OPEN TOP CONVERSIONS-Something worth knowing

[No Horse Hair, SASS #77464]

I started a love affair a few years ago with 1860 Cap/ball guns which led to Conversion models. Several years ago I bought a used pair of UBERTI Richard Mason models off the SASS wire. When rec'd, one  didn't work good. Misfires and locking up. I adopted the belief that "I can fix it"!  The problem was traced to primer flow back into the firing pin hole. First, experimented with different primers and even rifle primers with no luck. As I had been testing both guns as I experimented, now both are faulty. I replaced the firing pins , which was a waste of money/time. We tried welding one pin hole up but found it was above our skill level. I finally got it thru my thick skull that they were just wore out- firing pin holes too enlarged to function. Considered parting them out, or dropping them into the Wabash. They went into a drawer. Sometime later, I was looking at my VTI parts catalog and a schematic drawing caught my attention. It showed said model with the recoil shield as a separate part.  A replaceable part!. A call to  US Uberti importer was made and they referred me to a gunsmith that does their warranty work. I made the call and was told that yes, the recoil shield is held in place by the arbor pin on some models and can be replaced. The guns were shipped off the TEXAS. It took a while to get one of the shields  but they were fixed and returned for what I consider a fair price.  The gunsmith is Midway Guns and Ammo in Llano TX. I can't say enough good about them! They took my phone calls or returned my calls promptly . When they couldn't get the shield thru their supply, they even agreed to use one I found at VTI and had shipped to them.  It's a great feeling when you can get a problem solved by experts at their job. And I think in everyday life we tend to overlook how many people truly work hard at their job and want to do right by their customers!  And I do love those Open Top Replicas!

[The Coconino Pistolero, SASS # 72432]

I had this problem as well 10 years ago.  A pair of open-top in .44 Colt/Russian. BP loads.

 

I used recoil shields from a supplier I have forgotten the name. 

 

Worked for a year or so and the dimple on the shield started again. Suspect that they were not heat treated. 

 

Sold them off to folks on the Wire after disclosing the problem. 

 

I was using Federal primers but never tested other kinds to solve the problem. 

[Griff]

Silly suppository issues...

[SnakeM]

Been shooting conversions for 30 years. No issues. 2 pairs each of 1860s from American Frontier Firearms, Uberti 51 navies, 1872 open tops.  

[Springfield Slim SASS #24733]

The hammer face should bottom out, not the firing pin in the hole. Problem solved. 

[No Horse Hair, SASS #77464]

Somebody should tell the Italians about the hammer face!

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

I bought a woreout pair on the wire that was in pretty bad shape .

I sent them off to Mike over at Goonsgunworks.com and had him do his black magic on them , and now you can fan them , and run them like a hotrod.

Since then I have had Mike repair several open top Colt clone guns for me and even my Original 1860 Army who's Arbor had come loose .

So if you are not comfortable with working on your own guns or if the issue is over your head.

Check out Mike at

Goongunworks.com 

Just Sayin. 

Rooster 

 

[watab kid]

ive got conversions in a number of the cap and ball revolvers - im enjoying shooting them , this year ive started shooting a pair of 1858s with conversions , so far im still having fun 

[Rafe Conager SASS #56958]

Weird, I have 2 pair of Richard Mason open tops, 2pair of 72/73 open r 2 different sets of cap and ball and never had any issues. I run full black power loads or mid smokeless. Knock on wood that I didn't just jinx my guns. 

Rafe

[Major Hazzard, SASS #23254]

On 8/2/2026 at 10:39 AM, No Horse Hair, SASS #77464 said:

A call to  US Uberti importer was made and they referred me to a gunsmith that does their warranty work. I made the call and was told that yes, the recoil shield is held in place by the arbor pin on some models and can be replaced. The guns were shipped off the TEXAS. It took a while to get one of the shields  but they were fixed and returned for what I consider a fair price.  The gunsmith is Midway Guns and Ammo in Llano TX. I can't say enough good about them! They took my phone calls or returned my calls promptly . When they couldn't get the shield thru their supply, they even agreed to use one I found at VTI and had shipped to them.  It's a great feeling when you can get a problem solved by experts at their job. And I think in everyday life we tend to overlook how many people truly work hard at their job and want to do right by their customers! 

Just to reinforce this recommendation,  Midway Guns and Ammo is the same outfit what did the fixit work on two of my Cimarron Frontier revolvers a couple years back.  Both came out of the box with significant timing issues.  Contacting Cimarron for a return authorization was painless, and guns came back from Midway in a reasonable time and both are close enough to perfect nobody would complain.  

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

13 hours ago, Rafe Conager SASS #56958 said:

Weird, I have 2 pair of Richard Mason open tops, 2pair of 72/73 open r 2 different sets of cap and ball and never had any issues. I run full black power loads or mid smokeless. Knock on wood that I didn't just jinx my guns. 

Rafe

Me, too.  Six '51 conversions, two '60 Type 2's, and one Opentop.  Only issue was some of the '51's were piercing primers years ago when new so we filed down the firing pin point a bit, then some years later one of those had light hits so I replaced that firing pin.  Because I have a variety of guns, none get shot a huge amount, but several of those have 5K rounds through them.  So far so good!

 

This seems to be another YMMV situation.