My S & W Model 10 project

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ROTFL "drunken horse's ass of a "machinist" Amen to the mandrel but I would ask the guy to spell it first and if he fails get another machinist.
 
I'm not sure a slot wide enough to make this mistake come out symetrical is a good way to do the front sigh if you'll be relying on friction fitting. That's a pretty long "torque base" to work with and a side strike to the front blade could easily lever the sight up out of the recess. Generally it's not a good idea to fit things like this were the depth and width are pretty much the same or the width is wider than the depth for this leverage reason.
 
Well...if anyone knows of any 3 inch Heavy Barrels up for grabs anywhere, I'd be interested...


The 'Numrich' Website shows them to be "Out of Stock", though their Print Catalogue ( still waiting for mine, ) shows 3 inch ones which had been cut down from 4 inch ones, for $20.00 ea...

Oddly, 3 inch Heavy Barrels from the old Model 13s are available invarious places, but of course they say ".357 Magnum" along the side...Lol...


No 3 inch Barrels on 'Gunbroker' presently...


I really had my Heart set on the Front Sight the way I wanted it...so, I'm not giving up..!


And...I've not given up on m-a-y-b-e getting the bad 'slot' Tig Welded in...and trying over with the Milling procedure, where either I'd give this guy another chance, or, find a different Machinist-Gunsmith...


I hate 'complications'..!


But, sometimes that's how it is...


So...it feels about like a Coin Toss -


Heads, get a new Barrel and get it 'Woodruff Key' slotted, make and fit the Sight I want...have the Gunsmith half of the Gunsmith-Machinist install the new Barrel...


Tails, fix this one...and go from there...with no Barrel change needed...
 
Hi BCRider,



Ye'd said -


I'm not sure a slot wide enough to make this mistake come out symetrical is a good way to do the front sigh if you'll be relying on friction fitting. That's a pretty long "torque base" to work with and a side strike to the front blade could easily lever the sight up out of the recess. Generally it's not a good idea to fit things like this were the depth and width are pretty much the same or the width is wider than the depth for this leverage reason.
Click to expand...


I agree...


Even the slot he did do, was pretty 'iffy' as far as being dimensionally accurite and deep-enough for an interference fit to hold well...


If it had been at least 'Centered', I could have lived with it, and, Soldered the Sight in and been alright enough...
 
Welding almost always results in dimensional distortion. If you put a welder to the barrel it will change in some way. It may develop a stress curve from shrinking forces and it'll almost certainly tighten up the barrel bore. Preheating the barrel can avoid a lot of that and a good welder would do that but there goes your blueing and it would ruin any heat treating on the barrel metal for sure.

Your best solution is still a machine work solution I'm afraid.
 
Have a trustworthy source cut a cross dovetail per Sleazy #2. What with Heinie, Novak, "rescue", and rifle width dovetail front sights available, you ought to be able to find something that will clean up or at least cover the mess without special made sights or filler pieces.

Do not polish the back of a bobbed hammer. If the light is behind you it will glint badly. A dull matte finish is better for actually shooting the gun.
 
"Dear Diary"...



The resolution, forthrightly attain'd -








Made a new Front Sight...having a bottom which is a little wider...Soldered it
on, having Tinned both parts...and...by God, I'm 'Happy'...covers the Machinist's faux-pas...and looks every bit as good as what I'd originally wanted...


Lol...


And true...


Have a little finessing to do...then go try it out...



Phil
l v
 
Soldered it? Do you mean silver soldered or lead/tin solder of the type used in plumbing work?

In any case, it looks great!

This is better than watching a TV mini-series. Can't wait for the next chapter to unfold! :)
 
This is better than watching a TV mini-series. Can't wait for the next chapter to unfold!
Click to expand...

WAY better than TV. At least this thread has content that is more intellectually stimulating than the 3rd grade level schmaltz so commonly found in most shows these days.

So the tab is filed to sit the sight offset to the center?

Given the surface area involved and the fact this is .38 Spl only soft solder should be just fine. I'd never trust it if the blade was just butt joined on top of the barrel but with a decent fitted tab down in the slot the soft solder will hold amazingly well. Folks don't give the stuff enough credit from what I've seen.

So next up is the range report? At some point will you be getting and modifying a set of the fuller style target grips?
 
New Sight has a 'flat' Bottom...I fluxed and pre-Tinned it, and, fluxed and pre-Tinned and with Solder, filled in the old, badly located, 'Woodruff' Cut...

So, new Sight is simply Soldered on, and not offset-keyed into the old badly placed slot...though covering it.


Seems very strong...

Solder is a very 'stiff' sort, of unknown composition, and is definitely a 'Hard' Solder...but, not a Silver Braze sort...

Heat did not effect the Barrel Blueing...but was enough to Blue the Sight!

But Sight lost it's Blue from me filing on it more, after it was on...



So, this was a 'Hasty Pudding'...and, I learned in trying it, that one could Solder on a well finished 'In the White' Sight, and, have it be Blued in the process, by the Heat...if one wanted...



So..."Yes!" - next step is to clean well, re-assemble, go to the Range, and try it out...see where it prints...see if I should lower the Sight or as may be...


Stocks will be 'plain' smooth Walnut, no overhangs...and, maybe, I will Diamond Checker the Backstrap...
 
Did some preliminary phase of Checkering for the Backstrap...decided to clean, Oil, re-assemble, and see about heading to the Range tomorrow...so...here's where things stand
presently...so far, for me anyway, I'd say Checkering a Revolver Bakstrap is fairly tedious and unforgiving of any wandering or slip-ups. I noticed also, the File seems to Cut better if Oiled...





 
Not all K frame revolvers have the serial number stamped inside the crane. Didn't you cut off part of the serial number when you rounded the butt?
 
Hi Geezer Glide,



The material I removed from the rear of the Butt did not interfere with the Serial Number.


A truely radical modification of making a true 'Bird's Head' Grip, however...would confront that issue.


Not sure how one would solve that, other than by inquiring of the B. of A.T.F. & E., as for how a Serial Number may be Legally re-located to their satisfaction...and go from there.
 
On serial numbers

Several years ago I inherited a pistol whose serial numbers were intentionally ground off the frame, most likely for less-than-honorable reasons. The circumstances behind my receiving the gun were complicated but honest, so after mulling it over a bit, I decided to do the right thing and turn it over to the state police, presumably for destruction. My understanding was that any attempt to erase or modify a serial number is in violation of federal law, and I sure didn't want any problems with those fellers.

What happened next surprised me: After their disassembling the firearm and finding the original serial number, they gave the gun back to me, with a letter stating it was okay to own! So it's on my permit.

Hey, maybe I'll try Oyeboten's soldering technique to fill in trench created by grinding the number off. It won't take bluing, of course, but maybe some careful painting afterwards.

(With apologies if I wandered off topic a bit.)
 
Hi Sleazy Rider,



Where were the Numbers? - and or, can you post a pic of the spot?


There may be better ways of correting the defacement than Solder...



Phil
 
"Range Report"



Darn it, Camera Battery pooped out, and Battery Charger unit went 'dead'...so Camera Limbo for me today...no pics possible for the time being...


Went to the Range...small Bull's Eye Target, fired off two strings of 'three', double action, a full power, standard load Cartridge in every other Cylinder hole, semi-rapid fire, at 15yards...making sure I was not leading or heeling or other throw-offs in seeing how the Hammer fell on the empty Charge Holes...


Nice two-inch group about five inches low, and, two inches to the left...so...


Front Sight needs to be lower...and, moved to the left a tiny bit...


I will double-check the Bevel immediate to the Bore...lower the Sight by Fileing in place, and try Targeteting again, before trying to move the Sight over...

Otherwise, it's a Joy to shoot...very comfortable and natural...good balance, nice feel...very likable...
 
Sounds like this is working out nicely from the range report.

The filing with oil is generally smoother and it'll cut just fine but if you have any oil at all on the file the idea is to flood it so it's dripping wet. Otherwise small traces of oil will make the teeth skid and the gullets pack up.

An old machinist told me he used to keep a smooth cut file totally immersed in a vertical pipe and cap full of motor oil for special times where he wanted the best file finish of all.

The file work looks darn fine from the pictures. You obviously have a steady hand and didn't have much on your mind for that session.... Not a job you want to do after 3 cups of strong coffee over breakfast :D
 
Your making a gun similar to one of my favorites:
SW65withBootGrips001.jpg
This is a 3" S&W Model 65 with smooth trigger and bobbed hammer (both factory).
Stainless Steel vs. Blue and .357 vs. .38 Special, but in the ballpark.
 
Hi BCRider,


You'd said-

Sounds like this is working out nicely from the range report.

The filing with oil is generally smoother and it'll cut just fine but if you have any oil at all on the file the idea is to flood it so it's dripping wet. Otherwise small traces of oil will make the teeth skid and the gullets pack up.

An old machinist told me he used to keep a smooth cut file totally immersed in a vertical pipe and cap full of motor oil for special times where he wanted the best file finish of all.
Click to expand...



Yes...I'm happy with the progress on the Revolver, and how it feels and handles.

Been carrying it around at home in IWB ( well, er, stuck in my front waist band ) mode also, and it seems very agreeable, stable, and un-intruding...standing, walking, sitting, working...

I sent off for some Leather, and, I will make a formal true and proper IWB Holster, and, it should be nice in that mode once arrived at.




The File was 'Chattering' when used dry, and or rather, it was making irregular tiny gallings, no matter how slow and smooth I directed it...so, 'Oil' seemed like something worth trying...and I've been keeping plenty of Oil on it so it runs off...

The Frame of this S & W is a pretty hard and tough Steel, and Files do not behave with it as they would on other 'friendlier' ( to Files ) Steels/Iron.


The file work looks darn fine from the pictures. You obviously have a steady hand and didn't have much on your mind for that session.... Not a job you want to do after 3 cups of strong coffee over breakfast
Click to expand...


Thank you...

The compound curve of the Backstrap is definitely unforgiving as for the right movement of the File being maintained, for sure...and it's not an entirely natural motion of the Arm to have the File's pressure and movement match both the 'straight' Diagonal, and, the compound curve on which the diagonal is being cut.


If I can conclude the initial series of full-depth diagonal lines and have them even and tidy...I may well stop there, rather than 'Chekering' it proper...

I really like the look, feel and asymetry of the lines as they are now, and, for now, too, I'd be really pushing my naive venture's luck to go on to try evenly cross-hatching for a true symetrical Diamond Checkering....but, we'll see...

This 'Checkering' - even being preliminary parallel lines going one direction evenly, and on a narrow compound curved surface - is pretty sobering..!


All the other procedures so far were light-hearted and fun.


'Checkering' for me so far, is about like walking a 'Tight-Rope' with no Safety Net...and no prior rehersals or prior experiene being very prepatory...other than making a couple wan passes on the Vice Held little 'nub' wedge I'd cut off the rear of the Butt a while back.



Phil
l v
 
Some pics ... I think

Sure, Oyeboten, I'd be happy to post pics of my defaced gun. I was reluctant to post them in the first place because I didn't want you to think I was hijacking your thread; but since you asked, here goes:
6-22-09016.jpg
[/IMG]

As you can see, the serial number was ground away. I'd like to repair it and would appreciate any suggestions. It would be great if I could repair it and re-engrave the numbers, but I'd be happy with just making it look good.

6-22-09017.jpg
[/IMG]

Yes, I know it's only a "junker," but it shoots well, never skipping a beat.

6-22-09018.jpg
[/IMG]

And this, of course, is my Model 65. No bobbed hammer, completely stock.
 
I don't know why my pictures are so large, but my apologies.

Perhaps I should begin a new thread and ask advice on how to repair this damage. To reiterate, this is a LEGALLY owned and registered gun, even with the serial number ground out. I have a letter from the state police that will attest to this. (There's a matching serial number on the inside of the frame.)

I thought about filling it JB Weld or similar material and simply painting it.
 
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