Conversion Kits FOR Brass FRAME PISTOLS

Hello...
Does anyone out there know if there is a conversion kit available for brass Frame Percussion pistols? I have a 36 cal CVA and was curious if this type of pistol could be converted over to a regular cartridge pistol? Thanks!

 

[Rebel]

The brass framed revolvers are not suitable for conversion. The frame is too weak to hold up to the higher pressures. You need a steel framed revolver to be safe.

 

[jim gray]

All of the conversion kits that I've seen specifically warn against using them in brass framed revolvers. As rebel said it is really not advisable to convert brass framed revolvers.

 

[bezoar]

but there seems to be a converter for the .32 cal remington pocket with brass frames. not sure if its by kirst or r&d.

 

Thanks for the help! I thought that was the case with the brass frames. Figured I would ask just the same...
Matt

 

[bezoar]

Ive only seen mention of this conversion cylinder, never an actual ad, but its supposed to be in full production somewhere.

 

[jim gray]

I saw them in a catalogue that came from either Midsouth Shooters' Supply or Cheaper than Dirt. Sorry I'm not sure which it was. I don't remember the price either.

 

[Ivery Keys]

ML Knives,
You should be able to shoot BP .38 short colt in a brass frame, but this advice is worth what you paid for it...

Regards,

Ivery

 

[montanadan]

ML knives- I would not even consider it! The loads for Brass Framed revolvers is considerably lower vs. Steel Frames. These revolver were never designed to shoot cartridges or upper end B/P loads with rb's, if you are lucky the frame will just stretch.The Cartridge cylinders are made to withstand much higher pressure,than the Brass on your frame can withstand. Most of the time, it just pulls the cylinder pin out the frame(not an easy repair).Me I would just save my money and buy one of the cartridge conversion's from Cimmarron, much stronger steel than the cap-n-ball reovlvers. You could save your money,and buy a steel frame, then you could add the cartridge cylinder(still giving up quite a bit in strenght) but a lot safer. Hope this helps..Respectfully Montanadan

 

[bezoar]

Aperently your saying that Cimmaron uses a different grade of steel then Uberti, Pietta, and the others? Last time i checked Cimarron merely bought the standard repros from pietta and Uberti and merely did some refinishing and grinding on the actions and converted them to cartridge.

 

[Ivery Keys]

Have to agree with Bezoar about the steel, why offer 45 and 38 conversion parts if they are going to blow up the gun. I have a Mason Richards conversion from Cimarron, does not say BP only. Now that we have hi-jacked the thread, I still think he would be ok using something like .38 short colt, and probably even round ball. On the affore mentioned conversion, I could not get it to shoot to POI until I tried using a RB in the case instead of conical. Hit right on the money every time. Now I can tell my conversion loads from standard .38 loads because of the RB loaded in the case...

Regards,

Ivery

 

Oh-boy, something interesting finally!

A thought process at work!

I have converted the C&B guns from early on. Early '70s anyway and before there were kits for the process. Made my own spacer rings, spun down the cylender backs on the lathe and drilled and reamed the chambers through.

Paying someone $200-$500 for a conversion kit for these guns is rediculious! There were conversion kits available in the early '90s for less than $50. That was with the spacer ring and a new cylender.

38 colt is the way to go, mostly for ease in machining. Ream them straight through with a 3/8" reamer. The case is slimer than a .38 spl and the chance of getting a load switched is less. If you do it right you can't get the .38 spl. hull in the .38 Colt chamber.

The .36 navy guns usually have an actual .36 caliber barrel, meaning that if you use a .357 dia. bullet the preasures remain very low and these are low preasure rounds to begin with. .38 spl was origionally loaded with 20 gns BP and I doubt that the .38 long colt will hold more than 15 gns (not sure on that, guess I need to check).

I have found that with these low preasure loads one does not really wear out the brass framed models at a rapid rate. Your charges are actually lower than when shooting as a C&B gun.

I have come to believe that most of the "wear" on the brass framed guns is from the loading process when you lever that ball into the cylender.

I converted one brass frame to .38 S&W about 20 years back and it is still solid. It was never fired with BP.

I have one steel frame I converted to .38 long Colt and I expect it to last as long as any of my other factory guns.

Both of these guns were converted new, out of the box.

By the way, once you convert the guns keep them in your possession. Transfering them, even as a gift, puts you in the position of manufacturing a modern cartridge gun.

:results:

 

Thanks again for all the help everyone!
I love this forum....Lots of good folk willing to discuss things...Maybe I will stick to just shooting round ball in the pistol. I see there are mixed feelings on converting brass frames...being safe is the most important thing...Thanks again

 

[montanadan]

Bezoar-You are correct,Cimmarron does not use any better steel,because they do not manufacture anything. The Uberti cartridge conversion have much higher grade of steel than C/B revolvers. My concern for cartridge conversions with brass frames, you never know what kind of reloads some one is going to use,or try to cook up themselves. A lot of guys that shoot CAS, are doing the conversions with steel frames and using low to mid-range loads. I stand corrected! Respectfully Montanadan

 

[harris_304]

This is an very interesting post. Got a lot of new information on a old topic. I own a brass 1851 but would never convert it as the cost is just too much. I would rather
just go out and buy another gun.

:redthumb:

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Glad to hear from a cap&ball CAS shooter, Dan.
You will find that the so-called "Richards/Mason Conversion" as sold by Cimarron, Navy Arms, ect. is actually a much larger gun than the 1860 Army Colt.
They are built on the larger frame of the 1872 Open Top, with a larger diameter cylinder, and rather than rebating the cylinder smaller at the rear as with the 1860, they maintained the 1872 diameter at rear and enlarged it at the front.
That makes a much heavier and bulkier pistol with none of the slim, graceful proportions of the 1860.

 

[montanadan]

Coyote Joe- My 72 open tops are absolutely "DEADLY', again I have many hours in invested them.I just love these conversions. I really do not know if I would recomend them,because, they take a lot of work,and no two are truly a like. I have repaired many..I am currently doing a true Richards' conversion on two older 51 uberti's. I think will stop now because I do not want to make others upset talking about cartridges, I really enjoy shooting pistols and I do shoot a lot of cap-n-ball revolvers (probably why my rifle skills go right in the toilet,or maybe I never had any to begin with). I think personally the conversion cylinders are quite expensive when you factor in the cost of the CB revolver. I just have not seen that many folks switching from Cap-n-ball, then to cartridge then back again. Just my opion...Respectfully Montanadan...61's are the coolest.