Show and Tell for Oldelm (Howell NMA "Navy" conversion)

[Hoof Hearted]

Oldelm

Here are some pics of the Howell "Navy" conversion on a NMA reproduction. You were wondering what brand of repro it is made on? I have quite a few examples and it is definately not a Uberti or a Euroarms. It appears to most closely match the Pietta (and back when I was a dealer for him selling his first R&D cylinders he supplied me with Pietta parts, also his first cylinders fit the Pietta). It is safe to assume it is a Pietta . The grips are not the original Pietta ones and the esctucheons are much lower in the grip , he must have made new grips. By the way they look just like your original ones did. Mine is a five shot like yours but in 45 Colt calibre. The stampin is just like yours and mine is also serialed in the 60 range. Pete at R&D told me that Kenny was getting ready to do "new" runs of 50 each 1851's, 1860's and 1858's (I'd rather call them NMA's)










Don't you just love that brown frame?

[Oldelm]

Hoof Hearted

Hey those are real nice photos.  Ya might say  our two Howell conversions are siblings,...hehe.

The Howell grips on mine were plain cherry, and yours look to be cherry as well.

 Is the front site posted in or dovetailed? Mine is dovetailed, and that's why I thought it might be an Uberti frame.

Does your ejector rod housing appear to be welded onto the frame?
Mine appears to be ,  check these photos...




You say R&D is planning on making batches of the NMA again?  That  would be great!  I wonder what he'd be charging for them?

Thanks for posting the pics and info. It's fun to compare our two Howell conversions.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Nice guns, fellers!!!

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[Hoof Hearted]

Oldelm

Best as I can tell (I haven't taken it completely apart) it is dovetailed in :-\but it might not be. I remember seeing that pic of your once before and mine appears "cleaner" from that angle, see below:


Here is a pic of my "dovetails" the buggering of the sight was there when I got it:



The reason I decided it was of Pietta origin is because it is too large in dimension to be a Euroarms and smaller than a Uberti (side by side comparisons). The grip strap and the shape of the top of the rear hump are the easiest indicators. I'm sure Kenny did the dovetails. He does his 1851 and 1860 conversions the same way (I have an 1860 done by him).

Does your barrel appear to be lined? You might noy be able to tell because of the nickle plating from the front, but look carefully in the forcing cone for a "line".

[Oldelm]

You're probably right about the dovetails being done by Kenny.

My ejector housing is dovetailed into the frame, at least on one side, and it appears to be held in
by a spot of weld at each end, but I couldbe wrong, as the nickle plating hides the seams a bit.

Yes, my barrel has been lined. It has .429 groove dia., and the cyl. chambers measure .432

The lining is visible at muzzle end....

[Bryan Austin]

Wonderful Information and photos!!!!!

[Arizona Trooper]

That ejector housing looks like a silver braze. It's way too clean to be welded. If it is a weld, the guy that did it is an absolute artist!

[Hoof Hearted]

That ejector housing looks like a silver braze. It's way too clean to be welded. If it is a weld, the guy that did it is an absolute artist!

Actually I believe he meant silver soldered.
Artist isn't the first term that comes to mind when I look at the one I own

[Flint]

I made a new ejector rod housing for a pard's (original) Beals factory conversion that had the part(s) missing.  The frame is dovetailed, but it is a VERY shallow angle, 4 degrees.  When making the part it has to be spot on, .001 will allow it to pivot out of place.  It is retained in position fore and aft by the threads of the rammer pivot screw.



The edge of the part shows where the screw threads (barely) catch it to hold it in position.  The two holes are for the rod retainer spring.



The end of the screw shows here.

[Hoof Hearted]

Flint

That is some "spot on" work!
And I'm awful picky

I would be interested in a couple of these and the ejectors (just for in case I might need one), would you entertain making a couple? I actually could use an ejector for an orig Navy conversion now.

You can email me at:
buckoff@alltel.net