only advantage, marginally faster reloading and slightly less fouling.
One advantage of a muzzle-loading gun is that while the cartridge shooters are messing with brass, you're shooting.
Howdy
I don't know what planet you guys have been shooting conversion cylinders on, but here on Earth they are not marginally faster than loading Cap & Ball, and I really don't understand the comment about C&B shooters are shooting while cartridge shooters are messing with brass.
I know a little bit about loading Cap & Ball, I bought my first C&B revolver in 1968. About ten years ago I bought my first conversion cylinder for my old EuroArms Remmie that I bought back in 1975. A few years later I came across a used Uberti Stainless Remmie. It included a conversion cylinder, exactly like my other cylinder, all for the price of a good used revolver. But we can talk about cost in a moment.
The 1858 Remington is a perfect platform for a conversion cylinder. You don't need to cut a loading gate, in fact you don't need to do anything to it, just leave it alone. The six shot cylinders sold by Taylors are perfect for the 1858 Remington. All you do is set the hammer to half cock, drop the loading lever half way, and roll the cylinder out of the left side of the frame. Pop off the cap that contains the firing pins, drop in five rounds, YES FIVE, NOT SIX, pop the cap back on the cylinder and roll it back into the frame. How does that compare to dumping loose powder into a chamber, seating a wad, and seating a ball, X five (not six), then putting five caps on the nipples? There is just no comparison. After shooting the FIVE rounds, remove the cylinder again, pop the empties out with the end of the loading lever if it will fit, otherwise pop them out with a stick or a brass rod. Then reload and shoot. I just don't get it when guys say these things are slow to reload and shoot. Something tells me they don't have much experience with them.
In addition, if you follow the route I described, you are not altering the gun at all. So it is a cartridge revolver while the Conversion Cylinder is in place, but pop the C&B cylinder back in and it reverts to being an antique, unregulated non-firearm.
Regarding ammunition: The makers of these conversion cylinders clearly state a couple of things.
1. Only use them with a steel framed revolver, not a brass framed revolver.
2. Only use 'Cowboy' loads in them. That's where the sticky part comes in. There are no official SAAMI standards for Cowboy ammunition. I quote from the brochure that came with one of my cylinders. "45 Long Colt "
Cowboy Ammunition" is nationally available from a number of well known manufacturers. This ammunition is loaded for a maximum velocity of 750 fps to 850 fps, and these are the specifications we recommend."
The problem with that statement is that velocity does not blow up guns. Pressure does. Nowhere, is the pressure of a Cowboy Load defined. Hopefully, the ammo manufacturers keep pressure down, but there is no guarantee of that. SAAMI Max pressure for 45 Colt is 14,000 psi, last time I looked. I believe these cylinders have been proofed for that, but I do not guarantee it. If you can find Cowboy Ammo, that is a good alternative.
ABSOLUTELY NO +P. And frankly, buying a conversion cylinder in order to be able to shoot inexpensive 45 ACP is just asking for trouble. You have absolutely no idea what the pressure is, and SAAMI Max pressure for 45 ACP is higher than SAAMI Max pressure for 45 Colt.
Frankly, I only shoot 45 Colt or 45 Schofield loaded with Black Powder in my conversions. Of course, the Conversion Cylinders have the same inherent defect that the original C&B 1858 Remington had, the lack of a gas collar or bushing on the front of the cylinder. Consequently, a Remington loaded as a C&B or with Black Powder cartridges will tend to foul out sooner than an Open Top Colt design such as the 1851 Navy or 1860 Army. However, the saving grace of the 1858 design is that you can take a damp rag and wipe off the front of the cylinder every time you reload it, and that will keep the gun running all afternoon without binding up.
I would post some photos showing this graphically, but Photobucket is being a pain again. I'll post more photos when Photobucket stops being a pain.
By the way, this is the cylinder I recommend for the 1858 Remington. Notice it has six chambers, not five. There was a patent issue around this, I won't go into it here. I have two of these, and frankly, I have not fired my Remmies as Cap & Ball revolvers since I got the conversion cylinders. As a matter of fact, I have never fired the Stainless Uberti with C&B, only with cartridges.
http://www.taylorsfirearms.com/accessories/parts/conversion-cylinder-parts.html