Long Hunter's premier '51 Navy

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Dovetail blade in front, square notch in the hammer. Perhaps not what modern shooters would call "target" sights, but if you ordered them on an original Colt, this is essentially what you would have gotten.
 
.38 Special said:
Big brown Santa Claus truck just dropped off my new London model with target sights. Obviously haven't had a chance to shoot it yet, but everything looks/feels pretty good so far. More pics/shooting report later, if anyone is interested.
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Interested. More interested in mfr., dealer, date code, price, etc. By the V-shape of the loading aperture on the barrel lug it looks like an Uberti, not a Pietta.

Edit: Just looked at the Long Hunter website. If you paid that much for it, it had better work flawlessly.

Jim
 
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expat_alaska said:
Interested. More interested in mfr., dealer, date code, price, etc. By the V-shape of the loading aperture on the barrel lug it looks like an Uberti, not a Pietta.

Edit: Just looked at the Long Hunter website. If you paid that much for it, it had better work flawlessly.

Jim
Click to expand...

Made by a gentleman associated with Long Hunter's in Texas. Taylor's parts, which I understand to be Uberti, are apparently ordered in the rough and finished by hand. I paid more for it than you see on the website, as I asked for several special options. The total cost is about what I expect to pay for any custom revolver, and yes, I expect near-perfection. Will report back after shooting.
 
.38 Special said:
Dovetail blade in front, square notch in the hammer. Perhaps not what modern shooters would call "target" sights, but if you ordered them on an original Colt, this is essentially what you would have gotten.
Click to expand...

The dovetailed front sight might be adequate for windage, but there is no provision for elevation. That front sight is still too short for any POA/POI at much less than 60 yards.

I have a photo of a Navy Arms 1860 Army produced in 1970 (date code XXVI) that is not a one-off gun but was a production model with target sights.

Navy-Arms-1860-Army-Target-001.png

Navy-Arms-1860-Army-Target-004.jpg

Navy-Arms-1860-Army-Target-002.jpg

Regards,

Jim
 
.38 Special,

I am sincerely interested in learning more about your revolver, particularly the way the LH smith fixed the normal Uberti poor arbor-to-arbor-recess gap. If you could possibly take a couple of photos of the arbor (side and an end views) I would very much appreciate it. I have addressed that problem before with one of mine, but I would like to see their take on it. I also like the LH anti-cap-jam shelf as opposed to the post-type cape rake.

Thank you in advance, sir!

Regards,

Jim
 
Expat_Alaska, Now that’s an interesting arrangement and something I consider as target sights. Wonder if the hammer spur is cut down in order for a clear view thru the rear sight.
 
I will work on better photos over the next few days, and will try to get some good shots of the areas you mentioned. I have been playing with these things for decades and am used to (but still annoyed by) the extensive "fixing" that almost all of them require out-of-the-box. When I first learned of these "premier" revolvers I was taken aback by the cost, but when I considered how much I pay for custom centerfire revolvers, I decided it to give it a try. The jury is still out, but I am going to keep my fingers crossed.

WRT the sights, I wanted a gun that could prove what a percussion revolver could be, but still wanted to keep it looking at least sort-of original. I have percussion revolvers with adjustable sights, but their appearance leaves me cold. I settled on a compromise, which while more work than fully adjustable sights, still can be zeroed, and are similar to sights found on a few rare originals.
 
whughett said:
Expat_Alaska, Now that’s an interesting arrangement and something I consider as target sights. Wonder if the hammer spur is cut down in order for a clear view thru the rear sight.
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I would not think the hammer spur would interfere, but maybe the hammer nose somewhat. I think the top of the rib is taller than the hammer nose, and the rear rib sight is taller than that.

It must also have been a special run of frames as the vertical ears on the recoils shields on either side of the hammer (to secure the barrel rib at the rear) are part of the frame. In 20/20 hindsight, my non-intuitional brain neglected to save the thread. I believe that they were made by Armi San Marco, but don't quote me on that.

I am done with this subject as I do not want to hijack the OP's thread. Apologies to .38 Special.

Regards,

Jim
 
expat_alaska said:
I would not think the hammer spur would interfere, but maybe the hammer nose somewhat. I think the top of the rib is taller than the hammer nose, and the rear rib sight is taller than that.

It must also have been a special run of frames as the vertical ears on the recoils shields on either side of the hammer (to secure the barrel rib at the rear) are part of the frame. In 20/20 hindsight, my non-intuitional brain neglected to save the thread. I believe that they were made by Armi San Marco, but don't quote me on that.

I am done with this subject as I do not want to hijack the OP's thread. Apologies to .38 Special.

Regards,

Jim
Click to expand...

No worries. Any interesting conversation takes some side roads. For what it is worth I just arrived home and took a moment to look at the arbor. It appears that a hole was drilled in the end of it and a mushroom-shaped steel stud placed into it. I will need to find my magnifier to know for sure, but it is either welded, brazed, or epoxied into place. I hate to say it but I'm thinking JB Weld at the moment. Regardless, not as classy as I'd hoped, but at least the length is exactly right. Pictures when I have time and light.
 
I look forward to the range report. Even after all these years, I'm still a bit surprised how accurate a basic C&B revolver can be with a hammer notch and blade sight. (It's also fun when I can outshoot the Glock guy next to me.) I'm curious about how those squared sights will work.

Jeff
 
Mr.expat alaska i have seen that gun before...i believe we both commented on it when it was posted. Its the first and last of its kins i have ever seen. Very interesting gun indeed.
 
Mr.38 special....does the gun come with the chambers opened up to be .001- .003 over groove diameter? I know they do that work on some of their guns
 
38,
I understand about the "thought" of JB but, I've used it for over 6 yrs and it's a pretty stable adhesive. Since I use a single spacer in the arbor hole to correct the arbor length, I'm switching to a "lock ring" which will expand into a groove to keep the spacer in place. A nice/neat mechanical way to remove the "epoxy" from the service.

Mike
 
.38 Special said:
No worries. Any interesting conversation takes some side roads. For what it is worth I just arrived home and took a moment to look at the arbor. It appears that a hole was drilled in the end of it and a mushroom-shaped steel stud placed into it. I will need to find my magnifier to know for sure, but it is either welded, brazed, or epoxied into place. I hate to say it but I'm thinking JB Weld at the moment. Regardless, not as classy as I'd hoped, but at least the length is exactly right. Pictures when I have time and light.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply!

There are a few ways it can be accomplished. I collect Italian replica revolvers and prefer to keep them as close factory originals as possible. I use .002" shim washers in a stack as a free assembly in the arbor recess to take up the slack and leave the arbor alone in case of resale, or in case I want to install a different barrel. I am a Pietta 1851 Navy parts changer and have 8 different versions (mostly Confederate) using 4 basic guns. This method works well if one keeps the stack with the assigned barrel and wedge.

With your gun, it has very many modifications so as not to resemble a factory gun. That is not a cut, sir. There is another thing to consider, which is the wedge contact at the rear of the arbor slot. If the wedge is too wide when driven in, it may push the barrel off of the frame pins, resulting in a larger barrel/cylinder gap than needed. .002" or less is preferable. Some folks install a small set screw in line with the arbor to limit the wedge travel into the wedge slot, and then install the remedy you described on top of that.

Very much looking forward to pictures.

Regards,

Jim
 
TheOutlawKid said:
Mr.38 special....does the gun come with the chambers opened up to be .001- .003 over groove diameter? I know they do that work on some of their guns
Click to expand...

When I discussed the gun with the builder he told me exactly what I wanted to hear with regard to the dimensional relationships of the barrel and cylinder, so I expect to find perfection there. I have not yet gauged the chambers or slugged the barrel, though.
 
45 Dragoon said:
38,
I understand about the "thought" of JB but, I've used it for over 6 yrs and it's a pretty stable adhesive. Since I use a single spacer in the arbor hole to correct the arbor length, I'm switching to a "lock ring" which will expand into a groove to keep the spacer in place. A nice/neat mechanical way to remove the "epoxy" from the service.

Mike
Click to expand...

In my wildest dream I hoped the raw arbor would be shipped to the maker too long and would then be finished to the proper length. That was always kind of a silly idea but I did have some realistic hope of a tidy solution rather than the same sort of bodge we all do ourselves anyway. Nevertheless, the result is satisfactory, even if it does turn out to be JB Weld.

<edit> I don't, by the way, mean to impugn your work as any sort of a "bodge". I have long admired the guns you put out and look forward to having a few of my own.
 
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expat_alaska said:
Thanks for the reply!

There are a few ways it can be accomplished. I collect Italian replica revolvers and prefer to keep them as close factory originals as possible. I use .002" shim washers in a stack as a free assembly in the arbor recess to take up the slack and leave the arbor alone in case of resale, or in case I want to install a different barrel. I am a Pietta 1851 Navy parts changer and have 8 different versions (mostly Confederate) using 4 basic guns. This method works well if one keeps the stack with the assigned barrel and wedge.

With your gun, it has very many modifications so as not to resemble a factory gun. That is not a cut, sir. There is another thing to consider, which is the wedge contact at the rear of the arbor slot. If the wedge is too wide when driven in, it may push the barrel off of the frame pins, resulting in a larger barrel/cylinder gap than needed. .002" or less is preferable. Some folks install a small set screw in line with the arbor to limit the wedge travel into the wedge slot, and then install the remedy you described on top of that.

Very much looking forward to pictures.

Regards,

Jim
Click to expand...

I usually fix the arbor in a way very similar to what has been done with this Navy gun - drill the arbor and install a brass button which has been turned to the correct thickness.
 
expat_alaska said:
There is another thing to consider, which is the wedge contact at the rear of the arbor slot. If the wedge is too wide when driven in, it may push the barrel off of the frame pins, resulting in a larger barrel/cylinder gap than needed. .002" or less is preferable.

* The only way this happens is when the wedge slot in the arbor is not cut far enough to the rear. The slot (in the arbor) must extend past the wedge slot in the barrel. Installed, the forward side of the wedge is bearing against the forward surface of the slot in the arbor, the rear of the wedge bears against the slot in the barrel ( the two sides of which make up the two rear points of a "triangulation" of which the front point is where the wedge contacts the arbor). That is how the wedge keeps the barrel assy installed on the arbor. Otherwise, if the wedge is contacting the rear of the slot in the arbor as well, there can't be any tension applied to the barrel assy nor will the barrel/cylinder change. (I run into this occasionally on old revolvers).


Some folks install a small set screw in line with the arbor to limit the wedge travel into the wedge slot, and then install the remedy you described on top of that.

* Maybe, but some of us install a rather large screw (1/4" ) which has proven to have plenty of bearing surface to allow use as an adjustable bearing. The normal bearing surface in this design/setup is a small "patch" of contact (as in the original revolvers). Contrary to some folks thoughts, the wider the contact patch (some think it should be full contact), the easier it is for the wedge to "walk" loose. The greatest amount of contact is where the rear of the wedge contacts each side of the barrel.

Until next time,
Mike
Click to expand...
 
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Finally had a bit of time to take some pictures.

full.jpg

Rust bluing and bone charcoal case hardening. The case hardening was at extra cost, as the standard case coloring is apparently some sort of chemical process that looks, to my eye, garish.

I intentionally chose hand-rubbed oil finish grips, as while I enjoy the shiny appearance of laquered grips, they are slippery for me.
 
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