1858 Pietta Remington Conversion Completed

[chaoszen]

Here are some pics of the finished project on my 1858 Pietta Sheriff's model (5 1/2" barrel). The conversion was done by "Ravens Roost". Thanks to all who helped me figure this project out. It has the Kirst converter with side gate and the Richards-Mason cartridge ejector. It can still be changed back over to C&B in about a minute. The port in the recoil shield didn't absorb the deep bluing I was looking for and any suggestions to improve this would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Shung]

I have to do the same quickly !!!
but on a 7" barrel though !

VERY nice job !

 

[Voodoochile]

Very nice & congrats on a fine looking piece.
I almost was going to ask you how did you get the pin out but I see you dove tailed the catch in place, very nifty.

As far as Bluing goes, I would strip your piece totally & then clean it with dish detergent & hot water, then with your latex gloves on clean the area you want blued with 91% rubbing alcohol & let it air dry, then use the Birchwood Casey Cold Bluing Paste as dirrected & after maybe 2 sessions of bluing it that way should get the nice deep blue you want.

One day I'll either get a R&D or a Kirst converter but i'm still not sure about getting it gated & with an ejector assembly but we shal see when the time & $$$ comes.
My Sherifs model has becoms recently my favorite lil Remington copy too.

 

[sundance44s]

Did ya know you can buy one of these conversions made by Uberti at the factory ..alot cheaper than buying the parts and paying someone to do the conversion ..http://www.taylorsfirearms.com/products/cfRemingtonConversion.tpl

 

[Shane1858]

Voodoo, I have the R&D (non-gated) on my 1858 Remm, and the Kirst (gated) on my 1851 US Marshal. I by far prefer the Kirst. Much easier to load/unload without having to take the cylinder out each time(even with the ease of removing a 1858 cylider).
And you only have one firing pin to worry about, vs the six on the R&D.
They are both good, but if I could go back = they'd both be Kirst Konverted.

Until next time,

Slán go foill.

 

[scrat]

looks good looks really good

 

[chaoszen]

Sundance

The Uberti 1858 Remington Conversion that is available is $470.00. It does not come with the Conversion cylinder which is extra. It does have the port in the recoil shield and an included ejector rod. The conversion cylinder is not a Kirst, but a copy. When I asked Taylors who made the cylinder they do not know. They were not even sure if it had the side gate as pictured or not. It probably would still be a bit cheaper, but not that much considering the sketchy information. At least I know what I have. Plus it's an FFL purchase which adds to the hassel and the price.

 

[sundance44s]

Chaoszen ,,,You did ask for suggestions for improvement ..I guess I was misinformed by my friend that bought one from Taylors .I wasn`t trying to rain on your parade. I just saw where you said you had someone do the work and thought mabe you didn`t know they could be bought cheaper than built .

 

[chaoszen]

Sundance

No problemo. I had checked on the ready made conversions from Cimmarron and Uberti. And they looked like a great deal, but when you check further into them they get less so. Granted I may have saved a little money and I appreciate the info as I plan on buying another. So I have two. But I chose this route because money was not the main object.

 

[chaoszen]

Holster

Now I wish I could just find a holster that will fit the gun. I have bought two from Cabelas which are both too small and had to return them. The ejector assembly that makes the gun wider will not fit in holsters made for this gun. Cabelas advised me to go to Dixie Gun Works and call them. Plus I am left handed which limits selection. As with everything I buy. Just finally found a left handed Gibson SG guitar that I was looking for. It's tough bein a leftie!:banghead:

 

[mykeal]

Holsters aren't actually all that authentic anyway. Most just carried stuck in belts or pants. With those that did wear holsters strong side butt forward, using a reversed hand draw was common, so using a right hand holster on your left side should be acceptable to the PC police.

 

[chaoszen]

Holster

Mykeal, I would have to use a left hand holster on the right side for crossdraw, right? Or am I confused. For cross draw you have to use a left handed holster on the right side if left handed or a right handed holster on the left side if right handed. I think thats how it works. In any case I need a left handed holster. Is everyone confused now. LOL.

 

[Omnivore]

Chaoszen; If you're right handed, and you want to draw with your right hand, you get a right handed holster whether you're wearing it on the left or on the right.

The confusion comes from the civil war and earlier periods. In that case your sabor or sword was the "primary" weapon, so the pistol was drawn and fired using the weak hand. (a right handed person wore the sabor on the left and the pistol on the right - both cross draw). Your blade was worn cross draw to give you more room to draw it, so the pistol had to be worn on the opposite side.

 

[mykeal]

Chaoszen; If you're right handed, and you want to draw with your right hand, you get a right handed holster whether you're wearing it on the left or on the right.

The confusion comes from the civil war and earlier periods. In that case your sabor or sword was the "primary" weapon, so the pistol was drawn and fired using the weak hand. (a right handed person wore the sabor on the left and the pistol on the right - both cross draw). Your blade was worn cross draw to give you more room to draw it, so the pistol had to be worn on the opposite side.

Well, no, not necessarily. You are correct that the pistol was worn strong side butt forward to allow the saber to be carried on the weak side as it had to be cross drawn due to it's length.

However, the pistol was not necessarily cross drawn by the weak hand. In the right handed case, they drew by turning their right hand around, palm outward, then turning the gun towards their abdomen to point it forward. Many pictures show this method of carry; we assume that the gun was cross-drawn, but that was often not the case.

 

[Jenrick]

A holster worn reverse draw/butt foward (especially with a horse pistol) was primarily used for mounted use. If you are mounted and fighting, your reins go in your weak hand and your weapon in your strong hand. Drawing a sword is a cross body draw when done at waist level. A pistol mounted in a normal draw on the strong side (especially with a horse pistol) is very difficult to get out of the holster. It's also uncomfortable as it does not sit well. A reverse draw on the other hand isn't lighting fast, but it works, and is much more comfortable.

-Jenrick

 

[Tommygunn]

In the right handed case, they drew by turning their right hand around, palm outward, then turning the gun towards their abdomen to point it forward. Many pictures show this method of carry; we assume that the gun was cross-drawn, but that was often not the case.

I believe this to be basically true.

A slight aside from precisely how handguns were drawn from a "butt-forward" holter:
A number of years ago I read a biography of George Armstrong Custer. The book recounted an event during the first cavalry charge he led during the Civil War. Custer was apparantly quite infatuated with the sabre. As he was leading his men, he drew the cavalry sabre. At the time, it was common for soldiers to follow the commander's lead when choosing their weapon, so all his men then drew their sabres. Despite his affection for glinting sabres in the sunlight, Custer apparantly had a practical streak, too, and realized the revolver was a better weapon, so he replaced the sabre and drew his gun. His men necessarily followed suit. Then his romantic affections for glinting metal surfaced again and he holstered his pistol and drew his sabre ... again ... and of course, his men followed his lead. Then his practical side reasserted itself and ....well, you get the gist. I'm not sure the author knew exactly how many times the Boy General did this ... but I do recall that the final choice, as he encounted the greycoats, was his revolver.

Now, lest anyone think this is what led to Custer's downfall against the Plains Indian Nation, sorry, no. The 7th left their sabres crated up at the Powder River Depot en route to the Little Bighorn. Oh, and those weren't friendly Indians...after all.

 

[brianwhynot]

A reverse draw on the other hand isn't lighting fast, but it works, and is much more comfortable.

Tell Wild Bill Hickok how slow it was.

 

[bigbadgun]

Mykeal, I would have to use a left hand holster on the right side for crossdraw, right? Or am I confused. For cross draw you have to use a left handed holster on the right side if left handed or a right handed holster on the left side if right handed. I think thats how it works. In any case I need a left handed holster. Is everyone confused now. LOL.

This is correct. Because if try to where a normal strong side holster as a cross draw the angle is gonna be a problem. The 20 - 30 degree cross is what makes it fast and effective.
Does not matter the lenght of the brl. However the shorter the brl the faster the pull.

 

[sundance44s]

The reverse Draw carry like Hickok used works well from the back of a horse .

 

[chaoszen]

Thanks for the advice on the holster. I will get a left handed holster and wear it on the right side butt forward. That seems a very natural way to draw a pistol. With the added benefit should something go wrong, of not shooting oneself in the foot or worse. I think given that the cartridge ejector sticks out a bit like the ejector on a Colt Peacemaker maybe I should look at holsters made for that gun instead of holsters made for for the 1858 remmie.

 

[mykeal]

Be aware that many ranges do not allow cross draw holsters or the practice of cross draw. The motion subjects a large arc around the shooter to exposure to the muzzle of a loaded, charged pistol.

 

[JayC]

Stretch the holster?

How much too small were the holsters you tried? I had to stretch a Cabelas Hickok to make it fit a Pietta Remington. I think they are sized for Colts. Just wetting the areas that need stretching with a water-saked Q-tip,then inserting the pistol after covering it with lube and plastic wrap (Saran or whatever) did the job, with a couple of clothes pins and rubberbands to help with the contours.

 

[chaoszen]

They were way to small, couldn't even get the gun started in the holsters to stretch them. They were too tight for me to risk giving them the hot water and detergent treatment to see if that would do it. And if not I couldn't return them that way. I think Cabelas might have balked at that..

 

[1858rem]

how accurate are those loads, how do smokeless and bp loads compare?

 

[Coyote Hunter]

I'm going to get my pietta shooters model converted also. For those who said Uberti already makes a conversion, that is true. I have one in 5 1/2 inch. Here it the problem I've had. The space between the trigger guard and the grip is too small for my hands. And I don't have big hands. When I fire even schofields in it, the trigger guard raps my knuckle. When I shoot full BP loads, it will really wack me. But the Pietta has a larger frame and I don't have this problem.