Pair of '51's came home today

[Cemetery]

Just picked up a brace of Pietta '51s, via EMF, in .44 cal today.

This brings me up to four pairs, and one Walker in C&B's......slowly catching up to Hellgate.

[hellgate]

I love those guns. I kick myself for selling mine. I had a Texan tell me they were a great "barbeque gun". When I asked what he meant he said a lot of Texans carry shiny fancy little guns to show off at barbeques and those would be a great example. If I ever find a nother good deal on one I'll get it. I carried mine as a coup de gras gun for deer hunting.

[Dick Dastardly]

Should you ever care to part with them, they would fill my holsters just fine. . .

DD-MDA

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[Fingers McGee]

Congrats on obtaining a nice brace of Barbecue guns.  Wish they'd make them in .36 again.  But the .44s are fun to shoot.

FM

[Coffinmaker]

Cemetery,

Before your do anything else with your Brandy New Piettas, Take em apart and fit the bolt to the cylinder notches.  The bolt will be either very tight, or just oversize.

Coffinmaker

PS:  That particular '51 from Pietta is probably the best made Cap Gun currently available.  Still needs set-up though.

[Navy Six]

Looks good, Cemetery! I didn't know these were still available. Good luck with them. I'm glad you recovered your senses, moral and spiritual well being after your recent "experience" with smokeless powder.

[Dick Dastardly]

Should you want to go to cartridges, Kirst makes a fine cylinder for your new guns.  I'd go either way depending on my mood of the moment.  The short Cowboy 45 Special would be a good fit.

DD-MDA

[Coffinmaker]

DDD,

For one of my pair of Pietta '51 .44 high polish Marshals, I'm running stainless R&D type conversion cylinders.  From 3 feet out, still look like Cap Guns.

And yer RIGHT!!  The Cowboy 45 Special case with 160Gr bullets is just the trix.  I also have a modicum of the last "Barnstormers" developed by Adirondack Jack.  130Gr Hollow Base.  Absolutely the Beez Kneez.  Of course, Mine have been rebuilt into Snubbies and are super trix.

Your Pal
Smedley

[Cemetery]

Whoa...Conversion Cylinders!! I haven't even met with the tax man yet this year.......

I looked at Kirst, but the ones they have for these 51s, need to be fixed and have the frame modified, and as I don't live in America, I live in NJ, that would be a big no no in these parts.....

.....now drop in's, well more the merrier.  But I didn't see anything for these on the Howell/R&D website.......

[Coffinmaker]

Cemetery,

Well now, Since we have just pried the lid off this can of worms, allow me to expand.  Midway USA is your HUCKLEBERRY!!  Stainless, yep I said STAINLESS R&D TYPE, two piece, drop in (not quite) 5 shot Conversion cylinders for Pietta!!  Absolutely a MUST DO.  Once installed in your Pietta Barbecue guns, from 3 feet out, can't tell em from a percussion cylinder.  Not engraved ..... but ..... WHO CARES.  Instant cartridge conversion that maintains the gun as a percussion gun just by swapping back to the Cap Cylinder.  They may require a little special fitting and timing but are just what the doctor ordered.

Howz about I e-mail ya an 8 X 10 Glossy (not quite but) of your guns with percussion cylinder and with Cartridge cylinder??  Give ya a good compare0??  Can do easy!!

Coffinmaker

PS:  Take yer tax man to lunch.  Make it a good lunch.  After I send ya a Glossy, it'll cost ya some more money   

[Dick Dastardly]

Kirst or R&D, there are good drop in cylinders for your're guns.  The C45C ammo is a great way to go with plenty of smoke and flames.  That, and downrange accuracy will not suffer.

I have Kirst cylinders in my 1860 open tops.  These, with C45Spl ammo are my go to SASS cylinders.

Let 'er flicker!

DD-MDA

[Full Charge]

By using these conversion cylinders doesn't this just add wear to the wedge and arbor, by breaking down the gun every time you need to reload the gun ?

[Coffinmaker]

No.  The Barrel and Arbor, when properly fit are a nice sliding fit that come apart and go back together quite easily.  The wedge is fit a little on the snug side and then will "shoot in" in the first couple of cylinders shooting.  After that, wedge wear is very slow.

My personal guns are set up to load "off the gun" on a cylinder loading stand.  I take them apart every stage shot.  There is no difference in fit of the guns after 4 seasons of at least three matches each month.  Eventually, they will require wedge replacement.  I actually don't know how long that is going to take.  Week or two more anyway 

Coffinmaker

[Dick Dastardly]

My 1860s have loading gates.  With the gates the brass easily ejects.  Loading is thru those same loading gates.  Since I use C45Spl. brass, my loads don't stress the open top designs.  The cylinder would allow me to use full house 45 Colt ammo.  I won't do that because my open tops would shake loose.

DD-MDA

[Bunk Stagnerg]

Beautiful guns WOW. With conversion cylinders they would be more show stoppers than they ae now.
Sliding off thread a bit I think (which always gives me a headache) that the .45 CAS or .45 Short Colt loaded with a 200 grain bullet and 20 or so grains of FFFg comes close tp duplicating the .44 Henry rim fire round.  That load shines in my Uberti 1860 Iron Frame Henry replica. It is a .45 Colt with a Happy Trails modified lifter.  As Coffinmaker would say "works a treat".
Yr' Obt' Svt'
Bunk

[john boy]

Cemetery - After you shoot your new Colts your going to put your NMA's on the classified forum.  I bought my pair when they 1st came out and they are the nicest balanced C&B's I own 

[Slowhand Bob]

I have a pair of these '51s with the side gate. http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,47588.0.html Pictures are half way down page one.  Shoot well and a load of fun but I have a hankering fer something a bit different.  Currently looking for a pair of Howell 45 cylinders to go into my cut down Ubert  '60 Model "Angels".  My favorite round for these type revolvers is the 45 Cowboy Special with 160 gr bullets.  These will not be a one way conversion since the gate is not cut  I would not consider a one way conversion on my Angel guns, just to much fun as cap and ball shooters but the wedges are at the perfect fit to allow relatively quick breakdown for cylinder removal/replacement.  

[Mean Bob Mean]

Nice