1860 Sheriff models came in!

[rbertalotto]

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Got home from work tonight just to see Big Brown leaving my driveway! I stopped him as I knew the box from EMF was coming in and it needed an adult signature. 

They are little beauties! Dropped the Kirst cylinders in and they index perfectly and are smooth as silk. Extremely impressed! The wood grips are a bit proud. These will need attention, but other than that I'm loving it!

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

Beautiful, just plain down right beautiful

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Nice!  VERY nice!

That sure is interesting wood (pattern/figure) on the R side of the one you show in the 1st-3rd pictures.  And they DON'T seem to have that awful red poly finish on them, either!

I'm impressed!

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy rbertalotto,

I shoot a brace of 1860s with Kirst Konverter cylinders.  Walt Kirst installed them and slicked up the pistols for me.  I've found that Adirondack Jack's Cowboy 45 Special brass loaded with 1.3cc of FFFg Genuine Powder pushing a 45SLIM 170 grain bullet really does the job for me.  I shoot BPGF and have won several pieces of wood and shot several clean matches last season with them.

I've attached a snap of one of 'em.

DD-MDA

[Hoof Hearted]

Nice!  VERY nice!

That sure is interesting wood (pattern/figure) on the R side of the one you show in the 1st-3rd pictures.  And they DON'T seem to have that awful red poly finish on them, either!

I'm impressed!

EMF "Hartford".......

They specify the cartouche and oil finish. From what I have seen this is proprietary to their line.

[Abilene]

The red color of the Uberti percussion guns is period correct if not the shiny Urethane finish.  But I too prefer the oil finish and the way it brings out the grain.

Those pistolas look great.  Are you going to port the frame for the loading gate?

Dick, that's a sweet piece as well.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I didn't know about the color - I've never seen one anywhere CLOSE to the red that has been on mine, Abilene ... but I'm sure you've seen many more than I have.

Interesting - and like you, I like the grain seen without the Urethane finish.

I also really like the cartouche and wish I could have that added to several (2) guns I own; a military-frame/grip 1860 (w/ stock attachment cut-outs & screws), and an 1873 that I use for my Indian Wars Cavalry persona.  I looked into having it done once, but the guy wanted $50 EACH, so ... Well, it isn't worth THAT much to me!  Both guns have the Military style 1-piece walnut grip.  Only the 1860 would actually become more authentic with the cartouche.  The 1873 is 2nd Gen. style, and I don't think that they were still buying the 1873s for the Military contract (that specified having the cartouche) when the 2nd Gen. guns came about. 

Weren't the 2nd Gen Colt's guns introduced after WWII?     Not to mention that during the Indian Wars era, they'd be BP-framed guns.   Hey, I'm as close as I can afford right now!  SOMEDAY I'll have one of the TRUE Custer or Military types like USFA and Cimarron offer!  (And perhaps others I don't know about.)

 

[Abilene]

Steel Horse, many of the antique originals we see these days have the (lacquer?) finish worn off the grips and they have darkened.  But here is an original with the grips in very nice shape:
http://www.antiqueguns.com/auction/item.cgi?robles/robles-43045

Same goes for the old Winchesters:
http://www.antiqueguns.com/auction/item.cgi?robles/robles-43527

BTW, I subscribe to the auction emails sent out from that site.  I've never bid on one and probably won't unless I get rich somehow, but I get a lot of nice eye-candy in my email about once a week or so, and some very unusual items.

When you say "2nd Gen" style of peacemaker I guess you are talking about the frame with the transverse pin cylinder latch.  Colt started making those in the mid-1890's (but still considered 1st Gen, up until WW2), so no, those wouldn't have the grip cartouche.  The military models also had "U.S." stamped into the frame and a company number stamped on the gripframe.

[rbertalotto]

So today I decided to cut out the receiver for the loading gate. With these conversions, quite a bit of material must be removed to facilitate loading cartridges like an 1873 Colt SAA.

I started with a rat tail file, progressed to grinding stones in my Dremel and finished it off with fine sanding discs. It took over three hours! The second one will go much faster as now I know how much material must be removed, and it's a lot!

BEFORE:




AFTER:

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Steel Horse, many of the antique originals we see these days have the (lacquer?) finish worn off the grips and they have darkened.  But here is an original with the grips in very nice shape:
http://www.antiqueguns.com/auction/item.cgi?robles/robles-43045

Same goes for the old Winchesters:
http://www.antiqueguns.com/auction/item.cgi?robles/robles-43527

BTW, I subscribe to the auction emails sent out from that site.  I've never bid on one and probably won't unless I get rich somehow, but I get a lot of nice eye-candy in my email about once a week or so, and some very unusual items.

When you say "2nd Gen" style of peacemaker I guess you are talking about the frame with the transverse pin cylinder latch.  Colt started making those in the mid-1890's (but still considered 1st Gen, up until WW2), so no, those wouldn't have the grip cartouche.  The military models also had "U.S." stamped into the frame and a company number stamped on the gripframe.

Wow!  Mine were more red than those, but they are certainly a LOT redder than the ones I've seen!  Like you said, the varnish is long gone and the wood has darkened a lot over the ages!

Yes- the "new style" transverse release system.  I had heard that the BP frames were finished in the mid-to-late '90s, but they still consider the Pre-War guns as 1st Generation.  Were the Military contract guns lacquered?  I had heard that they were to be oiled wood only with no other finish.

Thanks for takin' time to pass on very interesting info!

rbertalotto - nice job, pard!  And good photos, too! 

[rbertalotto]

Got out and shot ten rounds out of each. Cowboy 45 brass with 3.5g of Trail Boss and a 170g 45SLIM Big Lube bullet. Both guns shot into 5" with a gunfighter hold from 25'.......POI was PERFECT! (I took a picture with my cell phone but forgot to save it)

There is simply nothing like an 1860 ARMY in the hand. Absolute perfect pointability...........

I've not installed ejector rods yet, but simply opening the loading gate and turning the cylinder, all empty cases fell right out. Nice!

Saturday I'm taking them to a CAS on Cape Cod.........Should be fun!

[Tornado]

Looks good!  I just ported my 1860 this weekend too.  I used a dremel with the course drums, then the fine, then some polishing compound.  I took me about two hours.  I drew the short straw though, my timing is off so I can't play with it yet. 
I noticed you took the shoulder stock screws out on yours.  I was thinking of countersinking them or just removing them too.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

The shoulder stock screws on my vintage 1975 1860 are less than 1/2 the size (head thickness) of ANY other I've seen.  Lucky me!   They don't "bite the hand that feeds the ... bullets" like the newer models I've seen.

[Slowhand Bob]

I done a couple of ports some years back and used one of the coarse diamond drums that Harbour Freight markets fer the Dremel.  These things were aggressive, one drum did two guns and still looked new when I finished.  I actually considered chucking it into my drill press and doing it like a mill in the cross travel vice BUT my better sense prevailed!   

[rbertalotto]

Yup, got to do something about those shoulder stock screws. They look like the screws in Frankenstein's neck!

But there isn't much meat in those sidewalls of the receiver. I'm not sure there is enough for a counterbore or even a countersink.

We'll see!

[Hoof Hearted]

Yup, got to do something about those shoulder stock screws. They look like the screws in Frankenstein's neck!

But there isn't much meat in those sidewalls of the receiver. I'm not sure there is enough for a counterbore or even a countersink.

We'll see!

I just thin them down and cut new screw slots...........

HHMD

[Noz]

Yup, got to do something about those shoulder stock screws. They look like the screws in Frankenstein's neck!

But there isn't much meat in those sidewalls of the receiver. I'm not sure there is enough for a counterbore or even a countersink.

We'll see!

chuck the threads of the "shoulder mount" screws into a cordless drill and turn the heads down against a file until they are rounded. Hit them with cold blue and you're done. Still leaves enough thread to turn with a small blade screwdriver. A drop of loctite and you're good to go.

I shoot a pair of 5.5" Pietta 60s as my main match guns. Cap and ball of course.

[rbertalotto]

Excellent idea! Turms them into a flat "button head"...............That's what I'm going to do!

[Big T]

Nice pair , I love my 1860, in 44 cal bp , shoots great , been thinking of getting a cyl for it , I just love the asm grips , t

[rbertalotto]

I added ejectors to the 1860 Colts tonight.............

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Nice!

[Grapeshot]

I added ejectors to the 1860 Colts tonight.............

How did you do that and where did you find the parts?

[Paladin UK]

I reeeeely Lurv the cylinder conversions on the 1860`s ,BUT........................................

Now, this  JMOHO I feel that the sleek lines of the 1860 are part of what (To me) makes it the purdiest handgun EVER and by fittin the ejectors that iconic shape has gone...

Again JMOHO .......   rbertalotto did a beaut job of it all the same.  OK, FLAME ON!!!!
Paladin (Whuts headin fer the hills ...Pronto ) UK

[rbertalotto]

Paladin......

You are 1000% correct! And I thought it was just me!

When I installed these ejectors I thought the same thing. And they are NOT growing on me.

They make the pistols look front heavy and all out of proportion. Ruins the lines.

They work great, but I'm just not warming up to them. Think I might sell the ejectors and stay with the nice brass "hinge Pin" I've been using to knock the cases out.

[rbertalotto]

How did you do that and where did you find the parts?

You can buy the ejectors from here...................


http://cartridgeconversion.com

Best place to get both cylinders and ejectors