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

5.3 The Making of the Centaure Thuer Conversion

 

5.3 5.3.1 5.3.2 5.3.2.1 5.3.3 5.3.4 5.3.5 5.3.6 5.3.7

The Making of the Centaure Thuer Conversion The Quest for a Modern Thuer The Making of the Nedbal Centaure Thuer Conversion Project Outline Centaure Thuer Conversion Loading Thuer Cases On the Range with the Centaure Thuer Learning by Doing Conclusions More Centaure Thuers?

 

5.3.1

The Quest for a Modern Thuer Conversion

 

Why would one want to have a perfectly functioning Centaure “1960 NEW MODEL ARMY” converted to shoot metal cartridges? What does such a conversion have that a quality Single Action Army or conversion clone of the Italian replica industry out of the box does not offer at a fraction of the price of such a custom-conversion?

But do we conversion-aficionados aka conversionistas want to start another argument about history, passion and desire? You probably heard about this vicious bug by the name Bacillus Conversicus (BC). Many good pards & pardettes got bitten. Once you have contracted BC you can count on regular acute attacks. I got infected early in 2002 when I acquired my first Uberti Colt 1960 Army Richards-Mason conversion in .44 Colt.  I have never recovered.  Actually, I do like these attacks.

The only therapy with a clinically proven effect is targeting, tracking down and liberating another conversion revolver. Alternatively, to have one custom built. The intermittent application of drop-in cylinders, with and without loading gates has been tried by several cowboys and cowgirls with  varying degrees of success. To this day no permanent cure is known!

 

5.3.1_1 Original 19th century Colt 1860 Army Thuer conversion

 

For a couple of years, I have been drooling over these Thuers. Why? Because I wanted a quality repro of a Colt 1860 Army Thuer conversion just because and then some. To bring this statement into some perspective on this Centaure & FROCS website, this was before I got involved with the Centaure research. I even purchased a Uberti made Colt 1860 Army of late 1960 production to mate it with a Uberti Thuer conversion kit when it was advertised back then for launch at the turn of the century:

 

#: This innovative approach on the drawing board from the late 1860s to get rid of surplus stocks of Colt C&B pistol parts from the Civil War and at the same time to avoid royalty payments to Smith & Wesson and Rollin White is just plain stupid elegant.

#: I wanted a modern made, new looking revolver as a shooter without feeling guilty about eventually damaging or destroying a piece of history. This ruled out the real thing.

#: Despite their reputation of functional flaws on the range I enjoy the quality craftsmanship of this never popular conversion system.

#: When Uberti manufactured a few prototype Thuer Armies and conversion kits more than 20 years ago I made up my mind too late and missed the opportunity. Today I know they were never available for sale to the public, anyway.

#: Another chance to own a Thuer Army replica seemed to have unfolded during fall of 2007. At that time my friends from HEGE in Messkirch/Germany presented a series of pictures of their prototype Thuer Army made by a German gunsmith using Uberti parts https://www.waffen-hege.de/de/. It appears this project has been stalled for good.