Increase Chamber Depth?

[Donald Taylor]

I have been looking around about cap and ball revolvers and I have seen on a few sites that offer a service where the deepen the chambers to hold more powder I was just wondering if this is safe or not?

 

[renovato]

Best to ask the people doing the conversions. It might not be suitable for all brands or types of metals. I know Big Iron Barrels does it and they prefer to work on the stainless guns for strength, but they do blued ones too. I'd ask them in their forums or email. A lot of folks have had it done to their guns, myself included, without any problems.

 

[Donald Taylor]

What type of gun did you have it done on? How much more powder can you put in the chambers not too?

 

[crockett]

What are you trying to accomplish? If you want powder get a Walker Colt- I think it was the most powerful handgun until the Colt 45 or the 357 Mag came along( I forget which).

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

This the way I would go, too. If the revolver you have or want to buy isn't powerful enough, buy a bigger one. If a .36 won't get the job done, then a '60 Army will. Or a Dragoon or Walker. If you need even more punch, perhaps you should be thinking about a rifle.

 

[renovato]

I had it done to a stainless Uberti 1858. I don't know what other models it's suitable for, but the 1858's have enough metal to allow for safely deepening. You don't get a huge boost in powder capacity with the stock cylinder. About 5-7 grains more.

You can get a longer cylinder made for the 1858's that will hold about 65 grains if you're really after the power, or even a 5 shot .50 caliber conversion. Big Iron Barrels does a .58 (!!!) conversion on Walkers and Dragoons. Wow!

 

[Donald Taylor]

I don't need that much power more of a want thing. :grin: 40 grans and a round ball is gound enough for deer aint it? I'm looking at a ROA. I'm turned off by the open design of the dragoons and walker. So I would prefer to get a stainless roa or 58.

 

[Smokin6Gun]

Spoken like a true 1858 Remington man. :hatsoff:
My Revolver of choice also...you can't do any better and keep it authentic. Good choice.

 

[jaxenro]

I like the solid frame of the Reme's, but the looks and feel of the Colt types better.

I'm having BigIron redo a Navy for me. He has some kind of mod to the open top Colts that replaces the wedge with a set screw fixture that's hidden so it locks up more solidly than the wedge type. Said he developed it for the Dragoon and Walker .58's to keep the barrels from blowing off or something. Not sure if he's doing that to the navy, but if so I'll post a few pics of how it locks up. Supposed to be hidden so it don't affect the traditional looks, kind of like the coil springs he uses as well.

Not sure exactly what he's doing as I sent him a Uberti with holster rash, a chunk of mastodon Ivory, and some $$$, and said redo it and have fun.

 

[renovato]

I'm with you there. The Colt's point better for me too, but I still prefer the Remmies. I can't get past the open frame and the wedge on the Colt. I'm seriously eyeballing the Walker though. I figure it'd be a fun gun to tinker with for now, and later on, when money isn't so tight, maybe having it converted to .58, just because.

 

[Donald Taylor]

I'm with you there. The Colt's point better for me too, but I still prefer the Remmies. I can't get past the open frame and the wedge on the Colt. I'm seriously eyeballing the Walker though. I figure it'd be a fun gun to tinker with for now, and later on, when money isn't so tight, maybe having it converted to .58, just because.

Just because that is the best reason for anything. I wonder if it is able to fire minie-balls :-D

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I just checked my Walkers, and punching one out to .58 caliber is not a good idea. You are talking about boring the chambers and barrel out by around an eighth of an inch. I hope you have a good medical plan in place.

 

[Donald Taylor]

Yea using the orginal barrel and cylinder would be a bad idea.[url] http://www.bigironbarrels.com/default.htm[/url]
That is the company that does the .58 conversion on the walker and I have seen a few companies that convert a remmy or roa to 50 cal.
Here is a review on one[url] http://www.gunblast.com/Cumpston_ClementsFugett.htm[/url]

 

[jaxenro]

I know they make a new cylinder, probably the barrel as well as that is what they do (Big Iron Barrels, must specialize barrels).

Along with the Navy I have them making a percussion drilling, SxS 10 guage over .54 caliber, with interchangable choke tubes on the 10 guages with one set being paradox rifled so it's gonna be fun to see what these guys can really do.

 

[renovato]

Just because that is the best reason for anything. I wonder if it is able to fire minie-balls :-D

If I remember the stats right, it throws a 440 grain conical at 1200 fps for about 1400 ft lbs. energy. Upper .44 mag power! I drool every time I quote those stats!

 

[renovato]

I just checked my Walkers, and punching one out to .58 caliber is not a good idea. You are talking about boring the chambers and barrel out by around an eighth of an inch. I hope you have a good medical plan in place.

They don't bore anything out. The make a new, 5 shot cylinder, rebarrel the gun and modify the frame to be solid. I assume with an upper strap also. They're doing it right. I have yet to see or shoot one though.

 

[Zonie]

I'm wondering how a person could get 1200 FPS out of a 440 grain slug fired in a pistol?

My Lyman Blackpowder Handbook says I would need to use 90 grains of FFg to get that much energy out of a 32 inch long barreled rifled musket.