Weird idea...percussion conversion of cartridge revolver

[Mike OTDP]

Got a crazy idea here, thought I'd toss it out.

Make a percussion conversion of a K-frame S&W. Basically, you have a replacement crane and a removable replacement cap & ball cylinder that goes on it. Load the cylinder with a press, cap, put on crane, swing into the gun. Fire normally.

I bring it up because S&W K-frames are superbly accurate...and doing something like this to a Model 14 would have a lot of virtues.

Opinions?

 

[Seafarer12]

I will be the first to ask. Why?

Sounds too cumbersome and no real advantage. Not to mention possible damage to a good gun.

 

[rcmodel]

You would have real problems with percussion caps and the centerfire S&W firing pin.

Percussion hammers pretty much envelop & contain the cap on the nipple when they fire them.

Without that, you would have caps blowing off and binding up the cylinder, blowing fire out the back into the S&W lock-work, etc.

While I suppose it could be done, it probably shouldn't be done.


rcmodel

 

[mykeal]

Actually, it's already been done. Not with a S&W, but Uberti produces a percussion version of their 1873 Colt SAA called the Cattleman. It's primarily for sale in the UK and France where ownership of cartridge handguns is prohibited or severely restricted.

Here's a picture of one:


Notice that the ejector rod is still in place, but competely usesless. There is no loading lever so the cylinder must be removed and loaded on a loading stand. The gun is terrible at shedding spent caps as there is no clearance at the back of the cylinder to let them fall away - the gun jams with spent caps almost every cylinder.

Uberti designed this gun with an offset hammer head and hole in the frame for it to fit through; the cylinder is also offset slightly to match the nipples up with the offset hammer. Finally, the barrel is also slightly offset so the chambers line up with the bore. This is all done to prevent conversion back to a cartridge gun - a cartridge cylinder will not fit, and the entire frame, barrel, cylinder and hammer would have to be replaced.

 

[Mike OTDP]

The reason I specify a K-frame is that the single-action trigger pull on a K-38 is superb. Light, crisp, and with a short lock time.

 

[HUnter58]

It's been done with the S&W K-frame. There was one listed last year on Gunbroker. It had a new hammer, cylinder and the crane was modified.

 

[Timthinker]

Mike, it is good to see a mind at work. Now, the modifications needed to accomplish your project are expensive and cost prohibitive from a businessman's perspective, but the idea demonstrates creativity. If nothing else, this is an exercise in mechanical engineering, a field I greatly respect.

As a black powder enthusiast, I hope you channel those engineering concepts into designing improved BP firearm designs. I still believe the state of BP firearms can develop, although I am probably raising the ire of traditionalists with my "heresy". In any case, keep thinking about BP modifications.


Timthinker

 

[DakotaSig]

I would be interested in something like that. Why not take it one step further and make the cylinder to fit primers rather than caps? Make it an inline revolver.