Pietta 1861 Navy with KirstKonverter???

[Markopolo]

Morning Guys..

Well my birthday came, and a family member ordered me one of these Kirst Konverter’s for my 1861 Pietta Navy in 44. The converter will allow the gun to use 45lc cartridges. I will also be receiving the ejection port mechanism and loading gate version of the cylinder. I have done my research, and know that the load needs to be similar to BP loads and under 1000fps according to thier website.

Lots of folks will probably be thinking, for the price of the conversion you could buy a used revolver. While this is true where those folks live, it is not true where I live. I am doing it this way out of necessity.

In order to install the loading gate and get clearance for the 45lc cartridges to fit, it’s gunna require some serious grinding on the pistol. The kit comes with instructions, but sure would love to see it done before I attempt it. I scoured the “tube” and all my sources, and could not find a single video of this being done.. I am pretty good at data mining, so if I couldn’t find nuthin, maybe it has never been videoed? I could have missed something.

Any of you guys ever attempt this conversion?

Marko

[TheOutlawKid]

Im confused...i thought all 1861 navy guns are .36 cal even through pietta cuz if its in .44 cal then it has a rebated cylinder and is then an 1860 army. Is it an 1860 army with a navy grip? Not being a smart alec or anything...just curious about ur guns set up.

[Markopolo]

Pietta made a ton of 44 cal navy’s. Not sure why they call them Navy’s as there were no such guns.. but that is what they call them... they have the navy scene on the cylinder and so on, just a larger cal like the army.. now a days they have taken to callin them all sorts of different stuff like Yank sherif, or confederate navy, who knows.. mine happens to be called a navy, and has a navy cylinder, uses a .445 round ball or conical, and was purchased new in 2010 like that.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I've also got one, but it's a .44 Cal. 1851 Navy by Pietta. You're right that they never existed in history, but they're pretty neat! Bought mine about 10 years ago.

[TheOutlawKid]

Yeah i know they make the 1851 in .44. But i always thought that if the 1861 was made by pietta in .44 that it basically would just be the same gun as an 1860. Maybe im over thinking this. Lol. Mr.markopolo when you purchased your gun did the packaging say 1861 navy in .44 cal? Thats very new to me.. Interests me also due to it being basically an 1860 with navy grips

[Markopolo]

I didn’t buy it new sir... I bought it here maybe 6 years ago on swap and sell. so it could actually be an 1860.. it was proported to be an 1861, but who knows really. I know it’s not an 1851 as the barrel and sight is for an 1860ish.. lol... Sn proports to be a 2010, but the other stuff is not too important to me, as it’s just my tool/plaything. As far as the ejector assembly goes, they make an ejector version for the 1851, or the 1860 and 1861. So either one is would be the same ejector assembly. I still gotta enlarge the loading port channel.

Anyway, anybody ever try this conversion? With grinding the loading port entry way???

Marko

[Bulldogger]

I didn’t buy it new sir... I bought it here maybe 6 years ago on swap and sell. so it could actually be an 1860.. it was proported to be an 1861, but who knows really. I know it’s not an 1851 as the barrel and sight is for an 1860ish.. lol... Sn proports to be a 2010, but the other stuff is not too important to me, as it’s just my tool/plaything. As far as the ejector assembly goes, they make an ejector version for the 1851, or the 1860 and 1861. So either one is would be the same ejector assembly. I still gotta enlarge the loading port channel.

Anyway, anybody ever try this conversion? With grinding the loading port entry way???

Marko

Yes and No; Yes I have the same pistol by Uberti with a Kirst and it won't let me eject or load .45 cartridges conveniently due to some hangup of the rims on the front edge of the loading port on the side. No, because I haven't gotten my Dremel tool out and burred off the sharp edges to see if it'll help. My converter uses .45 Schofield, but otherwise is probably functionally identical to yours. I'll see if I can make time this week to drag it out and get it done. If so, will take a few pictures of the process.

BDGR

[Markopolo]

My converter should be here this week if the plane fly’s.. mine being the Pietta, should accept 45lc just fine as it’s just a bit longer then the uberti.

I will probably jump right on mine and get it done. I will also video mine.

[Gray Fox]

Jump over to blackpowdersmoke.com/colt (a.k.a. Colt County). There is a sub category called "conversions" which should have the info you need. GF

[Markopolo]

here I am with the conversion process... got the frame gouged out in a rough way... need to do fine sanding with wet 400 then 600 grit.. then re-blue.. i prolly took too much off top and bottom of grove. but I will deal with it,.. i promised to show the good, the bad, and the ugly..





and finally.. here is where I stand now



if I was to do it again, i would not have taken any off the bottom, but had to remove material on top of groove to accomadate loading gate proper fit. final sanding in the next day or 2

marko

[TheOutlawKid]

I may have to do some similar work...mainly just shaving off a tad bit where the "loading gate" area is...its hard to even access the nipples to place caps on them. The area is just a hair to thick in the way. Also noticed your gun has the army grip with the standard steel back strap and brass trigger guard...ita definately an 1860 and not an 1861 in .44, project is looking real good btw. Keep up the good work!

[bob208]

they are just 60 armies with a navy grip. I read it was common back when they were the main gun in use.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Thanks, Marcopolo, for posting your photos. I hope you'll keep us up to date with more showing the completion of the project.

[Markopolo]

ok... after more sanding with wet dry, I am here...





i am pretty sure I am ready to start blueing... i have this stuff to blue with...



anybody use this before??

marko

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Your prep work looks good! No, I have not used that version of Birchwood Casey cold blue. In the past I have used their "Perma Blue" and did not like it. I usually use Oxpho Blue (Brownell's) now days for small jobs.

[TheOutlawKid]

I have used it. Its pretty good....better than their perma blue formula. The skill of it is all in the prep work. Sand and steel wool till very smooth and be sure to strip off any oils and dust from the surface. Kinda like painting a car....its all about the prep work and the painting is the easy part.

[TheOutlawKid]

Hmm...i notices you stripped off the case coloring off of the frame...the frames are really slick and i believe are dipped in a chemical that gives it a hardened layer on the surface and if you add bluing to it the bluing just makes these little blotches that wil give you a dull color case hardening effect. So if you wish to blue the frame you will have to sand and kind finely scuff the surface...im sure steel wool will do the trick. That will allow you to blue the frame like you would any other part of the gun

[Markopolo]

I did strip it.. with 400 grit wet sand paper. but not that I am looking at it, i am kinda liking the silver.. not sure what I am gunna do yet. I do have the degreaser and such.. i been toying with stripping all of the fake case hardening stuff off the entire gun.. not sure I like it much. i do like the steel though. i wonder what it would look like with the entire gun stripped steel, with the exception of the brass parts of course, and the conversion parts? if I stripped it all, including the barrel, i could always well oil it with balistol, and then refinish it later on...

[TheOutlawKid]

1860 armys look great in the white. You would probably like it a whole lot. I have the 1851 "old silver" and its basically an 1851 navy in the white but its given some kind of "pickle" treatment to harden its surface. Its one of my favorites of all my guns. You can also buff your gun after you strip the bluing. Plain vinegar works best to strip bluing. You can buff it with Mothers...theres a couple forum posts of people doing it. As a matter of fact i believe theres a current post about the project on The High Road forum.

[Markopolo]

well, pretty much finished with it...


I like it completely stripped and oiled.. not sure this is what I had in mind when I started... but here it is...