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O.S.O.K, I would agree with you except we were talking about R&D conversion cylinders used in an 1858 Remington replica. I haven't been able to track down where R&D themselves say this, but the places that sell them (such as Midway USA, from whom I stole the following) say things like:
"These drop-in cylinders allow you to fire centerfire ammunition in your blackpowder revolver. They will convert your blackpowder revolver to fire "Cowboy" ammunition."
They always say something about using cowboy ammunition, and that the cylinders are for use in steel-framed guns only, not brass.
I ramble. Sorry. My point is that whether or not the steel-framed 1858 replicas really are strong enough to handle standard .45 Colt loads, people who sell R&Ds seem to think they aren't. I'd be reluctant to push it.
Obviously, you COULD make an 1858 Remington strong enough for standard .45 Colt smokeless loads. There's plenty of steel there. It would only be a matter of picking the right steel and treating it properly. It might only be a matter of nobody ever having tested the frames to see whether they are strong enough. However, I for one wouldn't want to be the one to do the testing. I don't have proper laboratory tools, so my only means of testing this would be to load up, go out on the range, and see whether I ended up picking bits of exploded revolver out of my teeth.
Of course, I also don't HAVE to shoot .45 Colt cartridges in a 1858 Remmie, because I also have a .45 Colt cartridge gun-- an Uberti Schofield, to be exact. It sure would be nice to have a conversion that could fire cap and ball AND full-power .45 Colts, for those with only the money or only the safe storage space for one revolver. I hope the conversions that come from the factory with two cylinders-- Taylors and Company sells one-- would work that way. But I don't know.
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