Look what the cat dragged in...

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To join in with the others, that's one heck of a cat. I'd hang on to it, no matter what anybody offers you. (smile)

Dave
 
Thanks! Wanted one of these for quite some time now. Dixie Gun Works seems to have quite a few cartridge guns in stock unlike Taylor's and Cimarron.
 
I suggest shooting only mild "cowboy" loads in any open top design.
I admit, my experience with open top designs is limited to black powder percussion guns but a hot load of good quality powder wears the wedge and opens up the gap. I somehow cannot believe that is not the case with the factory conversion (and smokeless powders operating at significantly higher chamber pressure) even if the steel is much better. The wedge is an obvious weakspot in the design.
Obviously the "ruger only" .45LC would ruin the gun in a short time if not outright blow it up but even the standard jacketed loads (like 200 gr JHP, Buffalo Bore) in my opinion should be avoided not to put excess pressure on the wedge.
 
SomebodyMakeRiderRepro said:
I suggest shooting only mild "cowboy" loads in any open top design.
I admit, my experience with open top designs is limited to black powder percussion guns but a hot load of good quality powder wears the wedge and opens up the gap. I somehow cannot believe that is not the case with the factory conversion (and smokeless powders operating at significantly higher chamber pressure) even if the steel is much better. The wedge is an obvious weakspot in the design.
Obviously the "ruger only" .45LC would ruin the gun in a short time if not outright blow it up but even the standard jacketed loads (like 200 gr JHP, Buffalo Bore) in my opinion should be avoided not to put excess pressure on the wedge.
Click to expand...
I intend to shoot both smokeless and BP loads (depending on the venue...indoors or outdoors) loaded to "cowboy load" velocities only; less than 850fps, even though the literature that came with it states it can handle "factory standard velocity ammunition...loaded within SAAMI specs" (no +P). I load my own, so no worries there, but thanks for pointing it out! It's nice to roll your own.
 
Captain*kirk said:
I intend to shoot both smokeless and BP loads (depending on the venue...indoors or outdoors) loaded to "cowboy load" velocities only; less than 850fps, even though the literature that came with it states it can handle "factory standard velocity ammunition...loaded within SAAMI specs" (no +P). I load my own, so no worries there, but thanks for pointing it out! It's nice to roll your own.
Click to expand...

Obviously a standard (non +P) load will not result in a catastrophic failure (unless the bore is plugged) but I am concerned with the durability and longevity of the gun in question fed with a steady diet of jacketed, hotter loads. I'm no expert when it comes to smokeless powder in open top guns but my experience with black powder tells me to highlight this potential issue and keep an eye on the wedge and cylinder gap while shooting anything but cowboy loads with lead bullets. It is better to keep and eye on the wedge and stop shooting hot stuff early before cylinder gaps grows to any significant amount because it is a slippery slope once it starts growing.
 
SomebodyMakeRiderRepro said:
Obviously a standard (non +P) load will not result in a catastrophic failure (unless the bore is plugged) but I am concerned with the durability and longevity of the gun in question fed with a steady diet of jacketed, hotter loads. I'm no expert when it comes to smokeless powder in open top guns but my experience with black powder tells me to highlight this potential issue and keep an eye on the wedge and cylinder gap while shooting anything but cowboy loads with lead bullets. It is better to keep and eye on the wedge and stop shooting hot stuff early before cylinder gaps grows to any significant amount because it is a slippery slope once it starts growing.
Click to expand...

Somebody, I'm sure you mean well but what you're talking about has been beat to death a million times and the wedge isn't what defines the barrel /cylinder clearance, it's the length of the arbor that denotes that. The wedge is driven in and under tension makes the two assemblies act as a single unit. The "short arbor" is well known and is also a dead horse that has been beaten daily here and elsewhere for at least a decade or more!! Please search "short arbor" and read about it and the fix and I'm sure you will see that it's a well known problem that all reproductions have except for the Pietta's of the last dozen or so years.

Smokless loads in a corrected open top are totally fine.
Mike
 
SomebodyMakeRiderRepro said:
Obviously a standard (non +P) load will not result in a catastrophic failure (unless the bore is plugged) but I am concerned with the durability and longevity of the gun in question fed with a steady diet of jacketed, hotter loads. I'm no expert when it comes to smokeless powder in open top guns but my experience with black powder tells me to highlight this potential issue and keep an eye on the wedge and cylinder gap while shooting anything but cowboy loads with lead bullets. It is better to keep and eye on the wedge and stop shooting hot stuff early before cylinder gaps grows to any significant amount because it is a slippery slope once it starts growing.
Click to expand...

1) I don't do jacketed bullets in BP-type guns. 250gr lead FP only.

2) Before I shoot it I intend to correct the "Uberti Short Arbor" issue, which I'm sure it has. They all do. Cylinder gap should not change after correction.

3) Both the smokeless "Cowboy loads" and BP loads should be roughly the same MV...around 850.

4) What Goon said...
 
You are most likely right guys.
It's probably just me but I wouldn't trust the old open top design to handle hundreds of rounds of jacketed "defensive" stuff (non +P) well, even with fixed arbor. It seems no one here is going to shoot anything like this so it's a non issue apparently but I thought it is worth posting to alert anyone lurking in the future to this potential issue.
The lead stuff loaded to black powder velocities is just fine and I never intended to put it otherwise.
 
SomebodyMakeRiderRepro said:
You are most likely right guys.
It's probably just me but I wouldn't trust the old open top design to handle hundreds of rounds of jacketed "defensive" stuff (non +P) well, even with fixed arbor. It seems no one here is going to shoot anything like this so it's a non issue apparently but I thought it is worth posting to alert anyone lurking in the future to this potential issue.
The lead stuff loaded to black powder velocities is just fine and I never intended to put it otherwise.
Click to expand...
No, you made it quite clear you were putting your comments and info out there for people who weren't aware of the limitations of an open top and might be led astray into thinking any off-the-shelf .45 Colt jacketed ammo would be just dandy. I get that, and appreciate your comments and input.
 
Can I borrow you cat for a couple of months? I would like for it to drag one of those in for me. I promise to feed it good and provide a warm spot for it. Pretty please. :D Nice shooter. Enjoy.
 
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