[Gato Montés]

I've had the six inch stainless steel model for about a year now. I absolutely love the gun but, as others have mentioned, it tends to be quite front heavy. So I have decided to send her off for a little surgery. Any of you guys know a pistol smith who could conduct such an operation?

[Chaps]

Why not just buy a half-lug version and sell the one you have?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/rsdirect/Guns/GP100-1.jpg

[grimjaw]

Agreed with Chaps. Try to find the half-lug version, or look into a Security Six.

jm

[Markbo]

Definitely the better option. While it is not difficult to mill off that lug, there would be some time (= $$) finishing it up. You would be better off money wise to just get a different gun.

OR... just cut the whole barrel/lug back. That can be done, with a new target crown for less than $100.

[20nickels]

Markbo,
Who is doing this for under $100?

[Markbo]

DOH! Sorry... I was thinking rifle barrel. You have to reinstall the sight, though that dovetailed front sight would be pretty easy. $150-$175 is more accurate. Thanks for the question! :o

[GP100man]

5" full lug is perfect all around sd, hd, woods revolver bar none!!
the bigger the woods though the bigger i like the bore dia., but 5 " is good on alot of calibers, wonder why the manufactures have`nt produced em in mass ????
i love a 625 with a 5" tube!!!!!& have handled a GP with a 5" barrel PERFECT BALANCE


GP100man

[The Lone Haranguer]

I know of these guys:
Gary Reeder (http://reedercustomguns.com)
Hamilton Bowen (http://bowenclassicarms.com)

Such work (machining, recontouring and refinishing) would probably rival the cost of a new gun with the barrel you already want, as well as changing the barrel (if you can find one) in your existing gun.

[Moonclip]

When was the 1/2 lug discontinued?

[Gato Montés]

I guess I was under the impression that this would not be an overly expensive procedure. I mean how much are we talking here? I know cylinder and slide charges $250 for shortening the barrel, recrowning, and installing a front sight. I'm ignorant in this regard, but it seems altering a full lug to a half lug would cost less than that.

And I think they discontinued the half lug after a short run in 2003.

[Moonclip]

Are 6" 1/2 lugs rarer than 4" 1/2 lugs?

[Chaps]

When was the 1/2 lug discontinued?

I just bought the one pictured above and the box had 2007 on it so they made a few up until last year. If someone wants a new one I think the place I got this one has one left, I'll check & repost.

[Jim March]

Well...what's really needed is a slack-belt grinder. Most of the lug can be rough-cut away with a hacksaw, and then polished down on the belt grinder. The real trick would be to avoid over-heating it and ruining the heat-treat...that means going REAL slow, preferrably with an oil spray attachment aimed right at the area being ground. That gets messy.

Meh.

Another possibility: leave the lug in place, but drill down through it in from the front.

Hey...sick thought...done right, you could add a 50cal muzzle-loader barrel down there? Screw in a primer cap nipple, rig a trigger...ummm...yeah :).

[Chaps]

Another possibility: leave the lug in place, but drill down through it in from the front.

Hey...sick thought...done right, you could add a 50cal muzzle-loader barrel down there? Screw in a primer cap nipple, rig a trigger...ummm...yeah

. . . or mill a flat mount surface on the bottom to take one of those three sided picatinny rails so a guy could add some tacticool accessories :p

[Brian Williams]

I ground off the lug on a S&W 586 and it took about 3 hours with a little home grinder while keeping the barrel cool to the touch and taking my time, a belt would have made it easier.

[RyanM]

. . . or mill a flat mount surface on the bottom to take one of those three sided picatinny rails so a guy could add some tacticool accessories

Could make a .50 cal barrel with a quick-detatch underbarrel mount, and have both!

Actually, that gives me an idea... A muzzleloading version of the M203 would be neither a Title I nor Title II firearm. Now, who's a manufacturer we could convince to make something like that? And, given the fact that some muzzleloaders use primed .25 ACP cases instead of a cap, it may be legal to make it so the muzzleloading M203 barrel is sized so that a .38 S&W blank will fit in the back, exactly like a practice round...