I'm sure this has been asked before, but for us new guys...

[Castaway]

Ken, for the most part, the cylinders are “drop in. If minor fitting is required, it’s a lick or two with a stone or file. Not what you’d consider machining. Individual states may require you to go through an FFL to transfer a cap and ball or cylinder but it’s not a federal requirement. Our north eastern friends are sometimes surprised to learn some states allow transfer among eligible individuals.

[M-Tecs]

https://forum.castbulletassoc.org/th...%20US%20states.

Cap & Ball revolvers can be bought in most US states and shipped mail order direct to you without going through an FFL. Cartridge conversions for the most common cap & ball revolvers are designated by ATF as "parts" and can be similarly shipped direct by US mail in most US states.

Some state laws are more restrictive, so if you live in CA, HI, NY, NJ, IL, etc. you better check first to see if they are legal. Giorgio tells me that in the EU they can only dream of such things. If a "snowbird" in a northeastern US state already had a legal C&B revolver and kept the conversion unit at the winter condo in Florida how is anyone going to know?

A fellow CBA member had one of these and didn't have time too fool with it, but thought it would make an interesting CBA forum entry and maybe later a more comprehensive Fouling Shot article, so we worked a deal. Howell makes these for most reproduction cap & ball revolvers from the Colt 1863 Pocket to the big Colt Walkers and Dragoons. See: https://www.howellarms.com/

The instructions say that as long as you keep the gun in its original configuration and just swap the cartridge cylinder for the cap & ball one, all is "Kosher" and you don't have a "firearm" according to ATF. But once you remove the cap & ball loading lever and modify the frame to install a loading gate and rod ejector to permit that fast cowboy reload, you have then manufactured "a firearm," which is still OK for your personal use, but further transfer then requires completing a Form 4473.

[Gobeyond]

44caliber black powder is .451 or .452 diameter bullet with conversion cylinder a 45 colt takes 30-40 grain bp by volume. You can buy molds or bullets around 250-255 to be safe to shoot in it. I have 1851 Remington with conversion. Maybe a total of $600 bucks. Large pistol primers. Work up load with 3-5 grains till max. Lyman has good molds on midwayusa.com or eBay.com. Some basics. You could clean with warm soapy water and use lemi shine in warm water to clean brass does excellent job. It’s just a soak. Etc, etc. any questions @OP. ?

[armoredman]

Sorry I didn't get back to this one in a timely manner - my Howell conversion cylinder is coming tomorrow. I am going to use the info you fine gents have given me in three threads, (I obviously was NOT paying attention to how many times I asked the same question!), and we'll see how it goes. Thank you all!

[GhostHawk]

Agree with dtknowles #10 post. I have bought a pair of H&R 732/733 revolvers. Now I shoot red dot in mine, but they would work fine with holy black.

One was black, and shot great, other was chrome and did not, so I let that one go down the road. Paid less than 150$ ea.

Both were in .32sw long, but I suspect if you check local pawn shops you'll probably find several in several different calibers.

Love the .32sw long myself, easy on old hands to shoot and a barrel of fun. With Holy black even more so.

Just need to find a cast boolit mold that is 2-3 thousandths bigger than groove and go have some fun.