Frame modified Single Six feels great

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Tallbald

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Bought a used Single Six some time back as a project gun. Easy to work on, and lots of potential for modification too. Love these little guns.This is a 5.5 inch stainless. I wanted to reduce sharp corners on the grip frame, so shaking off apprehension (after all it's MY gun I thought, and if I mess up I'll buy another and make it right), I started grinding. Using a single cut file to draw file the final contours at front and back of the grip butt. Polish with carborundum paper and water, followed by a slow wheel polish with Mother's Mag polish over all exterior surfaces of the completely disassembled gun. Never never got close to the factory sears.
Made a stainless lanyard stud from a piece of hardware bolt, and used a nickel plated D-ring for the swivel. Drilled the butt for the stud and cross pinned in place with a piece of TIG welding rod.
Turned and JB Welded a brass over travel button inside the trigger guard, and carefully shortened it to allow just a hair over trigger let off.
Removed the medallions from the grips and traced the correct, slimmed profile on them. Using progressively finer grit abrasive paper, I gave the panels a rounded and tapered contour that was finished in 4 coats of oil. Installed the medallions back in with a small drop of epoxy to prevent fallout.
Before installing the grips, I replaced the factory mainspring with a Wolffe reduced weight one. I'l be ordering a Belt Mountain oversize base pin to polish and install. Hopefully the knurled head one that's so easy to grasp and pull for cylinder changes.
This little gun now has what to me is a sensual, sexy feel to it. When climbing tall mountains in 20 feet of snow and 100 MPH winds (dream on Don) I can attach a lanyard to prevent loss down in wide, bottomless crevasses I take a running start to jump across (again dream on Don). Thanks for looking. Don
 
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Good or bad you did a nice job on the workmanship. First rate in fact.

Since these are guns where most of us have to put our pinky down under the butt of the frame at least now it's smooth and rounded enough to not dig into the finger where it transitions over the edge that isn't there any longer.
 
Thanks for the kind words folks. Kernel LOL you are so right on the lousy photos. The second photo has as a prop, my cigarette burning in its ashtray which I thought would convey a casual feel to the composition......... The dark lit background was chosen to lend a dramatic aire to the subject........This is an attempt at humor. I think I'll repost with better pix. Don

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Looks great! I like a nice round butt (ha, ha, ha!) on a short barreled sixgun. Although typically only the heel. The lanyard ring is also a nice touch.
 
Now get busy braiding a horsehair lanyard, with 3 colors of hair taken from the tails of wild mustangs in Montana.
 
Love the work on that!!! If I had a Single-Six (and some day, i will) I would seriously consider doing that!
 
Thank you all again. OC sometimes I do get my daughter to braid a strip of leather lace onto the lanyard, but I never thought of horsehair. Don
 
Nice. I'd do that with my Single Six, if I knew where to get the grip frame re-anodized.
I'd also like to see one modified into a bag handle grip.
 
There have been a zillion Rugers with the anodizing stripped off the grip frame for reshaping, dehorning, or just for looks. One of the few two-tone effects I like.
 
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