[klover]

Pick up a really nice blued model 29 with a six inch barrell. The old four inch barrell came with the gun (original). I'd really like to put it back into the way it was.
Mechanically it looks nice, and is a 4 screw. Some dummy also dinked the side plate.
I understand that it takes a special frame jig. Could someone post a pic of the jig? I would like to try to do it myself. Thanks.

[HSMITH]

Just send it to S&W IMO, it will likely be less than $75 and they can check headspace, barrel/cylinder gap, and timing while they are at it.


If you must do it yourself you can clamp it in a vise with two 1x4" boards for soft jaws cut out to fit the frame.

If it were me I would send it out.........

[model 649]

Some jobs are best left to professionals.
Josh

[dfariswheel]

Sorry to say, but this is how fine revolvers get trashed out.

Rebarreling is NO job for a do-it-yourself project unless you're willing to invest a considerable amount of money in the proper tooling and learn how to use it.

Revolver barrels are NOT just pieces of threaded pipe that can be screwed on and off at will.
Among other things, you have to cut the barrel shoulder on a lathe to put the front sight at 12:00, then you have to cut the rear of the barrel to establish the barrel/cylinder gap, then re-cut the forcing cone to a VERY EXACT spec.

All this takes some fairly expensive tooling and measuring gages, and there are NO "expediant" methods of doing it that won't ruin the gun.

The old stand by of clamping the barrel in some wood blocks and using a hammer handle to twist the frame off is pretty well guarenteed to spring the frame or crack the thin area under the barrel threads in the frame.

I strongly suggest sending this in to S&W or another qualified pistolsmith with the right tools and knowledge to do it right.

No BS, I've seen WAY too many "used to be nice" guns that aren't anymore because someone figured to save a few bucks and do it at home.

You've already got a case of "Some dummy also dinked the side plate".
Don't finish the job of ruining an expensive S&W.

[klover]

This barrell was on this gun before, it is the original.
Exact it probably was.
If the new barrell was spaced to a new cylinder location, and the original barrell is not now a fit, then I could send it off or put the new barrell back on.
Exact is something I can meassure with feeler gages, no?
Anyways, I've 15 years in cnc, manual machining, and mold making. I would like to get some skill going toward guns.
Been thinking about bobbing the original barrell to a two inch and removing the rear target sight with a "homemade job".
I've got some tools.
Perhaps I could preserve the value of the piece by bobbing the six without removing it from the gun. The four inch barrell has that deep blue unlike anything since.
Thanks for your honest opinions, and they will be heeded with due respect.

[molonlabe]

Here is a start on some of the tools you may need.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/AdvancedSearch.aspx?c=1295

Since you have machining experience I would expect you to be able to anticipate potential problems. You may not do any better or worse that some smiths I have known. Educate yourself before proceeding and good luck.