I am sure that individuals have tried everything imaginable, myself included in that number. I saw this once and it was claimed to have worked: An extra cylinder had all of the nipple areas turned off leaving a long shank with the ratchets intact so that the cylinder turned normally. The new breechface had only a single firing pin. The bottom of the breech piece rested upon the lower frame snugly so it could not move. The long shank left over from turning the nipples off went through the new breech to align with its normal components. Everything was said to have worked just fine, but the already tiny rims of the 45 Colt cartridges had to be reduced even more so that they could enter the chambers freely. This was on an 1851 Navy steel framed replica . I was once told that one man bored his chambers slightly out of line with the bore at the rear of the cylinder so that 45 rims were not a problem. Depending on how much out line the rear of that cylinder was really makes me wonder how long that gun held together. I have made Rimless 45 Colt cases from 6.5X55 brass because the rim really is not needed in a single action revolver. I have also expanded 308 Winchester cases to 45 caliber and trimmed them to seat snugly at the cartridge mouths lip inside the cylinder. This could be done to get around the obvious rim at the rear of conversion cylinders. Just a thought. I regularly make Rimless 45 Colt's, Rimless 357's, Rimless 30-30's, and others, just in case rimmed brass ever becomes unavailable and I have to have cartridges from somewheres.
