New Avenging Angel

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Last year I had a surplus Pietta Colt .44 Cylinder. Just for fun I turned down the back around the ratchet, bored it through and lined the chambers with .357 Rifled barrel liner. I reamed the rifling out and ran a chamber-reamer to chamber it for .38 S&W.



On vacation in Vermont the other week I came across a Lyman's 1860 Army in a friend's gun shop. It was missing the loading-lever catch and the wedge but appeared in decent shape otherwise. For about $70 including shipping it was soon winging its way home.

I still had 5 inches or so of barrel-liner so I was planning on doing a 4" barrel, but after a couple inches were in the liner abruptly bent. Bugger- time for another snubby, then. OK, I bobbed the barrel just longer than the liner and refaced it. I had the cylinder but still needed a breech-plate. I fabricated one out of 1/4" 5160 spring-steel. I put in a rebounding firing-pin and cut a loading port in the breech-plate and frame, and voila! I made the front-sight out of 3/16" brass rod and cut away the sides to turn it into a blade. I finished with Van's Instant Blue and the gun is ready for prime-time.


Yes, .38 S&W uses a .361" bullet instead of a .357, but the soft-lead 150gr. SWCs I load don't seem to care; they just squish right down. Got to get to the range and see what she'll do...

 

[MidRoad]

Michael, you make some real badass revolvers man. Keep up the good work. Love seeing your stuff!

 

[Gordon]

I prefer .38 S&W for nostalgia revolvers. The British load was no push over, was like the .38 S&W Super Police load that was available thru the 50s - 200 grains at 620 FPS from a 4" barrel..

 

[bannockburn]

Tinker

Another inventive adaptation for a rescued Model 1860! Love it!

 

[chicharrones]

A snubby with a big 1860 handle. I love it.

 

[340PD]

The shear talent of some here astounds me. Great work.

 

[Dframe]

Wonderful. Can't wait to hear how it shoots

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Wonderful. Can't wait to hear how it shoots

Very nice to shoot, but I need to do a little tweaking- for example I neglected to round the edges of the firing pin, meaning that occasionally the primer would 'grab' the firing pin. I would then need to remove the wedge, pop off the barrel and cylinder and remove the cartridge from the pin.

 

[Mauser lover]

Wow... that's a massive grip. What range for that target, dare I ask?

 

[il.bill]

Thanks for sharing - those pictures put a big smile on my face!

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Wow... that's a massive grip. What range for that target, dare I ask?

Oh, just seven yards. I was more interested in function than precision.

 

[theotherwaldo]

Nice belly gun, Tinker!

BTW, are you in the S.C.A.?

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Too cool Mike!

I kinda always wanted a .22 1860.....

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Nice belly gun, Tinker!

BTW, are you in the S.C.A.?

I've been in the SCA for decades, but not been around much in recent years.

 

[ancientnoob]

View attachment 782657
Very nice to shoot, but I need to do a little tweaking- for example I neglected to round the edges of the firing pin, meaning that occasionally the primer would 'grab' the firing pin. I would then need to remove the wedge, pop off the barrel and cylinder and remove the cartridge from the pin.

Very, Very, Very bad ass!

 

[kozak6]

Nice work!

Any thoughts about trimming the grip?

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Nice work!

Any thoughts about trimming the grip?

Haven't decided yet, but yes, I've thought about it.