Reline Percussion Cylinders?

[Good Cheer]

Have any of you guys ever seen the chambers in percussion revolvers relined?
How was it done?

[Nobade]

Never seen that, why would you want to? Convert to a smaller caliber?

Sent from my SM-J737V using Tapatalk

[gwpercle]

No , never relined . Usually the complete cylinder is replaced with a new one .

What's the backstory?

Gary

[bigted]

Goodcheer,

First off no. Never heard nor seen it done.

Do not know why not tho. If a feller would thread the outside of the insert, then permanently locktight them in, and stake the mouth between insert and cylinder, I would bet it would work gangbusters.

Also curious!!!

[Good Cheer]

The project in mind would be converting a Pietta 1858 replica to use .38 Special molds; wadcutters, SWC's, round noses.
But a caseless 32-20 wouldn't be bad either!

[Earlwb]

I have a Chiappa 1875 replica revolver that the company converted to .17 HMR like that. it was apparently a .38 or .44 or .45 caliber previously, but they lined the cylinders and barrel to convert it. Apparently they made quite a few of them. It works ok though.

I would think that it would be far more cost effective to just buy a .32 caliber percussion revolver instead of trying to convert a larger bore one to .32. But it is a hobby with some people to do conversions and such, so more power to you to convert one. It would be interesting so do share your results with us too.

[onelight]

Would there be any concern that rust could develop between the lining and the cylinder using BP ?

[Good Cheer]

onelight, about the corrosion, reckon it would be a matter of how the work was engineered and executed but yeah, wondered the same thing.

Earlwb, the 1858 would have cylinder length for powder charge and diameter for strength. The way Mr. Taylor did my .41 was by enlarging a .36 caliber, but with no sleeving being needed due to increasing the size rather than a reduction in diameter. Perhaps it would be good to look at available .31 revolvers for increasing 40/1000ths to shoot .38 molds. A new barrel would be easy.

[Earlwb]

Would there be any concern that rust could develop between the lining and the cylinder using BP ?

I got to thinking about it. Since the percussion cylinders are not bored all the way through, a liner would butt up against the back of the cylinder. So yes there could be corrosion developing at that joint.

[country gent]

It could be done and wouldnt be to hard to do. I believe instead of a threaded insert I would do a shrink in or press fit of the sleeve to cylinder. This type joint leaves on room for fouling and would be seamless when done. At the back end a small square flat for the sleeve to butt against tight would make a sealed joint. Leaving the bores under sized would allow for them to be line bored to the frame even.

Some of the old single actions were converted to 22 lr by re barreling or lining them and sleeving and re chambering the cylinders

[MFGordon]

Good question, and I have wondered the same thing. A few years ago I was give an original Remington Beals .36 caliber revolver that is more of a wreck than a relic. I thought of rebuilding it to make it a shooter. The bore is shot and needs to be relined but so too would the chambers. Of course it is also missing several internal parts. From what I was told the gun was found in a basement somewhere in Westchester County, New York and then was used as a toy gun for many years.

Original .36 caliber Remingtons are a smaller frame size than are the .44s

[bedbugbilly]

For the amount of time and labor - why? Buy one of the conversions chambered in 38 special - the bores are .357. I have a Uberti 1851 R & M conversion, I shoot 38 Colt short, long and 38 special out of it - my cast reloads of various weights and designs and it is a good shooter. They make a 1858 conversion in 38 special with .357 bore.

Your .36 Rem has a bore that is bored .360 and then rifled - you would either have to sleeve the bore to a .357 bore or use a heeled boolit design if left with the c & b bore. As an example, the original 38 Colt Short was designed for the navy caliber conversions such as the Richards and Masons 1851s - it was loaded with a heeled boolit. Today, the 38 Colt Short is loaded with the standard boolit for the .357 bore.