I agree with Jeff that if it wasn’t for the fact that S&W chambered their revolver for the less powerful .45 Schofield, I suspect they might have become the standard for Single-Action revolvers. I really don’t have a lot of love for the SAA pattern guns because loading and unload them is such a slow chore.
Of course there’s a LOT of stress on that lock and front hinge in a break-top.
Still that conversion looks like a LOT of fun!
Hm. I cannot find exact numbers on the .45 Schofield’s maximum pressures, but it pushes a 200gr bean at about 850 ft/s (330 ft*lbf), while .45 ACP manages 1080 ft/s (520 ft*lbf) with a bullet of the same mass. Yeah. There are some huge differences there. And if the .45 Schofield was based off the .45 Long Colt (as all sources seem to indicate), well the latter is allowed to get up to 14,000 psi, while .45 ACP is allowed to get up to 21,000 psi (only half again as much!).
It would seem this is exclusively the realm of the handloader who can dial down his rounds to not explode his handgun…
That said, I would pay good money – lots of good money – for a new-construction top-break revolver that could handle .357 Magnum rounds (and has the usual bevy of double-action safeties and such built into it). No idea if it is possible, but damn, I love that action…
The Single Action Army design is stronger for handling magnum loads, but if that top-break revolver can take .45 ACP, it’s good enough for social purposes. Surely some work could be done to strengthen the latch. It would also be good to have a transfer-bar mechanism for the hammer so as to load all six chambers. Ruger should get on that right away.
The schofield being chambered in .45 schofield instead of .45 colt had as much to do with the rim as the power level. The rim on the old balloon-head .45 colt cases is downright stingy and weak. The extractor on a schofield doesn’t have much to work with compared to the more generous geometry of .45 schofield. This is also why you don’t see rifles of the period chambered in .45 colt either. The more solid and defined rims on the solid-head case solved a lot of these problems.
But….you guys are missing the best idea…..
Have TAURUS build it.
Have it shoot shot shells.
Top break Judge……
It’ll sell like hotcakes.
This is one of those times where it isn’t GOOD to be right!
Oh that’s IS sharp.
I’ve got an uberti in 45 colt and that’s very, very tempting conversion.
Yeah, I’d love a top-break in a more modern caliber too. *sigh*
Which Uberti? SAA clone?
I want one of their Colt Dragoon Mock-ups.
It’s on of their schofield clones, but in 45long colt.
Very fun gun. And a moon clip job would help make it more fun.
I already reload 45acp so I’ve got that all setup too.
That’s the exact gun in the video (with maybe different options)
If you’re OK with not being 100% period correct, and stock .45 ACP, I’d have it done in a heartbeat.
If you shoot it regularly, as Jeff said, you’ll have the modification pay for itself.
AND you can still feed it .45 Colt/Scholfield!
The only argument against it is that it won’t be 100% period correct….but then again S&W never made a #3 in .45 Colt in that period in the first place!
It’s nearly identical. Mine’s Uberti his is Navy Arms I think
And in addition to the Colt45, it’s already not period correct in that mine has an internal hammer block.
Not period correct, but I can load it full to 6.
Get it set for moon clips! DO IT!
Then take pix!
Even better take a video of you doing a 6+6 drill by flipping one clip free and dropping in the next and going hot!
It is very, very tempting.
And the prices aren’t bad at all.
Looks like I’ll have to drop them a line.