Colt Country | Home of The Almighty Colt

Don't lurk...it just sounds 'wrong'. Sounds like some weirdo in the park with a trench coat!LOL!
Don't worry about polluting threads, either. Conversation is what we need here, Tinhorn. Everyone has varying opinions, right or wrong, good or bad. People are also afraid of asking 'dumb questions'. There are none. We all started out not having a clue and have learned along the way. Please feel free to add your two cents and ask questions you don't know answers to.
One thing I've learned from other forums is how NOT to treat other members, and we expect everyone to feel comfortable and at home here, not under attack by the reigning forum gurus as on other sites.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled program.

wish there wasa way to season the barrel, so I could leave it in the white.
Entire frame and barrel assembly is now dry 220/440 sanded, and then wet sanded 1000/1500/2000, and then hand polished with Zephyr Pro40.

I thought I was happy with my Taylor and Company Stainless Sheriff's '58... Nah... It pails in comparo to this kit gun, and will be next.
Smokey's Lyman, has Patina'd to almost an original production hue, that';; be left alone, but this brasser and that Sheriff... They gonna gleam, lol.

We can still see some machining/lack of sanding marks in the brass. I'll decide how bad they bother me (they exist in my $550 Sheriff's as well) and then eliminate them or leave them. Gut says eliminate...

Oh, man, that's turning out purty. You have more patience than me.

No worries, my friend. That's how I interpreted your joke. I wanted to post just the picture of the Christmas Colt but the only pic I have is the two of them together--Christmas Colt and Project Colt.

But just in case, I did Google up a few "hot" Mrs. Santa pics. Guess I won't be needing those.

tinhorn, it does look nice. Practical too, it sounds?

Thanks! Yes, it's much easier to see.

I think it all started when I bought a custom 3-1/2” barreled 1858 Remington off Gunbroker. Guy did a beautiful job. So I'm looking at this little 1849 Colt, looking at the Kirst .22 converter with its short little barrel insert, then I found this Youtube video showing how to shorten a gun barrel with hand tools, and things kinda got outta hand.

I like the way it turned out, particularly the big ol' front sight. That itty-bitty Uberti sight was hard for my old eyeballs to see. Did a little filing on the hammer/rear sight 'til my bore sighter lined up. Not sure about the grip color. Really, the cap on the can was a PERFECT match for the polished brass—the end result, not so much. (Long story—I've seen wood grips, ivory grips, bone grips, pearl grips, horn grips, pewter and sterling silver grips, and grips with naked ladies carved in them. Never saw brass grips before. Reason enough.)

The Youtuber was, I thought, pretty brilliant. I tell ya, I've taken lots of needle files and stones and sandpaper and polishing discs to my revolvers, but I needed a stiff drink before taking a hacksaw to one. Never done this before. Changes I made to the Youtube process were to make my 5/16” oak dowel the length of the entire barrel (and slathered it with grease), and to JB Weld a fender washer to the large dowel, snugged up to the original uncut muzzle while it cured so it would be square. I also cut Harbor Freight emery cloth into little squares and adhered them to the washer with permanent glue tape from Staples.

Maybe you smithies are cracking up, but drilling and tapping for the new front sight was a heckuva undertaking for a rank amateur such as myself. Bought the bit and tap set online—sight was from Midway. Ran into a problem when even the bottoming tap only cut a few threads before bottoming out. I ended up threading a 3-56 nut onto the otherwise useless taper tap, then grinding off the tapering part until just cutting threads were left. (Y'see, the barrel was 4/32” thick so I only drilled into it 3/32”.) Had to eyeball it 'cuz trying to turn my ancient table-top drill press into some kind of poor man's CNC machine wasn't working.

I'm gonna do it to another 1849. Sucker is just too cute to only have one. Might find some naked lady grips for the next one.

As for the hammer I think you're going to miss the length of the spur. I've never done it tho so it's just a WAG on my part.

Dang, son, I stuck the hammer into a bench grinder, then hit it with a bunch of polishing wheels, and am really liking the results. Wanted to replicate the angle of an 1858 Remington but didn't have the courage to go full bore--went about halfway instead. Might just go ahead and grind off a bit more. Y'know what I always say, "In for a penny, in for a pound".

Remington pockets are neat.  I’m a fan.  A family member has a steel Pietta and a .32 S&W conversion to go along and it’s a great little thing.  Too packable not to have one in a pocket somewhere.  What is your opinion of your own, tinhorn?

If it's got a loading lever, I like it. A lot! Haven't shot the Pocket Remington--ammo has been a little scarce, and the few times the missus and I get to go shooting, we have Bearcats and other .22 single actions to wring out. I do keep one nearby, though, to use as a fidget spinner. The size is just fascinating. The 1849 Colt Wells Fargo is the new, shiny thing that has got my attention.

Didn't make it to the range. The missus says we HAVE to go, though, during her holiday break.

After cleaning the elderly neighbor's gutters, I got to eyeballing the little 1849. Remembering the blood blister it gave me when I was dry-firing weak hand, I dug out my needle files and went to work. THAT ain't gonna happen again.

(Until I took the pics I had no idea how rough that brass frame is. And I remove the nipples before dry-firing as well as sticking a piece of leather on the frame where the hammer hits it.)

Then I got to fussing around with a Kirst .22 conversion cylinder. Got to wondering why, if a guy inserted that .22 barrel, the .31 barrel would need to extend beyond the insert. Probably doesn't, says I. It now overhangs about 3/16”, just enough to preserve “Italy” on the bottom of the barrel.

Not sure what I think of the appearance. Going to install a small brass shotgun bead on the front—not a fan of that sharp, itty bitty Uberti sight.