For some reason I think these are extremely cool. Maybe it stems from the Remington in Pale Rider or maybe they’re just cool.
2 or three companies make centerfire conversion cylinders/systems for cap and ball revolvers. Per my understanding, The Howell/R&D style (the kind I have) were originally developed by Kenny Howell Howell Arms | Converting the Past into the Present
for use in Hollywood westerns to more easily allow the use of blanks. Kenny began selling them to the public and the rest is history.
the other major player in this market is Kirst.
the Kirst design has some advantages over the Howell design in that Kirst uses a separate rear plate that can be temporarily or permanently installed in the frame and has the option of an included loading gate so you can load and unload similarly to dedicated centerfire revolvers. You can also get add-on ejection rod systems for an additional fee. The disadvantage of the Kirst is they are quite pricey, may require some gunsmithing for installation of some models, and only allow 5 shots.
The advantage of the Howell design is they easily drop in to cap and ball pistols (the Remington is easiest since you don’t have to remove the barrel to remove the cylinder as in the Colt open top style), and no permanent modifications have to be made to your cap and ball pistol. You can swap back and forth just by changing the cylinders. Plus the Howell style is roughly half the price of the Kirst at about $240-$270 depending on model and finish.
Due to the significant cost of either system, it may not make sense for some people, as the conversion cylinder is often more than the purchase price of the cap and ball revolvers. I got my Piettas for under $200 each during Cabela’s (now defunct) annual sales, so it was a little painful to pay $240ish for each conversion cylinder. But they are super fun, shoot well, and allow you to shoot your cap and ball revolvers without the need to clean them immediately afterward (unless you shoot blackpowder cartridges, which you can do if you want).
Depending on your jurisdiction you may have to purchase your cap and ball revolver via an FFL and the conversion cylinders may or may not be legal. So check your local laws. In most places you can just order the conversion cylinder from somewhere like Taylor’s and Company or the aforementioned websites and you’re off and running.
One advantage of ordering from Taylor’s and Company if you have a Remington NMA is that they licensed Howell’s original 6-shot cylinder design from him. If you order a NMA conversion cylinder from Howell’s old west conversions it will come with 5 chambers.
Anyhoo these things are a lot of fun so check them out if you like.
2 or three companies make centerfire conversion cylinders/systems for cap and ball revolvers. Per my understanding, The Howell/R&D style (the kind I have) were originally developed by Kenny Howell Howell Arms | Converting the Past into the Present
for use in Hollywood westerns to more easily allow the use of blanks. Kenny began selling them to the public and the rest is history.
the other major player in this market is Kirst.
the Kirst design has some advantages over the Howell design in that Kirst uses a separate rear plate that can be temporarily or permanently installed in the frame and has the option of an included loading gate so you can load and unload similarly to dedicated centerfire revolvers. You can also get add-on ejection rod systems for an additional fee. The disadvantage of the Kirst is they are quite pricey, may require some gunsmithing for installation of some models, and only allow 5 shots.
The advantage of the Howell design is they easily drop in to cap and ball pistols (the Remington is easiest since you don’t have to remove the barrel to remove the cylinder as in the Colt open top style), and no permanent modifications have to be made to your cap and ball pistol. You can swap back and forth just by changing the cylinders. Plus the Howell style is roughly half the price of the Kirst at about $240-$270 depending on model and finish.
Due to the significant cost of either system, it may not make sense for some people, as the conversion cylinder is often more than the purchase price of the cap and ball revolvers. I got my Piettas for under $200 each during Cabela’s (now defunct) annual sales, so it was a little painful to pay $240ish for each conversion cylinder. But they are super fun, shoot well, and allow you to shoot your cap and ball revolvers without the need to clean them immediately afterward (unless you shoot blackpowder cartridges, which you can do if you want).
Depending on your jurisdiction you may have to purchase your cap and ball revolver via an FFL and the conversion cylinders may or may not be legal. So check your local laws. In most places you can just order the conversion cylinder from somewhere like Taylor’s and Company or the aforementioned websites and you’re off and running.
One advantage of ordering from Taylor’s and Company if you have a Remington NMA is that they licensed Howell’s original 6-shot cylinder design from him. If you order a NMA conversion cylinder from Howell’s old west conversions it will come with 5 chambers.
Anyhoo these things are a lot of fun so check them out if you like.
