Reloading for Conversion Cylinders

[mgmorden]

Hey guys - I figured I'd post this here rather than in the reloading section though it could really be applicable to either.

I've got a Pietta 1858 Remington .44 cal clone (steel framed) that I'm looking to purchase a conversion cylinder for (in .45 Colt).

My only question is this: am I correct in understanding that with such a conversion cylinder I'm ok to load the cartridges with smokeless powder rather than black powder, so long as I stick to the "cowboy" load data?

 

[colonelhogan44]

Correct, sir.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

What I used as a "yardstick" was to look at the Cowboy Action loading data for .45 Colt using BP or Pyrodex in the Hodgdon loading manual, and looked at those pressures..., then selected smokeless loads from that same book at or below those same pressures. No reason to stress the conversion cylinder with loads at the upper end of the recommended spectrum eh? It's target shooting, and so if you find a nice, accurate load with lower pressure then why not use that?

(iirc) I looked at the pressures from BP and they were around 10,000 cup for some bp cartridge loads duplicating some of the original loadings, so I chose a powder that would give me something similar in velocity, but a lower pressure..., I think mine are at around 9,000 CUP. I loaded up a huge supply of ammunition, then had to stop competing, so it's been a while.

One recipe was 6.5 grains of Universal with a 200 grain LRNFP bullet and a Reminton 2.5 primer.

LD

 

[Saddlebag Preacher]

For my Pietta conversion, I reload 35 grains of 3F goex with a Buffalo Bros. .454 250 gain lubed cast lead bullet. Great fun and accurate, large recoil, lots of smoke. In fact, it's my revolver I carry during deer season in case the .50 cal rifle doesn't makle a clean kill. I sometimes like to BP hunt during modern season with my hawkin. If course during BP season, I use round balls and the regular cylinder only.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I'm sorry, let me be fully specific, the powder is Universal Clays.

LD

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

This question comes up a lot. I have two 1858 Remington, one is a EuroArms import that I bought brand, spanky new around 1975. The other is a much more recent Uberti Stainless. I have R&D 45 Colt conversion cylinders for each of them, and in fact I never shoot them as C&B anymore. Yes, the Stainless Uberti did come with a blued conversion cylinder.





Personally, I only fire Black Powder through these pistols, but yes, you can shoot Smokeless Cowboy loads through them. Here is a scan of the little pamphlet that R&D supplied with one of the cylinders. Notice it says NOTHING about pressure, because there is no official SAMMI standard for Cowboy ammo. But if you duplicate cowboy loads that can be found in just about any modern reloading manual, you will be fine.





P.S. Yes, there is often discussion on just how high you can go with these cylinders. I have no idea what they were proofed to. Common sense says to keep the loads to Cowboy loads, and you will be fine.


P.P.S. Actually, I usually shoot 45 Schofields in my Remmies. The grip shape of this model is a bit different than that of a SAA, and although I can shoot full power Black Powder loads with 250 grain bullets in my Colts all day long, they are a bit uncomfortable in the Remmies. So I usually shoot them with Schofield cases filled with about 28 grains of FFg and a 200 grain Big Lube bullet. Still plenty of boom and smoke, not quite so punishing. 45 Schofield is a good round to think about if you want to shoot Smokeless in Conversion cylinders. Originally, the R&D cylinders would not accept the larger diameter Schofield rims, but today they do. And 45 Cowboy Special is also a good load to consider in conversion cylinders.