I scored a Pietta crap-n-ball revolver for cheep recently and not content to leave well enough alone, I ordered a 38LC conversion cylinder from Buffalo Arms. Not cheep.
Got it in today, and it was a drop-on fit! Functioned like a champ! Just for grins, I tried 38 Specials in the cylinderr and they fit! The semi wadcutters I use for CCW practice fit & cylinder function was normal!
Well, I'm not as umb-day as I look... I ain't shooting hot 38s in a black powder revolver. I had a box of .360 round balls that are too small for the BP cylinder ( .375 is the right diameter) but the balls are a tight fit in the barrel. I weighed several @ 80+ grains & then looked up the lightest load for that weight bullet.
Lyman #49 shows 3.0 grains of 700X with a 90 grain bullet as the lightest load. I figured that load with a 10 grain lighter ball should be all right and it was! I made 10 loads up & went out for a function test. NO recoil! Very quiet! Smacked a paper grocery bag 5 x 5 @ about 20 paces. Tried the other 5 at various ranges & not too far off the rudimentary sights.
An ejector rod assembly is available for another $125, but I'm cheep & a pencil will work just fine. Actually, fired cases dropped from the cylinder. I think if somebody wanted a ready to run 38 special open top revolver, Cimarron makes one that can handle hotter ammo.
Pics follow:
Before:
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The cylinder w/ loading gate:
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The cylinder with 38 special semi-wadcutters. They fit & functioned!
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Pietta with conversion cylinder in place. Drop in with no adjustments.
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Loaded ammo. .360 round ball with 3.3 grains of 700X. Very mild and quiet.
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The next item is to open up the frame so rounds will easily enter the loading gate. The cylinder came with a template you glue ( I'll use spray glue) to the receiver. The instructions say to use a Dremel with grinding attachment & it will take "2 to 3 hours if parts are allowed to cool as needed". I might try to see if a half round mill bastage file will do the deal. Plenty o' time for that.
I like it!!
SW