Cutting down my Revolver

[Fat Boy]

OK, here goes a stupid technical question, but I don't know the answer, so I'll ask-

I have read that a gunsmith needs to cut down the barrel on a revolver, and it is necessary to re-crown the new barrel end.

My question is, what functioning/shooting problems would be created by using a pipe cutter and hacksaw to saw the barrel down, and filing off the rough edges, similar to a shotgun cutdown? This assumes the front sight would be gone.

Thanks for your answers-

 

[rgs1975]

Before you do it, just make sure it's a Taurus and not a S&W, hell I'd even hate to see that happen to a Colt.

 

[Old Fuff]

I depends on what kind of a barrel, but round barrels are usually cut-off, and then the front is faced off in a lathe to make sure it's square. Then the rifling is crowned. All this is to insure that accuracy isn't degraded.

Lots of barrels have been cut off with a hacksaw, and thereafter wouldn't hit the side of a bull if you're standing next to it. It's a good way to ruin a good gun, no matter what it is.

But if you're going to leave off the front sight maybe it doesn't matter...

 

[Bezoar]

uggg,,,, if a person wants a shorter barrel they need to get a new gun with a shorter barrel in the desired length and caliber.

Chopping a pistol barrel now, is simply going to kill accuracy for most, and kill the guns value.

So what kind of gun is it?

 

[Fat Boy]

OK, thanks for the replies thus far...I have read about a gun that was "Fitzed"...how does this process differ from what I am describing?

 

[Fat Boy]

Bezoar; it is a S&W model 14, with barrel damage

 

[nicholst55]

For all practical purposes, there's no reason why you couldn't do this with a hacksaw, carpenter's square, a file, etc. Perhaps not desirable or to be recommended, but certainly feasible.

Assuming that you are able to face the barrel off square and then radius the end of the muzzle, you can easily crown the muzzle with a brass screw and valve grinding compound. I know of many rifle barrels that have been done this way.

The most desirable method of doing this is to have a gunsmith do it. This insures a square muzzle and a concentric crown and presumably acceptable accuracy when finished. A blued gun will need to be either refinished or to have the finish touched up with cold blue. Stainless is less of a problem in this regard.

Bear in mind that a DIY barrel shortening without the front sight reinstalled will dramatically reduce the resale value of the gun.

 

[Joe the Redneck]

I did it to an old Hopkins and Allen 38 S&W. that I paid $45 for. I cab say that it didn't make it shoot any worse, it was yuck to begin with.

It is a bother. Most barrels have a taper so you have to measure for square from the bore. Then you have crowning issues.

On a cheap gun, try it. Like an old llama or an RG. Anything better, I think it might just be easier to buy a shorter one.

Joe

 

[Bezoar]

any chance you cant just have it rebarrelled by Smith and Wesson?

 

[rgs1975]

have it rebarrelled by Smith and Wesson

That's the route I'd go with.

 

[Old Fuff]

I really wouldn't want to mess up a S&W Model 14. They are starting to be worth some money. Exactly where is this damage - meausre from the cylinder face to just behind the damaged area.

If there is no practical alternative S&W can shorten the barrel back as far as the ejector rod lug, and then remount the front sight.

"Fitz" (J. Henery Fitz-Gerald) was a Colt employee who created his famous "Special" as a pocket revolver, using of course. Colt revolvers as a platform. Factory barrels were shortened to about 2 inches, and the front sight remounted (no hacksaw work here). The hammer spur was cut off, and the top of the hammer checkered. The butt was shortened and the corners rounded. Last but not least, the front of the trigger guard was cut away. This last alteration worked fine with Colt's, but the location of the cylinder stop springs caused a minor problem in Smith & Wesson's. A lot more Fitz Specials were made outside of the Colt factory then were made within.

 

[Murdock]

Replace the barrel, don't cut it.

What is the nature of the damage to the original barrel? Functional or cosmetic?

Buy a replacement barrel and have somebody with the right tools put it on for you. As posted above, the S&W 14's are beginning to go up in value/collector interest. You will be happier in the long run. Besides, to have a cut-back job done right -- crowning, sights and all -- will probably cost more than having the tube replaced. If you can't find a M14 barrel (6") you might try a M15 barrel (4").

 

[wheelgunslinger]

I knew a guy who made a (sort of) pocket revolver from his Ruger Super Redhawk by chopping the barrel and drilling three holes in the top. All done with very basic equipment including a saw and a cheapo drill press in his apartment.

The gun worked very well as a big bore belly gun. Beyond that, I couldn't say.

So, yeah. It's possible with a bi-metal blade and a good drill bit for the porting.

 

[357wheelgunner]

Why would you drill holes in the top of the barrel? I prefer my guns to have a hole only in the front of the barrel, where the bullets, flames, and muzzle blast come out....

 

[Old Fuff]

Cutting off a gun barrel with a hacksaw isn't an issue so far as being able too do it is concerned. Peope have been doing it for centuries. The isue is; Should it be done? The answer depends on what the gun is, and what you plan to use it for. But as a general rule of thumb, hacksawing a barrel on any gun of value (or potential value) isn't too bright.

But to each his own...

 

[Fat Boy]

I appreciate everyones comments. You all have convinced me to look into having the gun re-barreled, as opposed to cutting it down. I bought this old Smith on a whim; for $250.00. The initial cost was low because the cylinder had an area where pretty much all the blue was removed; it wasn't rusted, just no blue. It is currently in a gunsmiths shop, with him trying to remove a slug that is lodged in the barrel, due to a bad round with a light or bad powder load. (the bullet was a Hornady factory load). I am waiting to see how bad the barrel is after removal. Thanks again for the comments!

 

[Steve C]

There will be no need to rebarrel the gun if its just a single stuck bullet just pound out the bullet wtih a wood dowel or brass rod that won't damage the barrel. If a round was fired after the bullet was stick and there's 2 or more bullets in the barrel there's the possibility of a bulged barrel which would require the barrel to be replace or cut off before the bulge. Refinishing the gun is easy to do but if you want to maintain any collectors value get S&W to do the work. In any respect if the lock work and end shake is good once you get everything spruced back up you should have a gun worth as much or more than you have into it as well as being a great shooter.

Gun Parts http://www.e-gunparts.com/ currently has 2" barrels for your pistol in stock for $76.50 and you may have to have the extractor rod changed but you could make it into a nice snub nose with a correct barrel for not too much.

 

[Murdock]

Take heart!

These guns are pretty tough, and if it was only one squib load the gun really may be OK, as Steve C suggests.

S&W did a test of a Model 14 in the 1960's that I saw written up in a magazine (maybe the American Rifleman? ) where a blank, un-bored barrel was mounted on a K-38 frame, and five loads fired in it without apparent damage. They even milled away most of the outside of the cylinder wall in one chamber, and sawed a linear cut completely through the outside of another chamber. I can't remember for sure, but these may even have been proof loads.

Let us know how this comes out.

 

[Legionnaire]

Sounds like you may not have a problem other than a stuck bullet. If you do have a more serious problem (bulged barrel), I'd lean toward getting the gun rebarreled. The only revolver I'd consider cutting down is a Ruger Super Redhawk. For what new Alaskans are going for, it would be far less expensive to cut down a 7.5 or 9 inch barreled SRH and have a smith install a new front sight on the frame.

 

[tipoc]

I knew a guy who made a (sort of) pocket revolver from his Ruger Super Redhawk by chopping the barrel and drilling three holes in the top. All done with very basic equipment including a saw and a cheapo drill press in his apartment.

There are any number of custom smiths who offer barrel shortening, porting, etc. So if a fella has a good gun and they want to make it more to their liking they have a couple of choices...

You can sell the gun and use that money to buy one more in line with what you want.

You can send the gun out to a qualified smith to have the changes made and pay them off over time. They know working people don't have a lot of ready cash and often will work with a person on payment.

Break out the hacksaw, files and the drill. In 9 out of 10 cases the work is not done correctly and accuracy and reliability suffer. The gun becomes of use only to the fella that did the cutting. Resale value is gone.

tipoc

 

[Fat Boy]

Well, I retrieved the gun from the shop; they removed the slug, and there is no apparent damage to the gun. So, thanks again for the comments!

 

[Murdock]

Cool!

Glad this appears to be working out for you. Your are going to enjoy that gun. Also it may prove to have been quite economical at your original buying price of $250.