converting the Italian Colt cap & ball to cartridge revolvers

[RCS]

Back about fourteen or fifteen years ago I found some new smokeless 38 S&W cylinders from a gunsmith. These were part of the old Legal Defender kits sold in Shotgun News to convert your Italian Colt to use cartridges. Next step was to fine some incomplete and damaged revolvers at some gun shows. I found an Uberti 1861 Colt missing the cylinder and loading lever and not working, later I found another Uberti 1851 Colt with the cylinder locked and wrench marks in an attempt to rotate it, missing grips and loading lever too.

I was able to restore these revolvers, making new ejector housings, recoil plates, loading gates plus replacing hands and bolts and making barrel wedges. I ordered brass ejector rod springs and SA mainsprings from EMF. Now these pistols shot alright but there is still the problem of firing a .358 dia bullet down a much larger bore. I decided to use hollow based bullets that I made up with a weight like the original of about 130 grs. these work with light charges of Unique, will try black powder outdoors.Attachment 104387Attachment 104388Attachment 104389Attachment 104390

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