Chapter 5 – Centaure Conversions the Next Level of the Evolution?

5.8 Wolf on Conversions

 

5.8 5.8.1 5.8.2   5.8.3   5.8.4     5.8.5   5.8.6

Wolf on Conversions Rambling of an Old Cow Puncher Pistols that Tamed the West and Added Spice to Modern Western Movies The Transition Period in Historical Perspective Converting a Colt 1860 Army C&B Revolver to Breech Loading is a Simple Affair Flat Sales of Revolvers at Colt Firearms after the Civil War Three Options for Modern Colt 1860 Army Conversions

 

5.8.1

Rambling of an Old Cowpuncher

 

What the heck is a Conversion? I frankly confess my interest in guns of the American frontier was triggered by watching Cowboy and Indian movies. I got hooked during the middle of the 1960s. It took a couple of years until I realized that the good old Colt Single Action Army Model of 1873 was not the only revolver carried around in the American West. When Spaghetti Western hit the market in earnest during the early 1970s Terence Hill carried his Colt 1851 percussion Navy on a gun belt cram-full with cartridges in NOBODY whereas Clint Eastwood cleaned the bored-through chamber of his 1851 Navy and loaded her with cartridges in the 1966 blockbuster THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY.  

So, some of my heroes preferred percussion revolvers over SAAs but carried cartridge belts around, whereas others took C&B revolver look-alikes fed with cartridges from the breech side to the final show-down?!

Somewhat puzzled I invested in books like THE BOOK OF COLT FIREARMS by Sutherland and Wilson to learn more about this evolution of front stuffers to breechloaders. Having finally seen the light, I am pleased that quite a few of the newer cowboy movies pay closer attention to the historical correctness of equipment but also the guns toted by the actors.

 

5.8.1_1 Tom Selleck’s Colts carried in Westerns (from top): Richards (R1) conversion from LAST STAND AT SABER RIVER, Open Top from CROSSFIRE TRAIL (picture courtesy Mike Beliveau, Etter, PA, U.S.A.)

 

New life was instilled into this scheme during the late 1990s when Italian replica makers Armi san Marco (ASM) and Uberti commenced marketing their perceptions of Colt 1860 Army Richards, Richards-Masons (RM), even Thuer conversions or 1871/72 Open Tops (OTs). Initially I handled my then new ASM 1851 and 1860 Richards or Uberti OT and RM after the turn of the century pretty much enthused. But this has quickly changed to a more pragmatic attitude once I had the opportunity to compare the conversions of the replica industry side by side to originals. Eventually, I could get hold of my copy of R. Bruce McDowell’s conversionistas’ bible A STUDY OF COLT CONVERSIONS AND OTHER PERCUSSION REVOLVERS. That was the time I finally decided to have some of my Centaures custom converted to shoot cartridges by the great European conversion artist Karl Nedbal of Vösendorf in Austria.

You will have noted that conversions in general and those of the Colt 1860 Army are a subject close to my heart. However, and in some fairness, I will address it from different angles. A caveat is in order here. This is going to be a personal and very subjective page with a few drops of semi-scientific window-dressing. So, shake well before swallowing. It will lead you to the Belgian Centaure C&B pistols and their conversions.

 

5.8.2

Pistols that Tamed the West and Added Spice to Modern Western Movies

 

Contrary to what most Hollywood or Italy’s Cinecittà Western movies want to make us believe the good old Colt Single Action Army was not the handgun that tamed the Wild, Wild West. Provided it was big bore revolvers at all. Because from after the end of the Civil War through the 1880s it was the big bore percussion revolvers and their conversions. They were the pistols commonly carried in the U.S. West and Southwest. Back then the Army got priority delivery of the SAA for years after its launch in 1873. In addition, the “plough handle” as the SAAs were called by some was way too expensive for the poor cowpunchers.

The story of these conversions is confusing and seems to be contradictory often. Well maintained originals are rare today. Still the interest of collectors and cowboy shooters in these old working guns is growing slowly but constantly.

 

5.8.2_1 Custom replication in .45 Colt cal. of a historical 5-shot 2-part drop-in conversion cylinder for a modern Santa Barbara Remington New Model 1863 Army: Remember Clint Eastwood’s Remmie in PALE RIDER, neither did it have a loading channel in the recoil shield nor an ejector

 

Even on these eastern banks of the Big Pond you will hear names of a few talented U.S. conversion artists once you scratch the surface of this subject some. These gentleman discovered this emerging niche market, began making quality conversions in small numbers for display, shooting or both from around the 1980s. More smiths have joined their ranks to this day on both sides of the Atlantic. When Colt Army or Navy conversions were to be custom altered early the project pistols these smiths started working on were mostly 2nd or 3rd generation Colts. Italian or Spanish replicas were used, however, when their clients wanted a Remington Army or Navy conversion. From the late 1990s the replica industry entered this market with its own perception of conversions as well.

It is the time now to take a fresh look at the story of these conversions back then and today.

When it comes to the historical correctness of guns used in movies, collectors and shooters alike can be a sensitive breed. Horse operas (aka Westerns) are no exception here. It does not come as a surprise then that conversion aficionados showed their appreciation to a few U.S. cowboy movies featured on the big screen or TV during the last decades simply because the heroes or their opponents did not tote the good old SAA; but, S&W Schofields or Remington 1875 Armies. Only a few were using period correct Colt, Starr or Remington conversions. Below is my personal top list of “Conversion Movies”.

# Do you remember Clint ”the Preacher“ Eastwood 1985 in PALE RIDER? Do you recall this cool scene during the final show-down when he changed the empty cylinder of his Remington New Model 1863 Army Armory Conversion for a loaded one? Incidentally, his pistol was altered for use with blanks at Stembridge Gun Rentals in Glendale/CA.

# 1997 Tom ”Paul Cable“ Selleck’s received this nicely engraved Colt 1860 Army Richards I Conversion pictured above (top pistol) with ivory grips as a gift from his movie wife and gunsmith in LAST STAND AT SABER RIVER. Four years later in 2001 as Rave Covington in CROSSFIRE TRAIL he carried a Colt 1871/72 Open Top (bottom pistol). Although the OT looks like a conversion, it was developed back then as a breech-loader. Both these Colt conversions were executed by U.S. conversion artist Kenny Howell.

# Also Viggo “Everett Hitch“ Mortensen, Ed ”Virgil Cole’s“ Harris’s side kick in the 2008 movie  APPALOOSA had a hankering for a Colt Open Top. The prop master did not issue a custom-made piece but a regular Uberti replica only.

# Likewise poor rancher Christian ”Dan Evans“ Bale and his son Logan ”William Evans” Lerman had to do with a regular off the rack Uberti. They made good use of this beaten, traditionally finished Colt 1851 Navy Richards-Mason Conversion in the 2007 remake of 3:10 TO YUMA against the bad boys of Russel ”Ben Wade“ Crowe’s gang.

 

5.8.2_2 Original Colt Navy 1851 Richards-Mason conversion with nickel finish (picture courtesy Collectors Firearms, Houston, TX, U.S.A.)

 

Other movies prominently featuring Colt conversions are e.g. Clint ”Josey Wales“ Eastwood with a Colt 1861 Navy Richards-Mason Conversion in the opening scene, or Chief “Lone Watie” Dan George with an original Colt 1860 Army Richards Conversion in THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES from 1976, or Robert ”Augustus McGrea“ Duvall with his Colt 1847 Walker Long Cylinder Conversion in my all-time favourite cult mini-series LONESOME DOVE from 1988.

 

5.8.2_3 Armi san Marco Colt 1847 Walker custom Long Cylinder Conversion on display 2012 at The Wittliffs Collections, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, U.S.A.

 

Thank you, Hollywood, for your responsiveness to the requests of us conversion aficionados. You did well. But do it again and more often in the future, please, like you did a few years back in 2011 in COWBOYS & ALIENS. We like to see more Westerns with historically correct armament even if you add a couple of aliens for good measure.

Where does this growing interest in conversions come from? Is this a fading fashion or a solid trend line? Possibly due to more historically correct guns in recent westerns? Have markets for more traditional fields of gun collecting like Handguns of the U.S. Civil War, Evolution of C&B Revolvers or simply Colt Single Action Armies dried up?  Or, have they possibly become too boring? Have the prices for original percussion revolvers or 1st generation Colt SAAs gone through the roof to the point where these guns are no longer affordable for us collectors on average income and, hence, the switch to conversions and their replicas as well?

 

Probably a little bit of everything and the desire to own a pistol that is different with lots of historical flair. And that is what these pistols of the transition period from percussion front stuffers to breechloading metallic cartridge guns offer a lot of and with some to spare. 

As we know most of these conversions from the 1870s saw a lot of action. Only a few only well-maintained originals have survived. Hence, the way out of this dilemma or “escape route” considered by many collectors was and still is a closer look at the conversions available from the replica industry. But there is another burning question to be addressed: ”How about the dimensional correctness of the conversions available today from the replica industry and from the few conversion artists in the U.S.A. and Europe?“

 

5.8.2_4 Armory and field conversions of the 19th century (top down): Two Remington Armies, Remington Navy, Starr SA Army conversion

 

5.8.3

The Transition Period in Historical Perspective

 

Who made the conversions back during the days? They could be had standardized from the original manufacturers like Colt or Remington, or as smaller sized, semi-standardized conversion programs through the armouries of the military. But, more often they were the jobs of gunsmiths or small gun shops on the frontier and south of the border. Under the motto the customer is always right at least one old Colt 1836 Texas Paterson was converted to shoot metallic cartridges back then. Let’s take a helicopter’s view at this transitional period while wearing the hat of the Colt company CEO right after the Civil War.

 

5.8.3_1 Nedbal replication of .41 cal. Colt 1836 Texas Paterson conversion

 

5.8.4

Converting a Colt 1860 Army C&B Revolver to BreechLoading is a Simple Affair

 

Turn down the nipple section of the percussion cylinder but maintain the ratchets. Bore-through the cylinder for the .44 caliber cartridge of your choice, install a conversion ring, with a loading gate if you wish, modify the percussion hammer with a firing pin to ignite the cartridge type of your choice like rimfire (RF), centerfire (CF) or even pinfire and you are ready to go. Fitting an ejector for convenience would be nice to have, too. That was the basic principle of a conversion after the Civil War.

 

5.8.4_1 Evolution of Colt 1860 Army cylinders exemplified by side views of Centaure cylinders (from left): Percussion, Thuer, Long Cylinder Conversion, Richards/Richards-Mason

 

5.8.4_2 Evolution of Colt 1860 Army cylinders exemplified by breech views of Centaure cylinders (from left): Percussion, Thuer, Long Cylinder Conversion, Richards/Richards-Mason

 

5.8.5

Flat Sales of Revolvers at Colt Firearms after the Civil War

 

Technically and tactically percussion guns were obsolete by the end of the Civil War in 1865. The future belonged to standard metal cartridges no matter if they were for rifles, shotguns or revolvers or pistols. They functioned much more reliable due to positive ignition, were less affected by humidity, too. Also reloading was faster, the risk of overcharges (!) was low according to practical experience with European and U.S. systems. However, the high prices of these modern cartridge guns and their ammunition compared to percussion guns prevented their fast and wide distribution in the United States and particularly their western and southwestern frontier. Add to the pricing issue short supplies of centrefire-cartridges and you get the idea.

The Colt factory had to address several peculiar issues before they could legally market competitive breechloading revolvers. Its management just did not expect this dramatic stop of their booming percussion revolver business after the Civil War. On the other hand, only a few customers required or could afford to buy an Army conversion pistol or even a more modern breech loader for big bore cartridges from Hartford. What had happened?

 

5.8.5_1 Modern Colt 1860 Army pattern Richards-Mason Army conversions (top down): Nedbal Centaure RNMA #6176 converted 2009, Uberti #X02711 assembled 2002; note Uberti’s beefed-up frame, barrel lug and cylinder diameter

 

# Government armouries were overloaded with big bore percussion revolvers. Many were sold as surplus guns at dumping prices.

# Many veterans took their guns home with them after the war. They simply were not available as potential buyers of revolvers.

# Breech loaders like the S&W American made from 1870 where way too expensive for poor cowboys or settlers, compared to a Colt 1860 cap & baller they were familiar with from their CW service. Also, the S&W top-break design looked and handled “differently”. Many perceived these revolvers as less reliable compared to the proven C&B revolvers. In addition, S&W had limited production capacity available. But every buyer of S&W Americans dropped out as a potential buyer for Colt made revolvers.

# On the other hand, the proven Army and Navy conversion designs of Remington – second biggest percussion revolver supplier of the Union during the Civil War – were well accepted by cost-conscious ranchers, sheriffs, Texas Rangers, or the U.S. Ordnance Department as volume procurer for the Army.

# Before Colt could officially launch a breech loading revolver the company had to cope with both a legal and financial issue. The commercial production of modern cartridge revolvers with bored-through cylinders meant acknowledgement of the Rollin White patent from 1855. Such a move would incur significant licensing payments to Smith & Wesson as then patent owner. This, the management was not prepared to do because the patent was to expire already on April 3, 1869!

# To make things worth it must be remembered that Colt was the major weapons supplier of the Civil War. Hence, a huge inventory of parts for the production and repair of their C&B revolvers had been built-up. Neither did they want to write that off nor could they afford to do it.

# To kill these two birds with the proverbial one stone Colt Firearms were faced with the challenge of developing an ingenious revolver design that would a) use up most of their parts inventory but at the same time b) would not infringe on the Rollin White patent and c) not incur licence payments. Only once this complex objective was accomplished an innovative blockbuster design of a breech loading revolver could be commercialized, that is after the expiration of the patent in 1869.

# Of the period prior to 1869 a couple of experimental conversions of percussion revolvers with bored-through cylinders from the Colt development laboratory are known, like a 3rd Model Dragoon in .44 Henry RF cal., an 1860 Army featuring design elements of the later Open Top, or an 1861 Navy chambered for .38 RF rounds. Although most of this work led to useful breechloading designs Colt could not legally capitalize from these developments.

# For Colt’s the solution of this dilemma was first the introduction of the Thuer revolver design as a cartridge front loader to circumvent the Rollin White patent.

# Once the patent had expired in April 1869 Colt developed the much more convenient breechloading conversions like the well perceived Richards and Richards-Mason breechloading conversions. By way of the Colt M1871/72 Open Top these developments paved the way to the famous Colt Single Action Army of 1873.

# This transition period spans a time of only 8 years beginning with the development work on the Thuer system in 1866 and ending with the introduction of the Single Action Army in 1873.

 

5.8.6

Three Options for Modern Colt 1860 Army Conversions

 

“You can never have enough 1860 Armies” voiced a wise U.S. pard. He is right. Like him I enjoy the graceful lines of this great cap & baller and like to add his personal opinion of mine „… particularly as a historically correct quality conversion shooting smokeless inside lubed .44 Colt cartridges”. You were warned already in the opening paragraph of the chapter that this is going to be a personal and very subjective page. No offence meant.

If you want a modern made Colt 1860 Army conversion today it seems you only have three options:

1. Have one custom made by one of the conversion artists in the U.S.A. or Europe. At your request they will convert the C&B replica revolver of your preferred manufacturer. What you are getting after a few months is usually a period correct, esthetically pleasing display pistol; or a shooter, or both. Of course, this will all depend on your wish list, the responsiveness of the gunsmith to your requests and the money you are prepared to spend.

This relatively young niche market for newly made conversions might have been initially activated by demanding U.S. C.A.S. competitors searching for pistols matching their 1870s characters’ better than the venerable Colt SAAs or a pair of simple C&B revolvers. The number of smiths capable of such work has been growing in the U.S.A. since the 1980s. But, was flattening after the turn of the century and seems to be turning downwards now. The good news for the shooters and collectors on the Eastern bank of the Big Pond, however, is there are a few conversion-artist now in Europe, too. But they are few and far between.

 

5.8.6_1 A piece of conversion art like Tom Selleck’s ivory gripped Colt Richards from LAST STAND AT SABER RIVER will cost you dearly (picture courtesy Mike Beliveau, Etter, PA, U.S.A.)

 

2. Do-it-yourself using a commercially available drop-in cylinder with or without loading gate on your replica. If you are in the U.S.A. and technically talented you will eventually have a functional shooter resembling a Colt conversion of the 1870s from a distance like below non-gated Army conversion without ejector housing.

 

5.8.6_2 Italian Colt 1860 Army replica fitted with non-gated 5-shot drop-in cylinder in .45 Colt (picture courtesy Mike Beliveau, Etter, PA, U.S.A.)

 

a)     The pards & pardettes in the European arena are dealing with different gun regulations in their respective countries. To comply with their national gunlaws they will probably have to muster the services of a knowledgeable and licensed gunsmith for such an installation. Once the smith has fitted the cartridge cylinder to the C&B revolver the clients must x their fingers that his or her proof houses will finally apply their stamp of approval to the conversion. One of the issues over here is that measurements of rifling groove diameters of cartridge guns or the subject profile of percussion guns for example must comply with the mandatory guidelines issued by Commission Internationale Permanente pour I’Euvre des Armes à Feu Portarives (C.I.P.)

 

5.8.6_3 Close-up of 5-shot 2-part drop-in conversion cylinder for Italian made Colt 1860 Army replicas: For proper fit you may want to provide your dealer with the brand of your replica (picture courtesy Mike Beliveau, Etter, PA, U.S.A.)

 

3. When in a hurry you can buy a conversion pistol from your trusted gun dealer made by a reputed Italian cowboy gun manufacturer. You’re getting a very functional shooter on steroids* with factory warranty.

*Quote respectfully adopted from Michael Venturino!

Regarding this 3rd option and to the best of my knowledge currently, i.e. in September 2022, only the Uberti company in Gardone/Italy, subsidiary of the Beretta folks, is currently manufacturing conversions of Colt 1851 Navy, 1860 Army, 1862 Police, of Remington New Model 1863 Army and Navy and the Colt 1871/72 Open Top in various calibers, grip and barrel configurations.

In addition, Uberti makes fantasy or movie conversions that never existed back then, namely the Man with no Name (MWNN) pistol, the Tuco Special 1860 conversion and the Colt 1860 LCC. The other major maker in that market was Armi san Marco (ASM). They dropped out of the race around the turn of the century after quality issues. Also, no longer operational USFA from Hartford, CT assembled and sold several very nice Colt 1851 Navy and 1860 Army conversions. They were fabricated from conversions imported “in the white” and manufactured by Italy’s Uberti.

I used to own a few of these Uberti conversions in the modern inside lubed .44 Colt and .38 special calibers. They worked for me because they are rugged and reliable shooting irons.

 

 

5.8.6_4 Side view of newly made Colt 1860 Army Richards pattern .44 cal. conversion cylinder (from left): Uberti with, Centaure without gas ring

 

I used a pair of their long barreled Open Tops with Army grips as main match pistols during the 2008 season. I liked them a lot although they were no conversions. A fellow FROCS talked me out of them, eventually. Likewise, my 2002 vintage Uberti Richards-Mason Army and 2003 production Richards Transitional (RII) pictured elsewhere in this website got their regular diet of my C.A.S. nitro loads behind 200 grainers until I replaced them with custom conversions made from Belgian Centaures.

Like the originals from yesteryear, modern Italian Colt 1860 Army pattern pistols of quality makers will hit what you are aiming at once you have bottomed out the arbor and adjusted the sights to proper height.

 

 

Updated February 18, 2024

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