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Need a little help I just bought an 1866 it is a centerfire factory converted can anybody tell me what it takes for ammo 4440 seems to be a little too long.
March 31, 2009
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I believe the S&W 44 Special brass will work as far as the diameter is concerned. You will have to make or find someone to pour some .445″ healed bullets. I swage down some .452″ then cut the heal.
What serial number range is your gun? Is this one of the ones that was exported?
June 4, 2017
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How do you know it is factory converted? T/R
I’m just taking the word of the guy I bought it from it was a rimfire now it is centerfire
June 4, 2017
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Unless the gun is marked as such I think 40574 would most likely have been converted outside the factory. Period conversions were easy and simple, they filed the two striker points off and inserted a firing pin in the piston or welded a tit on the threaded end of the piston. Converting back is easy, you can buy the strikers and file off the point on the piston. What Winchester called the “piston” most people call the firing pin. The striker threads on the end of the piston.
I have converted a couple back to rim fire thinking I was making the gun original, which I was, but now with people wanting to shoot a 66 that might be a mistake. If you are going to shoot or install a live round in your gun make sure the piston and striker assembly is free and properly adjusted in the breech pin base. If not as you chamber a live round it can go off. These black powder guns have corroded parts stuck together that should move independently. T/R
Tr I took the gun to my gunsmith the firing pin was stuck he went through the whole gun now everything is working properly! I also found brass from Buffalo arms made from 44s&w
June 4, 2017
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Jim,
Glad to hear that, have fun. T/R
March 31, 2009
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I have converted a couple back to rim fire thinking I was making the gun original, which I was, but now with people wanting to shoot a 66 that might be a mistake. If you are going to shoot or install a live round in your gun make sure the piston and striker assembly is free and properly adjusted in the breech pin base. If not as you chamber a live round it can go off. These black powder guns have corroded parts stuck together that should move independently. T/R
If you find another of these I’ll buy the modified piston. 
I’ve been thinking of buying a striker and piston to modify. I’ve been told the 66 and Henry pistons are not the same length?
