whacking an exposed firing pin if the gun fell the right (wrong?) way. Not sure if it's easier, or harder, to set off than a percussion cap on a loaded C&B cylinder. Anyone had a cap go off this way?

I'm a big fan of a holster with a flap on it when I'm hiking. I find the risk acceptable for how I pack the gun, but for true safety, I'd take the 1875 instead, with the hammer on an empty chamber, or a gun with a transfer bar.

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

I was just thinking: are the howells and Taylor's cylinders drop-safe? All those firing pins...

Do you mean as in dropping a loaded cylinder before it's loaded into the revolver?

If so, since the top plate isn't secured to the cylinder and there would not be a barrel, I cant imagine much pressure building up if a cartridge did manage to go off.

 

[Gaucho Gringo]

I put a .32S&W conversion cylinder in my 1849 "Wells Fargo " Uberti and for that gun it was the best thing ever ! I got tired removing the cylider to load those little .31 balls in it , and they weren't all ways that reliable to boot, cap wise. Now I have the neatest little. .32 kit gun .

I have one also with the conversion cylinder and it is a hoot to shoot.