5.4 The Making of the Centaure Richards-Mason Conversion

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

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5.4

5.4.1

5.4.2

5.4.2.1

5.4.2.2

5.4.2.3

5.4.3

The Making of the Centaure Richards-Mason Conversion

The Challenge of Why the Richards-Mason is different

Project Outline Centaure Richards-Mason Conversion

The Italian Connection

The Making of the Nedbal Centaure Richards-Mason Conversion

Decisions

Range Report and the Important Little Details

5.4.1

The Challenge of Why the Richards-Mason Conversion is Different

Everybody likes challenges from time to time. Karl Nedbal and I included. The two of us agreed on the next Centaure conversion project on August 22, 2008, the day the Thuer came home. The next Nedbal Centaure conversion was to be a Richards-Mason (RM) Army.

Compared to the Centaure Richards and Thuer conversions the RM Army is a different animal, see below pictures of an original.

$D:\Colt 1860 Army RM Conversion\1-C6359d__72153.jpg$

5.4.1_1 Left side view of original nickel-plated Colt 1860 Army Richards-Mason Conversion: Note typical „S“-shaped barrel lug (picture courtesy Collectors Firearms, Houston, TX, U.S.A.)

By now I know Karl a bit better. He prefers the graceful lines of Colt 1860 Thuer and Richards over the functional ones of the Richards-Mason. The latter’s clumsy barrel lug or the sizable gap between conversion ring and cylinder optimize the function. Surely, they do not look elegant and certainly not sophisticated.

5.4.2

Project Outline Centaure Richards-Mason Conversion

Converting a Centaure into a Richards-Mason is challenging. Compared to the Richards or Thuer, however in different ways. The Centaure frame assembly can be used with some specific modifications like in the previous Richards conversion project. Also, the milling of a new conversion cylinder is no big deal after the Richards experience. The critical issue of this project are barrel and ejector housing. Because back then the barrel was not a left-over percussion part, but purpose made without slot for the loading lever. The breech side of the barrel lug was straight and not cut for the loading slot either. It has the S-shape typical for the RM Army conversion or the Open Top.

Same applies to the ejector. Consequently, the C&B barrel lug of the Centaure was not suitable for the conversion unless you were welding it to shape. Because that is how the U.S. conversion artists are tackling this. Neither Nedbal nor I liked the welding approach. A creative and financially feasible solution needed to be found for a Richards-Mason barrel assembly.

Centaure	Project Outline
Project revolver	RNMA 1st variation 3rd sub-variation #6176
Barrel	8″, made from semi-finished Uberti barrel, optimized S-shape lug contour
Barrel marking	„1960 NEW MODEL ARMY“ CENTENNIAL TRADE MARK
Caliber	.44 Colt inside lubed (liner, .429″ rifling groove diameter
Ejector housing	Mason
Wedge	Centaure
Conversion ring	gated, Richards II (R2) type
Conversion cylinder	Newly lathed conversion type with Centaure proprietary naval scene
Hammer	altered C&B type from Centaure
Gate spring	external
Grip frame	Centaure brass triggerguard, backstrap with without notch
Finish	nustom nickel plated

The owner of #6176 seemed to have taken her through the paces only once right after the purchase in 1966. It appears that he thoroughly cleaned barrel, chambers and the outside of the gun after that shooting session and stowed her away. After her liberation she was completely disassembled for a total body check, my standard procedure with a new gun added to the herd. A thick layer of oily black crud mixed with some spots of soldiers’ gold (rust) covered lock, piston holes, chambers and was found on the inside of the frame, too.

$D:\FAUL RNMA 1V 3SV #6176 Nedbal RM Conversion\1-FIL22498.JPG$

2.4.2_1 RNMA 1st variation 3rd sub-variation #6176 after purchase and proper cleaning, project gun for the Richards-Mason conversion

But as I had hoped for and almost expected, no harm was done. Most of the grunge I could simply wipe away, some uncooperative spots needed penetration oil. But, after my thorough cleaning she was technically and optically as good as new. Thanks, Belgian steel makers for your hard steel and Fabriques d’Armes Unies de Liège (F.A.U.L.) technicians for your fine heat treatment and polishing jobs. You made my day.

5.4.2.1

The Italian Connection

Pards & pardettes, please watch the progress of this project! Eventually, I expect my Nedbal Centaure RM to look like below exquisite, nickel-plated, original Colt 1860 Army Richards-Mason when Karl is done with her. The original grips will stay plane wood, no sculpting was considered.

$D:\Colt 1860 Army RM Conversion\1-IMG_0486__72136-001.JPG$

5.4.2.1_1 Right side view of original nickel-plated Colt 1860 Army Richards-Mason Conversion, sculpted grips, typical gap between conversion ring and cylinder, functional ejector housing (picture courtesy Collectors Firearms, Houston, TX, U.S.A.)

Through their German distributor HEGE in Messkirch, the friends from Uberti in Gardone had provided a semi-finished and unmarked RM 1860 Army barrel with a bore size for inside lubed.44 Colt cal. bullets, i.e. .429 inch rifling groove diameter. The barrel came milled on the right side to accept the ejector housing. It was of Ubertis regular beefed-up (!) size used for their conversion revolvers. Therefore, some contouring would be needed eventually for proper fit and historically correct contour.

Thanks a bunch, to Suzanne Webb and Giacomo Merlino of Uberti and my good friend Dr. Waldemar Gorzawski of HEGE for these arrangements.

5.4.2.2

The Making of the Nedbal Centaure Richards-Mason Conversion

Had to be in Austria on some business on November 8 2008 and paid a visit to the master. He had already installed the newly lathed period arbor with the separate big grease groove. The slot for the wedge was not cut yet, the flat, roughly contoured RM conversion ring was fitted, the spring-loaded loading gate attached already.

$D:\FAUL RNMA 1V 3SV #6176 Nedbal RM Conversion\1-FIL12166.JPG$

5.4.2.2_1 Semi-finished Uberti Colt 1860 Army RM barrel cut with groove for ejector housing

To bring the measurements of the Uberti RM barrel in line with an original RM, Nedbal carefully cut a slot from the breech-end of the barrel to the hole for the ejector tube screw, i.e. parallel to the center line of the bore right through the arbor hole and the slot for the wedge. He then pressed the lug together to the correct height, welded and polished the slot, and recut the arbor hole to round shape to bottom the new arbor. Next, he will have to open-up and reshape the slot for the wedge, recontour the barrel lug and remove some material off its beefy sides. Eventually, he will drill the holes to accommodate the two locator pins.

$D:\FAUL RNMA 1V 3SV #6176 Nedbal RM Conversion\1-FIL22991.JPG$

5.4.2.2_2 Invisible: Welded and polished slot right and left from slot for wedge

November 17, 2008, Karl Nedbal calling: “The Centaure RM is almost completed except for test and proof firing, sight adjustment, and some cosmetic finishing touches like final contouring of the barrel lug, engraving the Centaure barrel marking, embossing 44 CAL into the shoulder of the triggerguard, and finally the nickel plating”

$D:\FAUL RNMA 1V 3SV #6176 Nedbal RM Conversion\1-FIL11873-001.JPG$

5.4.2.2_3 Almost completed: Newly milled ejector housing and conversion cylinder installed, barrel lug still has “Italian” contour with “S” curve too flat

5.4.2.3

Decisions

In addition, Karl mailed more pictures but asked for three (3) quick decisions to finalize this Centaure Richards-Mason conversion:

Finish of the screws: Nickel like the rest of the gun or fire blue?
Finish of the trigger guard: Nickel plating or leave the brass yellow as it is?
Serial number stamped on the bottom of the barrel lug? Nedbal would have to purpose-make special dies because Centaure digits look somewhat different from the rest.

This conversion is supposed to look as historically correct as possible. Therefore, his three questions were for the initiates in the U.S.A., Karl will have to wait till I have the answers researched. I posted a query in the CAS-City STORM forum https://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php. Fox Creek Kid’s immediate response brought the issues into historical perspective, and I could mail my decisions the next day. Thanks a lot, FCK. These were the decisions:

ad 1: Both nickel-plated or blued screws would be historically correct. I go for nickel like the rest of the gun, looks more elegant.

ad 2: Nickel plating of the triggerguard is the way to go.

ad 3: The barrel needs to be serial numbered to the gun, i. e. extra dinero is requested for the dies.

$D:\FAUL RNMA 1V 3SV #6176 Nedbal RM Conversion\1-FIL12148.JPG$

5.4.2.3_1 Final check: Mster Nedbal and Centaure RNMA Richards-Mason conversion #6176 in his shop

As with the previous two Centaure conversions Nedbal approached the finishing line of this new project with remarkable speed. But in December 2008 there was an unexpected set-back. His free-lance engraver decided it was time to move on. So, Karl had to find a new one that would meet his quality standards. Which meant some delay. The all-clear phone call came on March 10 2009 from Vösendorf: “I’ll test-fire her during the next few days to adjust the front sight, then have the pistol proof tested and finally nickel plated.”

$D:\FAUL RNMA 1V 3SV #6176 Nedbal RM Conversion\1-FIL06976.JPG$

5.4.2.3_2 Test firing #6176 at 25 meters: Nice pattern thanks to the tall front sight, POA = POI

To bring the baby home it was time for another long weekend in Austria. April 30 2009 was the day of truth, when I saw Karl Nedbal in his shop in Vösendorf again, to inspect the finalized pistol, to handle the test fired and proof tested Centaure Richards-Mason conversion for the first time.

$D:\FAUL RNMA 1V 3SV #6176 Nedbal RM Conversion\3-P1070432.JPG$

5.4.2.3_3 Close-up of left side of frame/cylinder/triggerguard assembly: Note centaur logo and perron on frame. 44 CAL stamped on shoulder of triggerguard

Regarding the machining and finishing process of the Centaure RM I like to share two observations Karl Nedbal made:

$D:\FAUL RNMA 1V 3SV #6176 Nedbal RM Conversion\2-P1070431.JPG$

5.4.2.3_4 Serial number stamped on loading gate like on a 19th century RM

# The steel the Italians used for the barrel is notably softer than the steel of the Belgian parts. Not only the frame; but, also compared to Belgian barrels machined and contoured for the previously made Centaure Richards and Thuer conversions. This adds first-hand experience to discussions in Black Powder and C.A.S. forums elsewhere regarding the comparative hardness of steel used in Italian and Belgian made cowboy guns.

$D:\FAUL RNMA 1V 3SV #6176 Nedbal RM Conversion\65-P1070435.JPG$

5.4.2.3_5 Historically correct external gate spring, note visible serial numbers, proof marks on frame

# Nickel plating of the Italian barrel proved significantly difficult compared to the Belgian steel made parts (frame, backstrap, wedge, etc.) and the newly lathed cylinder, respectively. The external professional plating company involved needed a couple of goes until they delivered an esthetically acceptable barrel at last.

$D:\FAUL RNMA 1V 3SV #6176 Nedbal RM Conversion\1-DSC_7878.jpg$

5.4.2.3_6 Ain’t #6176 sweet? Impressive 8” barrel RM Army, period correct nickel-plated screws, new high front sight (picture courtesy Terushi Jimbo, Düsseldorf/Germany)

5.4.3

Range Report and Important Little Details

First time I broke some paper with Centaure Regular New Model Army (RNMA) #6176 was during a relaxed shooting session on May 6, 2009 at the local Hofheim indoor range.

5.4.3_1 After too much coffee (from left): Targets engaged from 8, 25 and 15 meters

I appreciated her crisp trigger pull. Despite the 1960’s inherent pointability this cowboy had some problems aligning the high gloss sights: Old weak eyes, too short arms and way too much coffee before the shooting got started.

$D:\FAUL RNMA 1V 3SV #6176 Nedbal RM Conversion\5-P1070434.JPG$

5.4.3_2 Breech side view of cylinder: Chambers slightly recessed, Karl Nedbal’s maker’s mark NK, 44 CAL, last 3 digits of serial number, Vienna proof marks

Complete disassembly after the range time revealed again Nedbal’s striving to replicate the important little historical details. They lighten the heart of initiates. While Fabriques d‘Armes Unies de Liège (F.A.U.L.) fitted their Centaures with single tooth hands like the originals from the 1860s, Karl changed that to a newly fabricated, period correct 2-tooth hand with leaf spring in this RM conversion.

$D:\FAUL RNMA 1V 3SV #6176 Nedbal RM Conversion\1-FIL13767.JPG$

5.4.3_3 New 2-tooth hand with leaf spring fitted to RM

Mandatory proof, caliber and inspector marks of the Vienna proof house in addition to his NK maker’s mark were applied to the breech side of the newly lathed conversion cylinder. Equally important, however, the chambers are slightly recessed and the last three digits of the serial number 176 were embossed there as well.

$D:\FAUL RNMA 1V 3SV #6176 Nedbal RM Conversion\4-P1070433.JPG$

5.4.3_4 Conversion hammer of #6176 made from the C&B hammer fitted with firing pin

$D:\FAUL RNMA 1V 3SV #6176 Nedbal RM Conversion\1-FIL21691.JPG$

5.4.3_5 Barrel marking of percussion barrel reads „1960 NEW MODEL ARMY“ CENTENNIAL TRADE MARK

$D:\FAUL RNMA 1V 3SV #6176 Nedbal RM Conversion\1-P1070429.JPG$

5.4.3_6 Belgian barrel mark was copied on Italian conversion barrel

No other Centaure altered into a Richards-Mason conversion is currently known to us. If you happen to know of a specimen, please, let me know at info@niederastroth.com. Thanks.

$D:\FAUL Conversions\1-P1010117.JPG$

5.4.3_7 Triplet of Nedbal RNMA Centaure conversions or the herd is growing (top down): Richards #4079, Richards-Mason #6176, Thuer #7266

Did I say I am enthusiastic?

Updated February 7, 2024

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