[Nightcrawler]

For those of you that recall, I'm the happy owner of a matched pair of S&W N-Frames, a 25-5 in .45 Colt and a 57 in .41 Magnum. Both are square butt, have 6" barrels, and both cost me less than $400 out the door. So, they're shooters, not collector's items.

When I bought the 57, my dealer told me that I missed a 4" .41 mag by about three days. :banghead: I REALLY would've preferred a 4", in both .41 and .45.

But then I read another thread, where someone was asking about getting a 4" .41. Robert in Oregon and Tamara made a suggestion: Make one.

Here's the one Tamara made:

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=99356

It apparently started life as a 6"er, too.

So, since neither of my guns are collectors items (and I wouldn't have bought them if they were too rare to shoot), I've thought about getting them similarly customized.

Who'd be the best person to send them to for getting a 4" tube installed and other custom features? I don't care about devaluation; I'm never going to sell these two.

[Boats]

I'd humbly suggest the S&W Performance Center.

[ACP230]

Cylinder & Slide in Fremont, Nebraska has done some good revolver work for me.

[Standing Wolf]

I recommend http://www.cylinder-slide.com for revolver work. The good folks there are slow and expensive, but reliable.

I've had several barrels ported and crowned and several hammers and triggers jewelled at http://www.magnaport.com

[Nightcrawler]

Well, what would be best for barrel length alteration? I have two 6" N-Frames and want two 4" N-frames. Would it be more cost effective to have the existing barrels cut or new barrels installed?

[Mannlicher]

Robert Wilson of Wizard's Custom Guns in Ocala Fl has done some really good work for me on N Frame Smiths. The last one was a 25-5, that along with the other custom workon the revolver, he also produced and fitted an extra cylinder in .45 ACP.

[Jim March]

To chop or swap?

I'd ask myself how well the current barrels shoot. If they're accurate, chopping is more likely the way to go on anything other than a Python (don't chop a barrel that's internally tapered!).

If swapping, a shorter factory barrel will limit the choices available on the front sight. A shorter aftermarket barrel will allow you to add whatever front ramp you want; Ashley and others have a front ramp with a dovetail for a whole series of different heights of front sight. That's what I'd want; it can be added to a chopped factory tube or aftermarket but a short factory tube will need to have the existing ramp ripped or ground off first, which can be a pain in some cases because it's integral to the barrel steel.