I have two that I am beginning to regard as my favorite guns. They were new as a 44 Special and a 44 Colt, both of which I shoot 44 Russian ammo in, as I didn't want to retool for 44 Colt.
I added Wolff mainsprings and trigger/bolt springs to smooth things up, and after hand spring breakage, converted the hand springs to Ruger coil and plunger with an appropriately drilled .113 diameter hole.
I now have 38 Special and 45 Schofield barrels and cylinders for the guns, and shot them as 45's Sunday with black powder and Black Dawge bullets, and I believe these guns would shoot black powder all day without fouling to a stop, mostly I'm sure to the fact the cylinders have a gas ring to protect the cylinder pin from the barrel gap, unlike the cap & ball. The gas ring also controls the headspace.
These guns are made of modern cartridge gun grade steel and when you look inside, it's hard to believe the same factory makes then as makes the cap & ball guns, the Open-top is so much better made, and of much better steel. It has a solid (no spring) hard wedge that won't crush and so far there seems to be no stretching ir looseness in the frame.
