Conversion cylinders

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3shotgrouping

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Hi to anyone who read this question

I am looking at a wonderful piece pre-1898 that was made in 44 rim-fire (far and few between) and I do not know what the rules are around conversion cylinders to use a 44 S&W or Colt black powder center fire cartridge in a revolver originally designed to use rim-fire? Would this then make the revolver not an antique status?
I do understand the bullet diameter differences between those cartridges, not interested in accuracy so much as being able to shoot it now and then for the younger generations to enjoy.

My appreciation
 
To shoot 44 colt you probably won’t need to change cylinders but you’ll need to alter the hammer and alter the frame back for centerfire.
What kind of revolver are you looking at?
 
Another option to consider is to buy some reloadable rimfire cases from Roberson catridge co. They are not cheap but a good gunsmith who is competent and can do a conversion would not be cheap either.

I bought the reloable rimfire cases for my .44 Ballard rimfire and they work great. A .22 blank is used as the "primer" and it goes in an offset "primer pocket" so the rimfire hammer detonates the blank. This way I did not have to alter an antique to shoot it. Now, I did do a centerfire conversion on another Ballard and it cost me more then the rimfire cases.
 
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If the current regulations were to change, a permanently altered antique is going to lose value.
 
snurge said:
To shoot 44 colt you probably won’t need to change cylinders but you’ll need to alter the hammer and alter the frame back for centerfire.
What kind of revolver are you looking at?
Click to expand...

the one I was most interested in was a colt saa and they say only a few thousand were produced, so my desire is not to modify the revolver but put a drop in that allows me to convert back to rimfire. I am aware of the blank firing cartridges but I've seen them not always perform the best. That said black powder has always been finicky. There was this allen wheelock that was nice as well but I figure there are not as many options for alternative parts suppliers.
So does changing the cylinder modify the revolver? or is this considered just having an extra cylinder?
 
A .44 rimfire Colt Single Action would be a so-called generation 1. Cylinders would be more or less interchangeable. Changing the cylinder does not change rimfire to centerfire or vice versa.
To go from rimfire to centerfire would require altering the hammer/firing pin, and the receiver, so that the firing pin hits centered on the chamber rather than offset.
An original Colt .44 rimfire is going to have a price tag of several thousands of dollars. Altering it is going to cost money and is going to reduce the value of a rather uncommon firearm..
 
It would be a lot cheaper to buy colt in 41lc or even 450/455 than buy a 44rf saa
Also you wouldn’t ruin a collectors piece
 
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