Big Bore carry/general purpose outdoorsmen revolver pic and discussion thread

I just put a 8 3/8 S&W 29-3 on layaway. The finish is poor, it's been abused and looks bad. The action was surprisingly good and it doesn't appear to have been shot too much. I couldn't help myself. I want to save it by chopping the barrel to 5 inches and refinishing it. SDM isn't taking new work and frank Glenn doesn't list rebluing but I haven't called him. The finish has so many scratches, scrapes and a little patina that it might be too much to reblue. Maybe hard chrome or a trip to Robar? Suggestions?

Cerakote?

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Originally Posted by Poconnor

I just put a 8 3/8 S&W 29-3 on layaway. The finish is poor, it's been abused and looks bad. The action was surprisingly good and it doesn't appear to have been shot too much. I couldn't help myself. I want to save it by chopping the barrel to 5 inches and refinishing it. SDM isn't taking new work and frank Glenn doesn't list rebluing but I haven't called him. The finish has so many scratches, scrapes and a little patina that it might be too much to reblue. Maybe hard chrome or a trip to Robar? Suggestions?

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IMO the coolest classics have the worst finishes so . . . ;)

Great project idea.

Puerto Rican police trade in post Robar if you want an idea of what can be done.

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Originally Posted by Poconnor

SDM isn't taking new work and frank Glenn doesn't list rebluing but I haven't called him.

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Frank has reblued a ton of stuff for me. and he cut down a 6" police positive a few years back:

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h3...5C16E61859.jpg

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Originally Posted by theJanitor

Frank has reblued a ton of stuff for me. and he cut down a 6" police positive a few years back:

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h3...5C16E61859.jpg

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If you still have that, I have a very good home for it......just sayin.

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Originally Posted by nyeti

If you still have that, I have a very good home for it......just sayin.

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If we ever need to trap Nyeti, I suggest we use the stick-and-box trap, a trail of collectible revolvers, and a sign that reads "Free Mustache Grooming Inside".

:D

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Originally Posted by BehindBlueI's

If we ever need to trap Nyeti, I suggest we use the stick-and-box trap, a trail of collectible revolvers, and a sign that reads "Free Mustache Grooming Inside".

:D

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A Nyeti equivalent of "Free Bird Seed".

Actually, this just worked. My "Grail" revolver got posted for sale on another forum this morning. I have lusted for one since Roy Huntington got his from Bowen in 2000. Really the inspiration of "when I turn 50, I want to collect cool old wheelguns". This is what bird seed looks like, and fits this thread. Hamilton Bowen 38/44 HD converted to .45 Colt....

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Originally Posted by nyeti

Actually, this just worked.

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Saw that. beautiful

Ah crap..... I think I just coveted.

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Originally Posted by theJanitor

Saw that. beautiful

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I saw it "over there", as well. It looked gorgeous. Glad it went to a good home.


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Just acquired a model 69 and like it quite a lot. CT laser grips help my old eyes with quick target acquisition.

Attachment 9663

Slightly smaller and lighter than a 629, it carries well and still packs .44 magnum power.

Digiroc

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Originally Posted by nyeti

Actually, this just worked. My "Grail" revolver got posted for sale on another forum this morning. I have lusted for one since Roy Huntington got his from Bowen in 2000. Really the inspiration of "when I turn 50, I want to collect cool old wheelguns". This is what bird seed looks like, and fits this thread. Hamilton Bowen 38/44 HD converted to .45 Colt....

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Looks cool, I'll have to get one. But can you, or would you, actually shoot it?

Digiroc

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Originally Posted by Digiroc

Looks cool, I'll have to get one. But can you, or would you, actually shoot it?

Digiroc

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Even though it is a hen's tooth, horribly expensive and likely not replaceable.....yea, this one is going to be an actual shooter. I am very good about not shooting rare older guns. Because of what this is, I feel,it was almost made for me and I am at a place in life where putting actual earned wear on this one will be okay. Much of what I hoard is hoarded with a plan of selling them off later in life if my kid doesn't want them (right now she does and realizes it is a collection worth keeping). The Bowen .45 Colt is one of those things I want on the nightstand at the old folks home.

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Originally Posted by nyeti

... I am at a place in life where putting actual earned wear on this one will be okay... The Bowen .45 Colt is one of those things I want on the nightstand at the old folks home.

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Just wondering if such a rare and old gun can withstand the pressures of the 45 Colt, From what I have gathered your old folks home nightstand better be a conference table.

Digiroc

More like two Trump-sized conference tables...

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Originally Posted by coldcase1984

More like two Trump-sized conference tables...

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Guilty. Plus, the Columbian Twin nurses.....at least that is the plan.

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Originally Posted by Digiroc

Just wondering if such a rare and old gun can withstand the pressures of the 45 Colt, From what I have gathered your old folks home nightstand better be a conference table.

Digiroc

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SAAMI pressure limit for the .45 Colt is only 14,000 PSI. That's even lower than .38 Special, which is 17,000. The gun won't even break a sweat.

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Originally Posted by irascible_joe

SAAMI pressure limit for the .45 Colt is only 14,000 PSI... The gun won't even break a sweat.

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As the father of the 454 Casull I presumed the 45 Colt with modern smokeless powder, as opposed to the original black powder load, would develop more pressure. Thanks for educating me. Some handholds and factory manufactured cartridges do put this round in the same class as the .44 Magnum so choice of ammo for nyeti with this rare custom revolver will be critical.

Digiroc

One of the beauty's of .45 Colt is you can run it from one end of the spectrum to the other. I even have some Ruger large frame only black powder loads that are like summoning Thor when you press the trigger. For most stuff, I run Silvertip.

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Originally Posted by Digiroc

As the father of the 454 Casull I presumed the 45 Colt with modern smokeless powder, as opposed to the original black powder load, would develop more pressure. Thanks for educating me. Some handholds and factory manufactured cartridges do put this round in the same class as the .44 Magnum so choice of ammo for nyeti with this rare custom revolver will be critical.

Digiroc

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The SAAMI standard is going to stay low forever; Colt SAA cylinders are basically paper-thin over the bolt notch, and older guns were made with low-alloy, un-heat-treated steel. They just can't take any more pressure, at least not with a reasonable safety margin.

As you mentioned, handloaders and some boutique ammo companies load much hotter, and the cartridge can meet or beat .44 Magnum performance in a suitably strong gun. This article by John Linebaugh provides a lot of good info on what the .45 Colt can do in a strong, modern gun.

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Originally Posted by nyeti

Guilty. Plus, the Columbian Twin nurses.....at least that is the plan.

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I just coveted and drooled at the same time!

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Originally Posted by nyeti

One of the beauty's of .45 Colt is you can run it from one end of the spectrum to the other. I even have some Ruger large frame only black powder loads that are like summoning Thor when you press the trigger. For most stuff, I run Silvertip.

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45 colt and black powder is so much fun. (Insert big smiley face here but I don't know how) So much smoke. Having to back away from the target so you don't have to pat out the embers when shooting at 3 yards. Having a small look into what the shootist over a 100 years ago dealt with during and after shooting. How difficult it was to shoot 50 rounds due to fouling. Fouling that turns into crud. Having to use a stick to push out the fired cases. Really, it was fun. For just the one time I did that.
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/e...rtyguns001.jpg


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Originally Posted by serialsolver

45 colt and black powder is so much fun. (Insert big smiley face here but I don't know how) So much smoke. Having to back away from the target so you don't have to pat out the embers when shooting at 3 yards. Having a small look into what the shootist over a 100 years ago dealt with during and after shooting. How difficult it was to shoot 50 rounds due to fouling. Fouling that turns into crud. Having to use a stick to push out the fired cases. Really, it was fun. For just the one time I did that.
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/e...rtyguns001.jpg

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What bullet and bullet lube did you use?

Ive shot black in cartridges, the only time I had real problems was using the Speer soft swaged 44 bullets with no discernible lube. They have some sort of dry lube that didnt work all that great even with light smokeless loads. Gun design matters also. Rugers weren't designed for shooting black. If you look at small details of Colts, the way the cylinder bushing is V'ed to redirect fouling away from the base pin, and I believe the so-called "black powder bevel" on the front edge of the cylinder also helps. Those things and others add up to better performance with black fouling. Some modern black powder is nastier than that used in the past also, according to some that use various powders. It isn't a simple given that any cartridges loaded with (real) black and any ordinary bullet/lube combination are a clear example of how black powder cartridges performed in the past. Bullet lube plays an important part in alleviating fouling affects, as does powder compression and brand and granulation size for the particular cartridge.

Cleanup with good black loads can be simpler than some cleanup with certain smokeless loads. I never understood why some considered it a tortuous ordeal. The loads they used may have direct bearing on that though. Modern 45 Colt cases are also heavier/thicker and don't seal the chamber as well as older cases, which are still exemplified by 44-40 cases, which are usually preferred by black powder cartridge shooters because they seal the chamber much better. Modern 45 Colt cases can be annealed to help with that aspect.

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Originally Posted by Malamute

What bullet and bullet lube did you use?

Ive shot black in cartridges, the only time I had real problems was using the Speer soft swaged 44 bullets with no discernible lube. They have some sort of dry lube that didnt work all that great even with light smokeless loads. Gun design matters also. Rugers weren't designed for shooting black. If you look at small details of Colts, the way the cylinder bushing is V'ed to redirect fouling away from the base pin, and I believe the so-called "black powder bevel" on the front edge of the cylinder also helps. Those things and others add up to better performance with black fouling. Some modern black powder is nastier than that used in the past also, according to some that use various powders. It isn't a simple given that any cartridges loaded with (real) black and any ordinary bullet/lube combination are a clear example of how black powder cartridges performed in the past. Bullet lube plays an important part in alleviating fouling affects, as does powder compression and brand and granulation size for the particular cartridge.

Cleanup with good black loads can be simpler than some cleanup with certain smokeless loads. I never understood why some considered it a tortuous ordeal. The loads they used may have direct bearing on that though. Modern 45 Colt cases are also heavier/thicker and don't seal the chamber as well as older cases, which are still exemplified by 44-40 cases, which are usually preferred by black powder cartridge shooters because they seal the chamber much better. Modern 45 Colt cases can be annealed to help with that aspect.

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I loaded up some lasercast 250 rfn over a case full of a black powder substitute that I had acquired. Not really a proper black powder load but what I could replicate. I wouldn't consider it a "tortuous ordeal" but there was a lot of fouling that made the ruger slower to operate but not unusable. It was a fun experience.


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Originally Posted by nyeti

One of the beauty's of .45 Colt is you can run it from one end of the spectrum to the other. I even have some Ruger large frame only black powder loads that are like summoning Thor when you press the trigger. For most stuff, I run Silvertip.

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I bought a Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan snub-gun, and installed the original, pre-Hogue GP100 factory grip. This grip was, apparently, designed by a twin brother, from whom I was mysteriously separated at birth. No grip works so well, in each of my hands, for one-handed and two-handed shooting.

This SRH Alaskan may well become my daily carry gun, after retirement, when my left side will become my new "strong" side. (Until I am sure I will default to a lefty draw, I will continue carry something at 0300, too; probably a compact Glock or SP101*.) Carry ammo will be determined, but no Casull-level stuff, for sure. The .44 and .41 Magnums I fired in the Eighties are almost certainly a large part of why my right thumb and wrist ache and ail today.

I live in an area surrounded by "soft" targets, so if the Lord decides to "send me," well, I will pick my shots carefully, and make big holes, to the best of my ability. (Keep in mind that the GP100 grip is the best of the best for my hands; nothing is better for me to pick my shots carefully.)

*A second gun remains a good idea, even in retirement, but after lefty carry becomes my conditioned default, "Gun Junior" might migrate to a different position than 0300.)

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Originally Posted by serialsolver

I loaded up some lasercast 250 rfn over a case full of a black powder substitute that I had acquired. Not really a proper black powder load but what I could replicate. I wouldn't consider it a "tortuous ordeal" but there was a lot of fouling that made the ruger slower to operate but not unusable. It was a fun experience.

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You didn't say it was a tortious ordeal, but posters Ive seen elsewhere seem to have that impression. When I tried it as a kid in my Super Blackhawk, I had to dunk the barrel and cylinder in the river and run a wet brush through it to loosen it up. It had nearly seized up from fouling. I later found out there was a bit of a knack to it to make it more enjoyable.

That load gave you a taste of it, but real black with good bullets and lube may make it a little more fun, and the gun run longer without gumming up. If you get over to Castboolits forum, they have a black powder cartridge section, a guy that goes by W30WCF does a fair bit of load work and experimentation with black and duplicating original loads in some things. Its fun reading.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...Powder-Journey

I asked him if hed done a post on 45 Colt black powder loads, he referred me to this thread he posted on the cowboy action forum. He sues the name W44WCF there.

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/ind...html#msg689833

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Originally Posted by Malamute

You didn't say it was a tortious ordeal, but posters Ive seen elsewhere seem to have that impression. When I tried it as a kid in my Super Blackhawk, I had to dunk the barrel and cylinder in the river and run a wet brush through it to loosen it up. It had nearly seized up from fouling. I later found out there was a bit of a knack to it to make it more enjoyable.

That load gave you a taste of it, but real black with good bullets and lube may make it a little more fun, and the gun run longer without gumming up. If you get over to Castboolits forum, they have a black powder cartridge section, a guy that goes by W30WCF does a fair bit of load work and experimentation with black and duplicating original loads in some things. Its fun reading.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...Powder-Journey

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We're in agreement about what other posts have said. I used your terminology cause I liked it. My vaquero didn't seize up but I needed to muscle through the fouling to cock it. I did very much appreciate the stainless steel. Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.


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If I get into black powder stuff, I want to get a replica Colt Walker conversion and ream it for .45 BPM.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.45_Black_Powder_Magnum

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Originally Posted by Bigghoss

If I get into black powder stuff, I want to get a replica Colt Walker conversion and ream it for .45 BPM.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.45_Black_Powder_Magnum

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It would be fun, but the Walkers are real honkers of a gun. Big and heavy. I think the Dragoons were a big improvement, though still not exactly handy to carry. The Dragoons were well thought of for killing buffalo and horses though.

Compared to the earlier Walker/Dragoon sized guns, the SAA was quite sleek and svelte. It still feels that way to me. In 45 cal, even with black powder loads its fairly potent. 255's @ 930-some fps in the 7 1/2" guns.

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Originally Posted by Malamute

It would be fun

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That's all it needs to be.

Added a 7.5" Redhawk to the .44 collection. It will compliment the 4" version.

I used to have a 5.5" that ended up at my dad's house. I never cared for the balance.

The 7.5" will be the "heavy for caliber" lead launcher/ hunting piece.



http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...psdxcr4lu8.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...pshl61trjl.jpg

I just realized that we hit page 44 on this thread.

This calls for more posting of .44 handguns!

Followed by page .45!

Those look like some LBT WFNs that are good to go, ready for launch next to those 'hawks.

360 is as heavy as I've fired from a revolver.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/TP...=w1000-h669-no

2 44s for page 44

That is exactly what they are. They are my "Dinosaur Stoppers".

Cool Ruger/Marlin combo. :)

My super Blackhawk. It has been in the safe for awhile. A long while. It has out lasted several n frames. Like a real nice 4" m29. Then there was the 329 craze that I went thru. Talk about a beating, them n frames just hammer my hand. The super Blackhawk is the only revolver that I can tolerate shooting 44mag in. That's what got the super out of the safe.

It's just a solid gun with honest holster wear from the previous owner. It has the most beautiful plum colored frame that the picture does not do justice to. An old model made in 1962 that has no collector value since it went back to ruger for new lock work. So I fixed it up the way I wanted. I shortened the barrel. The dragoon grip frame didn't fit my hand and a new model grip frame is much better and is the reason for the change. My favorite 44 mag.

I'm still looking for my first successful handgun hunting experience. The super is going to help me with that.
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/e...ps7tty3pzq.jpg



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Originally Posted by Lost River

I just realized that we hit page 44 on this thread.

This calls for more posting of .44 handguns!

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Depends on your settings. My computer has it on page 11.

So let's see those 11-watt plasma guns!

:D

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Originally Posted by Stephanie B

Depends on your settings. My computer has it on page 11.

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Mind. Blown.

:eek:

Would a 4"+ round butt .44 mag be considered sacrilege?