a couple better pics of my navy conversions
- Thread starter Magnum Wheel Man
- Start date
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
Tidewater_Kid
New member
I love those! Should be loads of fun to shoot!
TK
TK
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
thanks... still lots of little things left to do... but I'm really liking how they turned out...
bedbugbilly
New member
Looking really nice! The front sights look great and looks like you have plenty to tune up for elevation. They make a nice set of twins!
The 38 Colt Long should be a fun cartridge out of them. I reload 38 Colt Short, Long and 38 Special for my "modern" cartridge guns.
Just remember you can also use 38 Colt Shorts in those. That cartridge wad originally designed for '51 conversions. I haven't loaded the 38 Colt Short in BP as I've priorly concentrated on the Long and Spl. - both shoot pretty well out of my New Vaquero and Uberti Bisley. I haven't even played to see how many grains of 3F I can get in a Colt Short casing for a compressed load - that will come next summer when I have more time to play and the weather is a lot warmer!
Track of the Wolf carries the Colt Shorts and Longs if you need some. I'll be anxious to hear how you like 'em and what you come up with for a load. They sure are "perty"! And those sights are going to be a big improvement!
The 38 Colt Long should be a fun cartridge out of them. I reload 38 Colt Short, Long and 38 Special for my "modern" cartridge guns.
Just remember you can also use 38 Colt Shorts in those. That cartridge wad originally designed for '51 conversions. I haven't loaded the 38 Colt Short in BP as I've priorly concentrated on the Long and Spl. - both shoot pretty well out of my New Vaquero and Uberti Bisley. I haven't even played to see how many grains of 3F I can get in a Colt Short casing for a compressed load - that will come next summer when I have more time to play and the weather is a lot warmer!
Track of the Wolf carries the Colt Shorts and Longs if you need some. I'll be anxious to hear how you like 'em and what you come up with for a load. They sure are "perty"! And those sights are going to be a big improvement!
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
Thanks... I ended up getting my 500 - 38 Long Colt, from Track of the Wolf, & I noted they did have Short Colt cases from Starline in stock at the time...
right now I'm just getting things together ( & data ) for either Bullseye or 231 behind the normal 125 grain lead bullets I use in 38 Special for CAS use...
I'm thinking about starting with 2.5 grains... & had considered Unique as well, even though it won't meter well, it would be "smokier" & look more like black when fired... I might also decide to load black in about half my cartridges, as I normally use a pair of Ruger Montados in 45 Colt, for CAS, my 38's going to MRS when she shoots, & built these to use on special occasions for CAS... black would be an even better addition to the guns for those events...
... would likely still use smokeless for home use & practice though...
guns now sport 4- 5/8" barrels ( so I can use the same holsters as my Rugers ) have .357 barrel liners added, chambers are shortened a little ( we consulted the SAMMI chamber drawings & concluded a 38 special would go into a SAMMI chamber, & since we didn't strengthen the rest of the gun, did'nt want someone after I'm gone, stuffing a Cylinder full of +P 38 Specials... the goal on these was to make them look as close to period gun smith altered, as practical... there are lots of little things done that can't readily be seen... cylinders & recoil shields were fire blued, & I like how those turned out... will probably send out the barrels & have the stampings polished out, & have them hot blued... I'm not worried about the Italian proofs on the case colored frame, just trying to get rid of the blatant stampings, not trying to fool someone it's an original or anything
I wish I could take better pictures, they look much, much better in person, than they do in these pictures
right now I'm just getting things together ( & data ) for either Bullseye or 231 behind the normal 125 grain lead bullets I use in 38 Special for CAS use...
I'm thinking about starting with 2.5 grains... & had considered Unique as well, even though it won't meter well, it would be "smokier" & look more like black when fired... I might also decide to load black in about half my cartridges, as I normally use a pair of Ruger Montados in 45 Colt, for CAS, my 38's going to MRS when she shoots, & built these to use on special occasions for CAS... black would be an even better addition to the guns for those events...
... would likely still use smokeless for home use & practice though...
guns now sport 4- 5/8" barrels ( so I can use the same holsters as my Rugers ) have .357 barrel liners added, chambers are shortened a little ( we consulted the SAMMI chamber drawings & concluded a 38 special would go into a SAMMI chamber, & since we didn't strengthen the rest of the gun, did'nt want someone after I'm gone, stuffing a Cylinder full of +P 38 Specials... the goal on these was to make them look as close to period gun smith altered, as practical... there are lots of little things done that can't readily be seen... cylinders & recoil shields were fire blued, & I like how those turned out... will probably send out the barrels & have the stampings polished out, & have them hot blued... I'm not worried about the Italian proofs on the case colored frame, just trying to get rid of the blatant stampings, not trying to fool someone it's an original or anything
I wish I could take better pictures, they look much, much better in person, than they do in these pictures
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Trum4n1208
New member
Those came out looking fantastic. Great job! I'm rather jealous of you.
BEAUTYS!
I bought a Uberti London Model that came with a conversion cylnder but it was for another C&B revolver. The seller couldn't find the origonal that was supposed to be with the Uberti, so he made a generous refund and apologized all over!
When I bought the revolver, it was sold to me as a .38 Special and all the paperwork inside DID NOT mention using a .38 Short or Long Crtrige in it!
WOW that could have really gone WRONG!
Well, I am just as happy shooting lead balls out of the pretty London Model!
I shot a borrowed .45 cal conversion cylinder in my '58 Remmie. It shot great! It seemed to favor the Scoffield cartrige for accuracy.
I
d sure love to try a conversion cylinder in any one of my Colt Replicas! I bet the Short Colt os a sweetie! I could imagine a bit more recoil due to the heavirt bullet but I'd really like to check out the accuracy at 25 yards to see if the Open Tops Compare to modern S&W's. I'm sure the closed frame would hold tighter. Still I am confident that the conversion would hold 4" if you did your part over a rest.
MY London Model has challenged my Model 10 for playing Card Shooting! It puts a cylinder inside the Kings body pretty regular!
You sure haave some nice revolvers there, enjoy em!
BPDave
I bought a Uberti London Model that came with a conversion cylnder but it was for another C&B revolver. The seller couldn't find the origonal that was supposed to be with the Uberti, so he made a generous refund and apologized all over!
When I bought the revolver, it was sold to me as a .38 Special and all the paperwork inside DID NOT mention using a .38 Short or Long Crtrige in it!
WOW that could have really gone WRONG!
Well, I am just as happy shooting lead balls out of the pretty London Model!
I shot a borrowed .45 cal conversion cylinder in my '58 Remmie. It shot great! It seemed to favor the Scoffield cartrige for accuracy.
I
d sure love to try a conversion cylinder in any one of my Colt Replicas! I bet the Short Colt os a sweetie! I could imagine a bit more recoil due to the heavirt bullet but I'd really like to check out the accuracy at 25 yards to see if the Open Tops Compare to modern S&W's. I'm sure the closed frame would hold tighter. Still I am confident that the conversion would hold 4" if you did your part over a rest.
MY London Model has challenged my Model 10 for playing Card Shooting! It puts a cylinder inside the Kings body pretty regular!
You sure haave some nice revolvers there, enjoy em!
BPDave
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
Thanks guys... I was sure I had an extra set of 38 Special dies I was going to adjust for Long Colt, but when I pulled the box ( it was in some stuff we got from my FIL ) I opened the box to discover it contained 3 - 38 Special sizing dies, & one 357 Magnum sizing die... so I put that box off to the side, & just ordered a new carbide die set from Lee, for 38 Long Colt... plus I noted I had loaded up all my 38 Special CAS ammo, & only had a handful of the 125 grain lead bullets left, so I figured I'd better get another 500 of those coming...
I did prime about 100 cases, & the Midway order should be here today... the weather forecast is for ( finally ) a warmer than normal December, so I might have a load figured out & the front sights adjusted & filed, before the end of this year???
I did prime about 100 cases, & the Midway order should be here today... the weather forecast is for ( finally ) a warmer than normal December, so I might have a load figured out & the front sights adjusted & filed, before the end of this year???
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
I loaded up a box of the 38 Long Colt cartridges last night after my new carbide die set got here, & I got them set up... a little unsettling putting only 3 grains of 231 in that case ( about 1/4 or 1/5 of the available case capacity )... dies came with some load data albeit not for 231 or Bullseye, but did have data for Trailboss... 2 grains might be 1/3 to 1/2 have a case full, & closer to what I strive for... bullets I'm using are 125 grain lead flat points...
... but I'll get them sighted in with the hand weighed 231 cartridges, & go from there... supposed to be close to 50* on Saturday, so I plan on taking the new gals out to the range for the 1st time...
... but I'll get them sighted in with the hand weighed 231 cartridges, & go from there... supposed to be close to 50* on Saturday, so I plan on taking the new gals out to the range for the 1st time...
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
Got the navies to the range...
even though it was foggy & wet... I went out on Saturday, & determined they were shooting roughly to point of aim as far as windage, & were 12" low at 15 ft...
I went back out on Sunday after trimming the front sights & shot the target pictured
which is... 2 grains Trailboss, & 3 grains each of W-231 & Bullseye
top row is with the revolver serial ending in 3 bottom row ending in 5
after this target was shot, I adjusted the front sight a little on revolver -3
sights were trimmed nearly in 1/2 from the 1st pictures in this thread...
targets were shot at 25 ft with my forearm rested on my chrony table
even though it was foggy & wet... I went out on Saturday, & determined they were shooting roughly to point of aim as far as windage, & were 12" low at 15 ft...
I went back out on Sunday after trimming the front sights & shot the target pictured
which is... 2 grains Trailboss, & 3 grains each of W-231 & Bullseye
top row is with the revolver serial ending in 3 bottom row ending in 5
after this target was shot, I adjusted the front sight a little on revolver -3
sights were trimmed nearly in 1/2 from the 1st pictures in this thread...
targets were shot at 25 ft with my forearm rested on my chrony table
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