Recent content by rcflint

I haven't seen an Italian bolt wing break yet, they don't seem to be tempered... Pry it out a bit and see what happens. (Not too much, as it can push and tilt the hammer enough to cause the hammer to drag on the frame.) A real Colt bolt is hard enough to break if pried...

ball size A Pietta factory cylinder specs a .451 ball, I use .454 for the added tightness and sealing. The Uberti specs .454, and I found that marginal in some guns, especially if Hornady balls, which are not as round as Speer, I've had them roll out, or move under recoil. I prefer .457, as...

The twist rate not only depends upon the caliber, but more on the length of the bullet. The longer the bullet, the faster a twist required. Same reason you must spin a football to throw it, not necessary with a baseball.. Check to see what twist rate your chosen bullet uses when in the mother...

A gunsmith with the proper reamer can change the chamber to 44 Special, presuming the cylinder is long enough for the loaded cartridge. He needs a reamer that will cut for the rim as well, as the 44 Colt has a bit smaller diameter rim.. I have Open-tops, one is 44 Colt, the other is 44...

Do realize that the heat of silver soldering will remove the bluing. Brownells sells a low temperature (450 degree) gunsmith's "silver solder" that requires far less heat, and is extremely strong. Actually, the melting point of mid and high temp "real" silver solder id dangerously close to the...

I don't think, even going past the flat diameter will weaken the barrel enough to be dangerous, there is a step in a dragoon barreled 36 Navy type (see Confederate) without harm. For that matter, there is a step in a Dragoon. The high pressure (such as it is) is in the cylinder, as...

Yes, BP subs don't work well in a flintlock, unless you create a duplex load, with BP at the flash hole. Also, the flash pan works best with 4fg powder. Cap & ball, 31 to 45 caliber are fine with 3fg, but in a flintlock or percussion single shot, if the caliber is over 50, best to use 2fg.

My easy fix is to install dovetail front sight..

The conversion cylinders by Howell/Tatlors or Kirst will take SAAMI loads. The frames are strong enough to take the recoil, though softer than the cartridge frames like the 71 Opentop and SAA, and factory Remington conversions, they will survive. The steel is a quantum leap over the original...

I have an Uberti RRR, and with a conversion cylinder (Taylor/Howell or Kirst) it will clang a steel silhouette at 200 yards with no problem, with either black or smokeless powder in 45Colt.

The Uberti screws are metric, and very close to the Colt, and a tap for the Colt screw will clean yup the hole for the Colt screw. The Colt is a #8-36, and the Italian a M4X0.70. M4 dia is .157, #8 dia is .164. 0.70mm is 36.2 pitch in inches. The head on an M4 Uberti screw is 5mm (.197)...

If your arbor is too hard, use a carbide drill. There are also carbide center drills, to start your hole. Before using the Dillon button, I used to drill and tap the arbor for a set screw and the screw can be adjusted for the proper fit and locktite'd in place.

I tried the Dillon buttons used for the shell plate to retain cases in the reloading machine. (The trick was first posted by Larson Pettifogger) Drill a hole in the end of the arbor to accept the Dillon button, then adjust the thickness of the head with a file or lathe to get the barrel...

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The short barreled guns have a lever latch as a slide fit in the dovetail, you can push it out with your fingers to remove the lever and get the pin out. The thing to watch for is that the latch stays in the dovetail when you're using the revolver. Shooters that have shortened the longer...