Doc Holliday Colt 1872 revolver ?

[RCS]

This photo is from a "Guns & Ammo" magazine article from the late 1960's and
was reported to be one of Doc Holliday's Colt revolvers. Without any supporting
documentation, it is difficult to know. I used this photo as a guide to build up
a cartridge conversion on a incomplete Uberti 1851 that was found at a gunshow
years ago. I used a Legal Defender 38 S&W cylinder and built the ejector housing,
recoil plate and loading gate. Also used a Colt SA mainspring too.P1010056_0051_051.jpgP1010009_0008.jpg

[RCS]

shooting the cartridge conversions

Before I converted the Uberti 1851 Colt to cartridge, I had also converted a very
incomplete Uberti 1861 Colt. When I found the Uberti 1861, it was missing the
following parts: cylinder, wedge, loading lever. I did use a Legal Defender 1851
cylinder making a new recoil plate, ejector housing, wedge and loading gate.

Now I found the best way (I think) to shoot 357-358 dia lead bullets though a
very oversized bore. I made hollow based bullets and use light loads with Unique
for indoor ranges and black powder for outdoor ranges. There use to be heeled
bullet moulds around but you need to bore out the cylinder chambers. I find
the hollow base soft lead to work.P1010014.jpgdscn3175.jpg

[free1954]

wow. that's a nice piece of work. doc would be proud. thanks for posting.

[free1954]

if I may ask sir? what type of hollow base bullet are you using? does it come from a mold or something you made up?

[lyman]

if I may ask sir? what type of hollow base bullet are you using? does it come from a mold or something you made up?

hollow base wadcutters maybe??

curious myself, and how accurate they are

[RCS]

I tried Speer WC hollow base soft lead bullets and they were not very consistent for groups of five or
six rounds. I have brass collets for my Southbend lathe and used a 19/64 inch drill and made my own
hollow base 357-358 dia bullets. This will reduce the bullet weight from 148 grs to 130 grs much the
same weight as the original. It is worth a little extra time to make bullets that shoot better

[free1954]

thanks for the reply.

[RCS]

hollow base bullets

Here are photos of my home made hollow base bullets for my 1861 conversionP1010018.jpgP1010016.jpg

[lyman]

turning a hollow base wadcutter into a hollow base keith style,, of sorts?

[free1954]

kind of like a minie. what cartridge did they use in the original .36 cap and ball conversions?

[RCS]

Colt used the 38 Colt cartridge with a heeled bullet, as more modern revolvers came along the heeled bullet was discontinued. Colt used
both a 38 Short Colt and 38 Long Colt with bullet diameters around .376 to .380 diameters when introduced - the 38 S&W came after.
There was also a 38 rim fire too

[free1954]

thanks for the reply.

[JB White]

Nice professional work. A conversion which has been 'smithed into being has an air of authenticity the Italian clones lack.

[Art]

Before I converted the Uberti 1851 Colt to cartridge, I had also converted a very
incomplete Uberti 1861 Colt. When I found the Uberti 1861, it was missing the
following parts: cylinder, wedge, loading lever. I did use a Legal Defender 1851
cylinder making a new recoil plate, ejector housing, wedge and loading gate.

Now I found the best way (I think) to shoot 357-358 dia lead bullets though a
very oversized bore. I made hollow based bullets and use light loads with Unique
for indoor ranges and black powder for outdoor ranges. There use to be heeled
bullet moulds around but you need to bore out the cylinder chambers. I find
the hollow base soft lead to work.[ATTACH=CONFIG]46885[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]46886[/ATTACH]

An interesting side note; the old .41 Long Colt originally used an outside lubricated .406 caliber 200 grain "heel base" bullet just like a current .22 rimfire. In the early part of the 20th century they went to more conventional bullet set up with a lengthened case and a 200 gr. .386 bullet with a hollow base to expand and take the rifling. This worked but wasn't considered as accurate. Considering the uses of the .41 Colt this may not have been a big deal.

the .41 Colt was considered superior to the .38 special by many including Elmer Keith back when there were no hollow points. The idea being that a .40 cal, 200 gr. lead slug at about 750 fps was superior to a slightly faster 158 gr .357 lead slug in the .36 special cartridge.

Doc Holliday was reputed to have used a Colt Thunderer, among other weapons and Billy the Kid and John Wesley Hardin preferred them so in its day the old .41 Colt definitely had a following

.40 bores don't seem to fare well. The .38-40, and .41 Colt are now obsolete and only seen in a few niche markets. The .41 Magnum and 10mm Auto are still produced but have a limited following and even the .40 S&W is starting to wane a little.

[RCS]

cartridge conversions

Some recent indoor shooting at around twenty feet using a rest. Both my Uberti Colt
1861 and Uberti Colt 1851 shot nice targets, without the hollow base bullets maybe only
two or three bullets would even hit the card (I know)dscn3179.jpgdscn3208.jpg