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Cimarron's .38 Special 1851 Navy conversion: reproducing one of the handier Old West collectibles in a modern caliber.

Article Excerpt
Cartridge conversions of percussion revolvers are a fascinating study. Colt and Remington, principal suppliers of handguns during the Civil War, were faced with large inventories of now mostly obsolete parts as the metallic cartridge made arms loaded with loose powder and ball obsolete.

Originals are now quite expensive and, if in shootable condition, accurate ammunition must be crafted using bullets cast in custom molds and black powder is a must. Fortunately, the interest in Western arms caused by cowboy action shooting has led to a plethora of reproductions including cartridge conversions.

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While the .44 Colt 1860 Army Richards and Richards-Mason conversions are the most well known, Colt also converted the 1851 and 1860 Navy revolvers to shoot .38 Colt. Personally, I find the 1851 Navy the best balanced of the percussion revolvers and the most fun to shoot.

Cimarron offers the civilian 1851 Richards-Mason conversion (US Navy Models had a steel backstrap and triggerguard), made by Uberti of Italy and chambered for smokeless powder in .38 Special. The Cimarron version is similar to ones made originally as cartridge guns by Colt and are identified by no plugged hole in the barrel extension where the percussion rammer was once fitted or...

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