Uberti 1860 .45ACP conversion by Goons Gun Works

[CraigC]

Just a sneak peak at this little gem. Goon and I have been talking about doing one of these since he first started testing the Kirst .45ACP conversion. I ended up sending him a Uberti 1860 and yesterday it came home. Did a little bit of shooting this afternoon using factory .45ACP hardball. Yes, 21,000psi .45 hardball out of an 1860! The action is slick and operates like butter on glass. This is just a quick & dirty report. A full review is coming and I've threatened to do another video. I may end up having the barrel shortened to 5" with a dovetail front sight.

Started life as a full flute Uberti 1860 from MidwayUSA.

Now it's had the Kirst converter installed with ejector, a full tune-up with action job, trigger stop, arbor length correction and coil spring conversion. The shoulder stock screws were reduced to buttons and all screws along with the wedge were redone in fire blue.

While he had the rest of the gun, I stripped and refinished the walnut grip with Fiebing's walnut stain and tung oil.

 

[Mark_Mark]

that fireblue screws is your signature!

 

[Tallball]

Gorgeous revolver! 45acp is a fun revolver cartridge.

 

[JimCunn]

Is it possible to do the conversion while leavin the original loading ram installed?

 

[Mark_Mark]

just found out how to flame blue! I’m going to try this!

How to Flame Blue Small Gun Parts for a Beautiful Finish | MidwayUSA Gunsmithing

Flame bluing is a process that dates back to early British gun-making and is still in use today. In this GunTec presentation Larry Potterfield, Founder and C...

youtu.be

 

[45 Dragoon]

Thanks CraigC!!! Great job on the grip!! I know you'll run it like crazy . . . I've definitely enjoyed mine!!!

Is it possible to do the conversion while leavin the original loading ram installed?

Yes, you can and you should ( cause they look stupid with nothing under there!! Lol) if you don't install an ejector.

Mike

 

[shootstraight57]

Beautiful is all the words I have to say!

 

[King Medallion]

Can you use 45 Cowboy Special brass in it?

 

[horsemen61]

Damn that Looks Nice!

 

[Armored farmer]

Dern.
Dern you @CraigC and dern you too @45 Dragoon .
...
Dern.

 

[doubleh]

I can understand the conversion urge so take my next comment with a grain of salt. The only reason I shoot an 1860 is for nostalgia and find the conversion to look rather clunky although it could fall into the nostalgia column too. I see it as what ever floats your particular boat and that boat should be a good one to make your way down the stream in.

 

[45 Dragoon]

No grain of salt needed -
Everybody has their own tastes and nobody has to like it !!
Personally, I think they represent a great transition to the cartridge era which is still the "thing" today!!
More importantly for me, I have to shoot at an indoor range where I live. Obviously you can't shoot bp in indoor ranges so it's smokeless or nothing. So, with my favorite revolvers being open top revolvers with some top strap revolvers thrown in, the conversion is the perfect answer for me!
To add another flavor to the mix, better materials for the revolvers allows me to explore just how good the open-top platform is using modern ammo. So far it's been rather impressive!!

Mike

 

[Mark_Mark]

I love these conversations and modernity! these guns have a step up Steampunk look & feel

 

[AlexanderA]

What's the attraction of the .45 ACP? It seems like the .45 LC would be more historically appropriate.

 

[StrawHat]

What's the attraction of the .45 ACP? It seems like the .45 LC would be more historically appropriate.

The 1860 was NEVER converted to handle the 45 long Colt. It was converted to accept the 44 Colt with the heeled bullet. The 45 long Colt is actually too long for the Colt cylinder.

Now, why the 45 ACP? Because it is fun?

Here is one of my ACP revolvers,





Kevin

 

[45 Dragoon]

What's the attraction of the .45 ACP? It seems like the .45 LC would be more historically appropriate.

45C has been the "go to" cartridge for the conversions and it's correct for the bore.
That cartridge works at around 14K psi. The 45acp works at around 21K psi (pretty good pop for a perceived "weak design" !! (Which has been proven wrong in the previous post using "modern" ammo)).

Another "attraction" would be price. 45acp is half or cheaper than 45C where I live. 45C is an expensive way to go for the non-reloader.

Mike

 

[Armored farmer]

45acp is a great cartridge. I'm a fan for sure. I know it would be fun in a wheelgun.

 

[Mizar]

Can you load a .45 Colt cartridge into that short cylinder?
The original cartridge conversions of 1860 revolvers were in .44 Martin/.44 Colt (a heeled bullet cartridge), so neither .45 Colt, or .45 ACP are historically accurate for the firearm to begin with...

 

[Roverguy]

That is a really rather attractive revolver.

 

[1KPerDay]

Good lord that's pretty. Congrats. Are you saving the fluted cylinder for something else?

 

[45 Dragoon]

Sorry, first dup in yrs!!!

 

[45 Dragoon]

Can you load a .45 Colt cartridge into that short cylinder?
The original cartridge conversions of 1860 revolvers were in .44 Martin/.44 Colt (a heeled bullet cartridge), so neither .45 Colt, or .45 ACP are historically accurate for the firearm to begin with...

Of course you can. Walt Kirst has been selling 45C gated conversions for them for quite some time!! I've been posting pictures of mine for 12 / 13 yrs. Dragoons too . . .

Most folks don't have ( want) to mess with loading heeled bullets with bp. They just want to enjoy themselves. Besides, I don't think you can get up to 20K+ psi with those loads so how can I do my platform testing?
What's your horse's name anyway ?
I carry my revolvers to the range in my old BMW. It's always fun when I go, folks get to see "real" revolvers instead of the plastic stuff so prevalent today.

Mike

 

[CraigC]

Several reasons for the .45ACP. First and foremost, I love cartridge conversions, much more than the percussion guns they're built on. The ACP because it's a fun and underrated sixgun cartridge and different from the 14 other Colt open top cartridge guns I own. I have them in .380ACP, .38Colt, .38Spl, .44Colt, .44Spl and .45Colt. The closest to being period correct is the .44Colt but even is uses modern .430" bullets. I'd rather smack myself with a hammer than deal with heeled bullets. The .44 rimfire is beyond obsolete.

Secondly, Mike's work with these guns has really piqued my interest because it conflicts with so much of the "conventional wisdom" we hear repeated about these guns. Plus he's been wanting to tune a gun for me for years so this was a good excuse. The .45ACP is a much more efficient cartridge with smokeless powder and that also makes it interesting. Plus any excuse to buy/build another cartridge conversion is a good one.

Are you saving the fluted cylinder for something else?

Not sure yet. Maybe.

Can you use 45 Cowboy Special brass in it?

That I don't know but plan to find out.

 

[ontarget]

45acp is a great cartridge. I'm a fan for sure. I know it would be fun in a wheelgun.

I recently realized after picking up a Blackhawk 45 convertible that 45 ACP actually IS the perfect revolver cartridge.

 

[Bazoo]

Wow, that's a beautiful gun! I love the history of cartridge conversions. I don't have one myself, but they are very intriguing. For me, it's all about the history of the development of the metallic cartridges. I'd like to have one built to take a cartridge, uhm... you take a 45 auto and run it into a 44 special (steel) die, and it makes something similar to a 44 Russian with a smaller rim. I don't guess it has a name, but it's cool.