Using BP with Kirst & RD cylinders

[btr568]

How many guys on here are using BP with the cylinder conversions and how do you go about doing this?
I am wanting to get a coupla revolvers to use BP with,but the thought of a chain fire kinda makes me nervous,so I am wondering if BP will work in the conversions okay?

[freedom475]

I shoot a lot of BP in my 45Colt Konverter with my Rem58....But I will say that the C&B cylinder works just fine too.... Chain Fires?? not likely, there is a LOT of internet stupidity and theories on there cause and avoidance. But most is just not wisdom. The truth is that even with a chain fire, some guys never even know it happened.. It is not such a huge problem as to warrent "not shooing C&B"

[coyotejoe]

I have the Kirst five shot gated conversion in .45 Colt on my 1860. I mainly intended on shooting light smokeless loads but the best accuracy I've gotten has been with a 200 grain round nose over 28 grains of Pyrodex RS. Yes, I know "RS" stands for "rifle/shotgun" and "P" stands for "pistol" but he RS has been more accurate in both C&B and cartridges.
 It is cheaper to buy the Uberti "Richards/Mason" conversion revolver than to buy a C&B and a converter but they are not a true replica. The frame and cylinder of the Uberti are noticeably larger than the 1860 C&B. You can't fit six .45 Colt's into an 1860 cylinder. That's why the original Colt conversions were in .44 Colt and it still was a mighty tight squeeze. I went the conversion route with my 1860 and had to settle for five shots. I've owned the Uberti conversion model and it was a good shooter but is just enough larger to spoil the sleek lines of the 1860.
 If you don't care about the aesthetics and just want a gun which looks pretty much like a converted Colt but holds six .45 Colt cartridges and  is safe to fire with normal loads of smokeless or BP then the Uberti is a good gun.

[tpelle]

btr568, I'm not sure why you are concerned with chain fires with a conversion cylinder!  With a conversion cylinder the revolver is loaded with self-contained cartridges, not with "loose" powder and ball.  This eliminates the possibility of chain fires entirely.

Chain fires are possible with cap and ball revolvers where each chamber is loaded with loose powder, a ball is pressed in on top, and a percussion cap is applied to the nipple on the rear of the chamber.  Most likely chain fires occur when an unfired cap adjacent to the cylinder being fired has either fallen off, exposing the powder in the chamber directly to the flash from the cylinder being fire, or if the adjacent cap fits too loosely on the nipple the flash may ignite the cap itself.

[btr568]

thanks freedom and coyote,now to find some in stainless and on sale,lol

[coyotejoe]

I got my first C&B revolver in 1960 and have fired many rounds through them ever since. I've never had a chainfire nor ever witnessed one. It generally seems to happen when new shooters "think" they know what they're doing but haven't bothered to actually learn. The main rule for avoidance is simply "keep it tight". If caps are a proper tight fit at the rear and balls are a proper oversize up front and augmented with either grease over the ball or a felt wad under the ball I just don't see how a chainfire could happen. Yet is seems like they do happen even to careful folks on rare occasion. I've not heard of anyone being seriously injured, generally just startled.
And of course if you just want to fire blackpowder cartridges you can load blackpowder in any cartridge, I've shot a lot of blackpowder .45 Colts from a Ruger Blackhawk and .38 S&W blackpowder loads from an old Webley top break.

[P.A. Myers]

I have loaded 45colts with '777' and used them in conversions. I used a 45acp as a scoop. They work well except DIRTY, very dirty. I stick with titegroup or red dot smokeless, much better.

P.A.

[Pulp]

I have the R&D conversion for one of my Walker revolvers.  It works very well.  Not as much "BOOM" as with the percussion cylinder, due to less powder, but I still wouldn't want to play "catch the bullet" with it.  Both Kirst and R&D are very high quality items.  The Kirst only holds 5 rounds, the R&D holds 6.  But for safety's sake, if you go with R&D, don't carry it loaded with 6.  Load 5 and lower the hammer on the empty chamber.

[rbertalotto]

For those of you with 45LC conversions, you might want to consider Cowboy45 Special brass. Saves about 50% in powder costs and much lower pressures for those open tops.



www.rvbprecision.com

[buckoff]

Coyotejoe............
 
I just wanted to stick my nose in here to tell you how nice that pistol (above post) looks!
Very nice ageing and it has that "feel" of a period "gunsmith" conversion!
 
Please tell us more about it..........
 
Regards, HH