Adding a 45 ACP cylinder to OM Vaquero

[jmsj]

Good morning,
I have an old model Bisley Vaquero in .45 Colt, I am curious in what it would take to add a 45 ACP cylinder.
Has anyone with a OM Vaquero/Blackhawk in 45 Colt added a 45 ACP Cylinder?
My questions are was there any gunsmithing involved, what is a fair price for the 45 ACP cylinder and were you satisfied with the outcome?
Thanks, jmsj

[lbaize3]

Cylinders are available at Brownell's. Most decent gunsmiths can and install the cylinder.

[Dframe]

Any good gunsmith could fit a new cylinder to your gun.

[Char-Gar]

Current Rugers as closely CNC machined and most cylinders will interchange without fitting.

[Mk42gunner]

I bought a Ruger .45ACP cylinder at an estate sale and fitted it to my Bisley Vaquero, befroe they started making the small framed ones. I was lucky, it indexed correctly and a range rod went into all of the chambers easily. All I had to do was take a few thousandths off of the face of the cylinder to set the barrel cylinder gap.

230 grain hardball even shot to the sights.

Robert

[subsonic]

It's a gamble. More than likely it will index correctly.

The problems will be at the ratchet star on the back, the length of the cylinder at the boss where the base pin goes through, and the barrel cylinder gap where the barrel comes through the frame. These things also affect head space, which can cause serious trouble in general, and in a rimless cartridge especially.

I tried this in my Accu-Sport Bisley when I happend across a cheap .45ACP cylinder. It was going to be more work than it was worth for me - and I decided I didn't really want to shoot a rimless cartridge in my revolver anyway and sold that cylinder.