Cartridge conversion cylinders for percussion?

[Jim McArthur]

I realize that a forum for primarily UK shooters is not the best place for this question, but maybe some foreign shooters might know.

I've been toying with the idea of buying a percussion revolver. One of the things deterring me is the fact that I have no place to shoot it, since I live in the city with no access to rural land, and I've never heard of a US indoor pistol range that allows black powder - it would be a rare outdoor range that did.

Hence, I'd own something that I didn't have much opportunity to shoot.

BUT, I've also heard of two US companies that manufacture cartridge cylinders that can be interchanged with percussion cylinders. Thus I could use the cartridge cylinder on a range, and the percussion on a rare foray into the open country: the best of two worlds, and I could still practice with it more regularly than if it were BP only.

Does anyone on the list have any experience with these gadgets?

Cheers,

Jim

[Tomahawk674]

I am by no means experienced with this subject, but I may have some info that could help you.

There are to ways to do it: you could just drop a cylinder in, but in the colt revolvers, you can't swap cylinders easily, you have to remove the barrel for that. You could permanently alter it to use the conversion cylinder (which implies adding a loading gate of some sort).

In Remington type revolvers, removing the cylinder is a breeze, so you would have no problem switching cylinders.

However!!! as far as I know those cylinders are meant to be used with historical ammo, ie black powder cartridge loads, but I could be wrong.

All you have to do it google conversion cylinder for the model you want.

[Jim McArthur]

I am by no means experienced with this subject, but I may have some info that could help you.

There are to ways to do it: you could just drop a cylinder in, but in the colt revolvers, you can't swap cylinders easily, you have to remove the barrel for that. You could permanently alter it to use the conversion cylinder (which implies adding a loading gate of some sort).

In Remington type revolvers, removing the cylinder is a breeze, so you would have no problem switching cylinders.

However!!! as far as I know those cylinders are meant to be used with historical ammo, ie black powder cartridge loads, but I could be wrong.

All you have to do it google conversion cylinder for the model you want.

Excellent point, Tomahawk! I was under the impression that they would also function with low-pressure smokeless loads, but you can bet I'll know the for-sure answer BEFORE I fire one with nitro. Don't want to learn the hard way that I'm wrong.

Jim

[Simon G]

The two companies I know of are made by R&D Converversions and Kirsk (sp?). They make cylinders in .45 Colt for Remington Armies and the Ruger Old Army. Im .44 Special and .44 Colt for Colt 1860 Army replicas and in .38 Colt for .36 Navy replicas.

I believe they are safe, with low pressure, smokeless CAS loads.