The .45 Cowboy Special in Howell conversion cylinders!

Trying out the .45 Cowboy Special through a couple of percussion revolvers using Howell Arms conversion cylinders.
I used an older model stainless steel Pietta 1858 New Model Army and a more recent production Pietta 1860 snub nose.
Initial impressions? It's a good cartridge, and I'm sure with some playing around with different bullets and powders I'll find an accurate, easy shooting load.
If you enjoyed this and would like to support me in getting new material to video, you can buy me a pizza here: ko-fi.com/johnzx6r

[@slowpokebr549]

It'll be efficient as hell in that short barrel.

[@Biscuit1982]

Great shooting! I love my Howell .45 LC conversion cylinder that I use in my Uberti 1858 new model army revolver to shoot Winchester super x .45 LC 250 grain cowboy loads from it. I posted a video on my channel a month ago of my most recent shooting session with that piece using the Howell cylinder. I like to shoot 3 liter water jugs from about 30 feet away as I did in the video

[@blackpowdershooter44]

Beautiful revolvers right there

[@johnzx6r]

Thank you! It's one of my favorites. Might have to do something about that front sight, though, to get it closer to point of aim.

[@robfahnestock6930]

Thank you for your videos!

[@johnzx6r]

Glad you like them! Thank you for watching!

[@discipleochrist4202]

Since Howell quit making these a few years ago for pietta 1860 armys you should hold onto yours. They are now quite valuable and extremely rare! Great shooting by the way

[@johnzx6r]

Yup, I'm glad I was able to get a couple when they were still available!

[@johnzx6r]

They are not making any new ones at this time. I did read a while back that Howell was working on a redesigned cylinder for the Pietta, but I have no idea when it might be available.

[@tranders365]

Interesting video. Thank you. Always look forward to watching your next video

[@johnzx6r]

Thank you very much!

[@dphillips4351]

Don’t know if you have tried hollow base bullets but they work great, expand, and they will grip the rifling. Hope you get this message. For my 1851 36 I use berrys bullets which are copper coated not Jacketed.

[@Codevil.]

I'm glad I prefer blue finished, I can't afford stainless

[@kidhammer2567]

John, thanks for another superbly informational shooting video. I shoot the .45 Cowboy Special cartridge solely as a black powder cartridge with a 200-grain RNFP lead projectile in SASS-CAS. Also, and this is just me perhaps, several of my Pietta black powder converted revolvers shoot well yet seem to have a chamber or two that have that consistent "flyer" anomaly built in. Thank you for the recommendation of .45 Auto Rim loading data for smokeless use. I'm much obliged for your videos. - Col. Montana Kid Hammer, SASS 6476 Patron in Wild-AK

[@johnzx6r]

Thank you for watching my videos and all your kind words. I have an older model 1858 Pietta that seems to have one of those flyer chambers as well. Would be a nice revolver, if it weren't for that!

[@theoriginalOSOK]

Good vid thanks - I enjoyed it. I tend to rest my wrists on the bag for a couple of reasons - the first being that I burnt a hole in a bag resting the revolver on it... now that was a 44 Magnum but nonetheless, any cartridge will eventually burn the bag... also, I find that the point of impact is the same as I get off-hand when I use the wrist-rest method.

[@johnzx6r]

Yeah, I tore a hole in this one with a .357 Magnum. these lower pressure rounds don't seem to do it any harm, though. At least, not yet!

[@dphillips4351]

Great show again! Have you tried hollow base wad cutters?

[@johnzx6r]

Thanks! I've used them in my .36 caliber 1858.

[@fortyshooter1]

Just use standard 45 Colt brass with 200-250 gr. lead bullets with 5-5.5 gr. of Alliant Red Dot. Sweet shooting and tight groups. I only used the Cowboy brass in my 45 ACP cylinders

[@johnzx6r]

Red Dot is one of my favorite powders. What I've been trying to do is find a load with lighter bullets. I'm hoping that I will find something that is accurate and hits closer to point of aim.

[@Codevil.]

I wish I could ask you opinion , between the Ace. And thd 1860 snub nose. I'm always talking Pietta

[@johnzx6r]

If I were using it only with the percussion cylinder, I'd take the 1860. With conversion cylinder, the Ace is far better.

[@JohnSmith-eh1kw]

First! Love the videos!

[@johnzx6r]

Wow! Talk about quick on the draw! Glad you like them!

[@thickoc4539]

How well do the kerr bullets to with the 1860 3inch? Do they differ from the Ace?

[@johnzx6r]

Haven't tried them yet in the 3" 1860. It is on the agenda, though.

[@thickoc4539]

Nice, 👍 can't wait!

[@darthsquidious215]

So does fit in a standard 45lc chamber or is is it its own chamber?

[@johnzx6r]

Works in anything chambered in .45lc. At least in revolvers - it may be too short to feed through a .45 Colt lever action.

[@darthsquidious215]

​@@johnzx6r interesting. I wonder what the advantages are of using the shorter cases vs just light loading the cases. I'd think extra distance the bullet would have to travel to reach the forcing cone wouldn't be good. Would using that light of a load in a long case be a saftey issue? I honestly don't know much about reloading.

[@johnzx6r]

@@darthsquidious215 Primarily the powder burns much more efficiently when you are using such small charges. When using small powder charges in a large case like the .45 Colt, you can get some wide variances in velocities depending on how the powder is positioned in the case. That can be mitigated quite a bit by using a smaller capacity case. Old Ranger did a couple good videos on this, if you haven't seen them: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6iWeYuQrZ2YqK8 I'm not sure accuracy suffers all that much by the bullet having to travel more to the forcing cone. In fact, the groups I got out of the snub 1860 with the Cowboy loads were better than some I got with the .45 Colt out of that revolver.

[@danibles1648]

I have a 1851 steel frame pietta. Can these howell conversion cylinders actually handle normal 45 ammo or just cowboy? If its safe for more than lead i want to try legigh max expasnion its 850fps sounds ok in theory imo

[@johnzx6r]

I have read that some people have used non-cowboy ammo in these, and it seemed to handle it OK. I think you would be pushing your luck with them, though. The cylinders would handle it, but the guns are just not made for those kinds of pressures, and I think you really run the risk of damaging something using heavier loads.

[@williamgillette4086]

I will handle it till it dont. U wanna bet on when that will be?

[@beargillium2369]

I do not understand how you can not blink when the gun goes off! Years of practice i guess but I don't think I'll ever be at that point

[@johnzx6r]

It does take a lot of practice - but even with the practice I still do blink sometimes. You can see it in a few of my other videos where I blink when the shot goes off, but for the most part I'm able not to.

[@6.5x55]

Lighter bullet will shoot lower in that 60 snubbie...less muzzle rise

[@johnzx6r]

Yep - I have some light bullets (165gr) on order. Once they come in I'm going to load some up and try them out in the snubbie and see how it does.

[@peterchristlieb]

Might shoot better with a hollow base bullet

[@jason60chev]

Just like many CAS shooters….”gaming” the system to get any kind of advantage. “Gotta win, win,win” no matter what. Would be more impressive if they “won” using full power 😊black powder loaded 45 Colt. I’d have more respect for them.

[@johnzx6r]

Yeah, there are always going to be those that play that way.