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Is a Colt 1851 Army w. Taylor's conversion cylinder SASS legal?


Redbeard Jake

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Would a pair of repro Colt 1851 Navys with Taylor's & Company conversion cylinders installed be considered SASS legal?

 

I am aware that they are not the most practical option, but I consider them a possible and fun secondary option (if SASS legal), once I have obtained a second Pietta 1873 SAA and a rifle for my main loadout.

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Yes, perfectly legal.  If it is a .36 caliber with a .38 conversion cylinder, the bore will be oversize and accuracy will suffer.  However, at CAS distances that should be no problem.  (I have a '61 with Kirst cylinder and oversize bore, hasn't missed yet. :) )

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2 minutes ago, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said:

Yes, perfectly legal.  If it is a .36 caliber with a .38 conversion cylinder, the bore will be oversize and accuracy will suffer.  However, at CAS distances that should be no problem.  (I have a '61 with Kirst cylinder and oversize bore, hasn't missed yet. :) )

 

Thank you. I will put a couple of repro. 1851s on the list (and look for a way to import a couple of cyilinders from Taylor's) then.

 

Realistically I will probably most often shoot the 1851s with cap and ball. But I have always, for some reason, found conversion revolvers fascinating, a recent video by Mike Beliveau (duelist1954) re-kindled the desire to own and shoot some.

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If you want better accuracy, load your 38 special cases with hollow base wadcutters.

The bottom skirt will flare out and engage the rifling of the .375 barrel

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was considering buying these Taylor conversion cylinders for my Colt 1861 Navies.  But, since they can only be loaded & unloaded with the gun disassembled, how in the world would you reload another round "on the clock" as is required on some stages?

 

BluNosDav

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26 minutes ago, Blu Nos Dav said:

I was considering buying these Taylor conversion cylinders for my Colt 1861 Navies.  But, since they can only be loaded & unloaded with the gun disassembled, how in the world would you reload another round "on the clock" as is required on some stages?

 

BluNosDav

It may happen somewhere, but I haven't seen a pistol reload in at least ten years.

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In that situation, I would probably retain the cap and ball cylinder on one of the guns, load six, cap five, cap the sixth on the clock.  I don't think that would be a problem in age based, I don't think it would be a problem in FC, but I could be wrong about that last one.

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RBJ: If legal in Denmark, you may want to consider obtaining a pair of Uberti made Colt 1851 Richards-Mason conversions in .38 Special. These pistols have the ejector and loading gate and you can load them on the clock.

If buying the Uberti factory conversions is not an option a local smith can easily fit the C&B revolvers with a .357" liner.

That will make the irons as accurate as any other .38 cal. cartridge revolver.

Long Johns Wolf

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PLUS ONE for EVERYBODY . . . . Except El CupAJoe.  I think switching out one Cylinder for a Cap Cylinder is kinda silly for a one round reload (not very common).  I'd be much more inclined to take the 5 Seconds.

 

I have two pair of 1851s with R&D Conversion Cylinders.  I shoot them with swaged hollow base wadcutters loaded a little long to be SASS legal and accuracy is NOT a problem.

 

Stay Safe Out There

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1 hour ago, El CupAJoe said:

In that situation, I would probably retain the cap and ball cylinder on one of the guns, load six, cap five, cap the sixth on the clock.  I don't think that would be a problem in age based, I don't think it would be a problem in FC, but I could be wrong about that last one.

 

32 cal or larger C&B revolvers are legal in every category except Classic Cowboy/Cowgirl which requires C&B revolvers to be at least 36 cal.


SHB Pg 13

Quote

 

If a particular stage requires a one shot reload, the sixth chamber of percussion revolvers may be charged at the bench and then capped “on the clock” either before the first round is fired or after the last round is fired.

A complete reload for percussion revolver shooters is handled by staging a loaded, uncapped revolver down range or switching uncapped cylinders and capping on the clock.
Percussion revolvers must only be capped at the loading table or while on the course of fire. The cap over a nipple must never be seated using the percussion revolver’s own hammer.

The Chief Range Officer/Timer Operator (CRO/TO) shall require any misfires to be cleared on the firing line by either recapping and firing that chamber, or by uncapping the misfired chamber.

 

 

 

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7 hours ago, Blu Nos Dav said:

I was considering buying these Taylor conversion cylinders for my Colt 1861 Navies.  But, since they can only be loaded & unloaded with the gun disassembled, how in the world would you reload another round "on the clock" as is required on some stages?

 

BluNosDav

 

Just take them apart on the stage.  If you're trying to win the caddie, then bring a standard gun for those stages. 

 

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2 hours ago, El CupAJoe said:

In that situation, I would probably retain the cap and ball cylinder on one of the guns, load six, cap five, cap the sixth on the clock.  I don't think that would be a problem in age based, I don't think it would be a problem in FC, but I could be wrong about that last one.

 

54 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

32 cal or larger C&B revolvers are legal in every category except Classic Cowboy/Cowgirl which requires C&B revolvers to be at least 36 cal.

SHB Pg 13

As a practical matter, it's .36 cal in all categories.   All the smaller frame six-guns are .31 cal.  Even the .31 cal. 1863 Remington Pocket Pistol with it's .32 converstion cylinder from Taylor's is considered a "Pocket Pistol" by the rules... At least that's the way it's been ruled every time it's been questioned that I'm aware of.

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Furthermore... as an interested snub to suppository shooters... The .36 cal C&B revolvers are legal in the Classic Cowboy category... yet, when converted to cartridges, they aren't!  

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2 hours ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

Except El CupAJoe.  I think switching out one Cylinder for a Cap Cylinder is kinda silly for a one round reload (not very common).  I'd be much more inclined to take the 5 Seconds

I wasn't saying to use it all the time that way, but if you had it in your truck at the match and a stage comes up where you need a reload, just grab your cap cylinder for that stage. You can always take the miss if you prefer. 

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4 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

A complete reload for percussion revolver shooters is handled by staging a loaded, uncapped revolver down range or switching uncapped cylinders and capping on the clock.

This sounds like I might need a THIRD cap & ball revolver for a stage like this?

Or a 3rd (unloaded) cartridge revolver, if I was shooting my '61 Navies with Taylor's conversion cylinders?

Or am I reading this wrong?

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1 minute ago, Blu Nos Dav said:

This sounds like I might need a THIRD cap & ball revolver for a stage like this?

Or a 3rd (unloaded) cartridge revolver, if I was shooting my '61 Navies with Taylor's conversion cylinders?

Or am I reading this wrong?

 

Technically yes. However I am sure if anyone else is shooting C&B pistols they would loan you one for this stage. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on your point of view, complete reloads happen once every 100 blue moons.

 

If you shoot frontiersman a lot a third revolver is a good idea in case you have issues with one during a match.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 2/28/2021 at 3:26 PM, Long Johns Wolf said:

RBJ: If legal in Denmark, you may want to consider obtaining a pair of Uberti made Colt 1851 Richards-Mason conversions in .38 Special. These pistols have the ejector and loading gate and you can load them on the clock.

If buying the Uberti factory conversions is not an option a local smith can easily fit the C&B revolvers with a .357" liner.

That will make the irons as accurate as any other .38 cal. cartridge revolver.

Long Johns Wolf

 

They are legal in Denmark, they may actually even be easier to obtain a permit for than a cartridge cylinder for a cap and ball revolver.

I have been gravitating towards a pair of Uberti Colt 1851 Richards-Mason conversions with 5.5" barrels lately. I find them very elegant and interesting looking.

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