1860 Army Conversion Question

[gunboat57]

I have a question that may have been asked and answered before but I haven't found it after doing some searching, so here goes...

Can an 1860 Colt be converted to a cartridge like .45 Colt, have 6 shots, and still have the rebated cylinder? Is there room enough for the rims and still have enough wall thickness? Anybody have any pictures of original conversions of the 1860?

 

[Jim Watson]

I don't think so.
Original Colt conversions were to .44 Colt, a relatively skinny cartridge with a narrow rim and heel bullet.
Cimarron has factory built conversions in .45 Schofield, I think their cylinder would be too short for .45 Colt, but it must have been beefed up some to handle the rather large rim diameter of .45 S&W Schofield, and the rebate looks less than on the percussion guns.
R&D drop-in cylinders are five shot.

There is a fancy RM conversion on auction at
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=69746922

 

[gunboat57]

Thanks Jim. I didn't realize Colt came up with a special cartridge for their revolver conversions. It makes perfect sense to use a heeled bullet to keep the cartridge diameter at a minimum.

After seeing the Gunbroker picture I looked up C.B. Richards patent 117461 of 1871 and saw another problem that he solved. The ratchet teeth on a percussion cylinder are located directly in line with the chambers. For a 6 shot cartridge conversion with a loading gate the ratchet teeth are in between the chambers to leave room for the cartridge rims. Richards came up with a ratchet hand that had a jointed tip to engage the relocated ratchet teeth. I think later he simplified the design to a hand having two prongs. Pretty clever!

 

[rifle]

I read that when Colt first made the 1860 conversions they used the original percussion cylinder worked over. They didn't do that long and started making new cylinders for the conversions. They made the diameter a little bigger and made the notches shallower I read somewhere. There are specimans of old Colt 1860 conversions where the bolt punched thru into the chambers since the cylinders were paper thin at the notches.
Cimarron sells an 1860 Colt conversion chambered in 45 Colt. It has a cylinder bigger in diameter than the originals. I'm pretty sure it's a six shot too. It's called the Richards Transition Model. I heard you have to get in a long line to get one. The Richards Mason 1860 Conversion can be had from Cimarron or Taylors. It is chambered in 38 spc.,44 Colt,45 Scholfield. I have one in 44 Colt. Never fired it yet though. I may sell it. I just keep pickin up my cap&ballers when I go shooting.

 

[Mk VII]

I have a First Model Richards with the converted cylinder and the stop notches have broken through into the chambers - as was commonly the case with that model; indeed some say that none are correct without it.
New meatier cylinders solved the problem.