[Nightcrawler]

I emailed Smith & Wesson to see about getting my 6" M57 shortened to 4". I'd prefer, I think (they look best) a 4" full underlug barrel. That, and a nice matte finish (the bluing is rich and gorgeous, but I leave fingerprints) perhaps. I think a 4" .41 will come close to being the perfect, eclectic, powerful revolver for me.

Yes, I could've just got a .44, but I just gotta be me! :D I like the forty-one magnum round. It's...cool. And, unlike .44 Mag, they can stuff it into a snubby. (There's just something appealing about a 175 grain Silvertip-loaded 5-shot snubby, heh.)

We'll see what they say. If the Performance Center can't help, can anyone recommend a custom shop? Someplace not too expensive, quality, with fast turnaround.

[Robert inOregon]

May want to find a four inch barrel and call it a day. Cut, crown and sight install is running about $200. A factory barrel cost almost half that amount. Satin blue finish will put your project another 120 bucks in the hole. And don't forget to factor in shipping cost. N frames with a four inch pipe look cool (3 3/4 is perfect!), but at a high price when little or no parts are available. There are blued barrels in circulation. May try hunting one down and have a local do the work.

http://home.earthlink.net/~pkalfonso/s_w657plainvanilla.jpg

[Nightcrawler]

There literally aren't any gunsmiths in my area, muchless ones qualified to rebarrel a revolver.

I know it's going to probably cost me as much as I paid for the gun ($350 was a steal for a revolver that barely has the line around the cylinder...it's mint), but it'll get me what I REALLY want, without trying to hunt down a second .41 Mag. Besides, the 6" tube just feels a bit too long and unweildy to my hands.

If Smith can't do it, I'll try Clark Custom, see what they can do. I know they rebarrel revolvers, and they have barrels in .41.

[caz223]

Let me know how it turns out.
I threatned to do this very thing not too long ago.
It would prolly push me over the edge to see others do it as well.
Mine will prolly be easier to do, as it's a 657, and stainless barrels don't require refinishing after chop, crown, setback, and dovetail work.

[41mag M&P]

I just looked at Numrich (www.e-gunparts.com). They have a 4" bbl for the 57 (no -#) here (http://www.e-gunparts.com/productschem.asp?chrMasterModel=1980z57) (item 56). The cost is $131.55.

[Robert inOregon]

It would prolly push me over the edge to see others do it as well. Mine will prolly be easier to do, as it's a 657, and stainless barrels don't require refinishing after chop, crown, setback, and dovetail work.

Gun pictured above "was" a 6 inch gun (657!) before its circumcision. There are aftermarket products in the pipe that allow a stock look without having to cut a dovetail.

Here's a link to a "in process" conversion.

http://www.sdmfabricating.com/4_conversion.html