Uberti Colt 1860 Army 45 LC conversion

[Mike in Oz]

G'day all,

I'm going to g take a look at one of the above on Wednesday, but i know bugger all about reloading cartridges with black powder or BP substitute.

Can anyone point me in the right direction for a simple how to please?

Cheers in advance! 

 

[strong eagle]

please dont use real black powder, use blackhorn 209 or trail boss. use a 60 thousands wad between powder and bullet. the gated cylinder isnt for the new uberti 1860 colt.s i have one and i use the howell cylinder. i rounded the edges of the wedge and i have a tiny rubber hammer. i can take my 1860 apart in seconds and reload fast. it goes back together in seconds also. it is a joy to shoot. i deepened the notch on the hammer that is the back site. it shoot to point of aim at 15 and 20 yards. could take the head of a snake off at that distance. the 1860 cylinder is short so you have to seat the bullet deep so it doesnt stick out past the cylinder face. dont use 250 grain. i use 160 grain bullets that i buy by the 500 from the internet. its a shooter and i love the gun. ask any questions about it if you want. got to get you shooting and have fun.

 

[Mike in Oz]

please dont use real black powder, use blackhorn 209 or trail boss. use a 60 thousands wad between powder and bullet. the gated cylinder isnt for the new uberti 1860 colt.s i have one and i use the howell cylinder. i rounded the edges of the wedge and i have a tiny rubber hammer. i can take my 1860 apart in seconds and reload fast. it goes back together in seconds also. it is a joy to shoot. i deepened the notch on the hammer that is the back site. it shoot to point of aim at 15 and 20 yards. could take the head of a snake off at that distance. the 1860 cylinder is short so you have to seat the bullet deep so it doesnt stick out past the cylinder face. dont use 250 grain. i use 160 grain bullets that i buy by the 500 from the internet. its a shooter and i love the gun. ask any questions about it if you want. got to get you shooting and have fun.

Hey strong eagle,

I don’t suppose you can link me to examples of the products that you use so I can try and find an analogue with Australian products?

 

[patocazador]

The cheapest way to reload is with a handloading press like this:  https://www.midwayusa.com/product/650614/lee-breech-lock-hand-press-kit

Since the conversion cylinder is a .45 Colt, then you also would need this die set:  https://www.midwayusa.com/product/647702/lee-classic-loader-45-colt-long-colt

Instead, you could invest in a bench press and all the accoutrements which will set you back several hundred dollars. I like RCBS or Redding for the heavy duty tools. Lee are the cheapest both in price and quality in my opinion.


You Tube probably has videos on how to use these tools.

 

[Mike in Oz]

Cheers patocazador!

 

[strong eagle]

the howell conversion cylinder for a uberti 1860 colt 45 long colt. dont snap with out a cartridge in it or you can ruin a firing pin. it is a strong 5 shot cylinder. drops in perfectly. buy a bullet that is 451 or 452 diam, i get mine from badman bullets on the internet. the bullets is .450 long and weighs 160 grains. its perfect for cowboy 45 long colts. the 60 thousands wads come in poly or hard fiber. they are the 45 ones for a 45 handgun. dont get the ones for a 45 rifle. tto large in diam. you can get off the internet at buffalo arms. i use 8.5 grains of trail boss, 2 wads on top of each other then the 160 grain bullet. i roll crimp over the short rounded edge of the bullet. very very accurate. good ft. per second. low pressure with trail boss. will fit any shorter 45 long colt cylinder. they dont recommend over 7 grains of trail boss but that is with a 250 grain bullet. when you use short light bullets like i do the case needs more power to push it faster for accuracy. im not overloading with 8.5 grains of trail boss. if you use blackhorn 209 powder. use one wad and fill the case so with powder and wad you have just enough room for the 160 grain round nosed bullet and roll crimping it. never ever use pyrodex. if will rust your gun out very fast in a humid climate or even a dry climate. it is way worse than real blcak powder. triple 7 is a bit too powerful for me in a 45 long colt. i use it in a cowboy 38 special and it works good their. lots of cleaning with triple 7 though. let the other shooters give you info on the loading presses and dies. get the best you can afford. buffalo arms has a press mounted wad cutter for 70 plus dollars. it cuts wads perfectly like a dream come true. i cut mine out of 1/8 inch thick rubber gasket material i buy at the auto parts store. i use one of those wads and one poly wad. those 2 wads dont let any gas by the bullets and cleans the barrel as they go out. you will never lead the barrel with two good wads like them behind the bullet.

 

[Mike in Oz]

the howell conversion cylinder for a uberti 1860 colt 45 long colt. dont snap with out a cartridge in it or you can ruin a firing pin. it is a strong 5 shot cylinder. drops in perfectly. buy a bullet that is 451 or 452 diam, i get mine from badman bullets on the internet. the bullets is .450 long and weighs 160 grains. its perfect for cowboy 45 long colts. the 60 thousands wads come in poly or hard fiber. they are the 45 ones for a 45 handgun. dont get the ones for a 45 rifle. tto large in diam. you can get off the internet at buffalo arms. i use 8.5 grains of trail boss, 2 wads on top of each other then the 160 grain bullet. i roll crimp over the short rounded edge of the bullet. very very accurate. good ft. per second. low pressure with trail boss. will fit any shorter 45 long colt cylinder. they dont recommend over 7 grains of trail boss but that is with a 250 grain bullet. when you use short light bullets like i do the case needs more power to push it faster for accuracy. im not overloading with 8.5 grains of trail boss. if you use blackhorn 209 powder. use one wad and fill the case so with powder and wad you have just enough room for the 160 grain round nosed bullet and roll crimping it. never ever use pyrodex. if will rust your gun out very fast in a humid climate or even a dry climate. it is way worse than real blcak powder. triple 7 is a bit too powerful for me in a 45 long colt. i use it in a cowboy 38 special and it works good their. lots of cleaning with triple 7 though. let the other shooters give you info on the loading presses and dies. get the best you can afford. buffalo arms has a press mounted wad cutter for 70 plus dollars. it cuts wads perfectly like a dream come true. i cut mine out of 1/8 inch thick rubber gasket material i buy at the auto parts store. i use one of those wads and one poly wad. those 2 wads dont let any gas by the bullets and cleans the barrel as they go out. you will never lead the barrel with two good wads like them behind the bullet.

All the good info! Thanks mate.... 

 

[heelerau]

Mike, when you drop over home next I can shew you how to reload bp cartridges. It does seem from when we were at the range the other day that trail boss seems a pretty good powder to use.  I have a .452 lyman pistol bullet mould. 

Cheers 

Heeler

 

[Mike in Oz]

Mike, when you drop over home next I can shew you how to reload bp cartridges. It does seem from when we were at the range the other day that trail boss seems a pretty good powder to use.  I have a .452 lyman pistol bullet mould. 

Cheers 

Heeler

Morning G,

I didn’t know that you reloaded as well as everything else! 

I’ll give you a call this afternoon my ole china.

 

[Mike in Oz]

G’day gents,

Well I went and took a look at the pistol and it turns out it’s a Uberti 1871 open top.

Brand spanking new with the packing grease on it.

For $800 I got the pistol, a set of 45 colt dies and 100 rounds of ammo.

Now to do the paperwork and get it licensed *sigh*

 

[strong eagle]

if its the already converted open top its the best colt ever ever made.  i have two of them, one in 38 special and one in 45 long colt. they point like a finger and are fast to shoot on target. they are the best of my uberti colts.

 

[Mike in Oz]

if its the already converted open top its the best colt ever ever made.  i have two of them, one in 38 special and one in 45 long colt. they point like a finger and are fast to shoot on target. they are the best of my uberti colts.

Well that’s good to hear, best I do the paperwork and get shooting then!

 

[Buck Conner1]

Just starting out try the Lee Breech Lock Hand Press - has all the great features of the Lee Hand Held Press and adds Lee's convenient Breech Lock System that allows you to quickly change dies without having to readjust dies. A full size hand held reloading press, yet the tool weighs only 1-1/2 lbs and costs so little; reloaders will want more than one. No matter how much reloading equipment a reloader has, it is a really great idea to have a portable hand press. No time is wasted mounting a tool to a work bench. When finished reloading, just pack it all away. 

We have used these presses when shooting the different long distance events with our single shot blackpowder rifles.

 

[Buck Conner1]

Sorry forgot this after re-reading Bob's post.  https://www.midwayusa.com/product/650614/lee-breech-lock-hand-press-kit

 

[Mike in Oz]

Sorry forgot this after re-reading Bob's post.  https://www.midwayusa.com/product/650614/lee-breech-lock-hand-press-kit

Cheers mate!

 

[Mike in Oz]

Well I got my handgun addition to my licence in record time six weeks from start to finish! So I picked up my new pistol on Saturday just gone and took it down the range on Sunday.

Damn I'm happy with how it performs! I gave the centre of the target a damn good working over at 25 yards offhand!

The sights are a big improvement over the standard 1860 hammer sights and the overall build quality, fit and finish is damn good.

Also the .45 Colt hits with a fair amount of authority which just makes me smile.

 

[strong eagle]

my 2 1871 1872 open tops are more balanced and faster on target than my ssa. in a real gun fight i would take the open top anyday over the ssa. as you shoot it more and more your really going to like it even more.

 

[Mike in Oz]

my 2 1871 1872 open tops are more balanced and faster on target than my ssa. in a real gun fight i would take the open top anyday over the ssa. as you shoot it more and more your really going to like it even more.

I'd prefer something with a calibre in excess of 7.62, belt fed with the ability to go cyclic and accurate at ranges of 600 meters plus.

But that's just me and gun fights..... :thumbs up:

 

[Buck Conner1]

I had one of them, class three lic., and a deal if I bought the gun and lic. a local sports shop would provide the ammo. Everytime we took the toy out someone calls the law about automatic weapon fire. 

Then the cops come, check my lic. and want to shoot the gun. It got to be to costly with us playing and the cops shooting too, the owner of the sports shop broke the deal and stopped providing ammo. 

That was a 6 week venture, I sold the gun to the local police department, their captain just had to have it for their department.  :Questuon:

 

[medrickn]

Mike, I shoot SASS with 3, 1860's with old R&D drop-in cylinders,  I've used 2 of them for fun shooting about 15 years now.  I shoot Trail Boss, 5 gn. in revolvers, 5.5 in 73 Win. (Trail Boss used to be made in Australia I think)  and Black Powder.  I use Starline brass and have to trim off about 1/16" so the 255 gn LFN I like to use will be below flush with the cylinder face.  Do have and use .45 Scofield cases also.  Had to harden the hammer face on the Uberti, and spot welled a hard face on the 2 Pietta hammers and file them flush as after repeated use, the hammer faces started to rebate, one enough so, it miss-fired on one firing pin. De-farbed except for serial numbers and would post pic's if i figure out how.  A long time black powder cartridge shooter put me on to this trick, immediately after unloading, I put fired cases in a old canteen with a liquid solution kind of like Windex.  By the time you drive home, rinse, dry and they are clean as can be.