Revolver Upgrades

[The Dutchman]

Can a modern new production Smith and Wesson revolver be retrofitted with a pinned barrel? I have heard that people whose revolvers are "pinned and recessed" are only the ones made before 1983. Is this true?

 

[ChristopherG]

Pinning was a technique S&W discontinued, you're right. I doubt you could get it retrofit; but I also doubt--very strongly--that there would be any benefit to doing it if you could. It's not like the crush-fit barrels are falling out of people's guns, or people are finding that they can shoot more accurately than their S&W's. The primary value of pinned barrels (and recessed cylinders) is for collectors, but having a pinned barrel added to a modern gun would not make it a collector's gun.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Well like all things in life, "it depends".

Current production S&W use a 2 part barrel system swiped from Dan Wesson. No these cannot be pinned.

Recent production S&W's use a "crush fit" barrel indexing system which makes the pinned unnecessary.

If you want pinned, go buy a pinned gun, don't try to retrofit it. Remember the key gain is unless you are good (like Colt) getting the crush fit to work with out squishing the barrel a bit is hard. Using a pinned system allows one to not have to be so precise.

Ps: I am a gunsmith. I am just repeating what was explained to me.

 

[Old Fuff]

The principal negative with S&W's crush fit barrels is that once fitted (and the threads crushed) they shouldn't be removed. Therefore easy changing or replacing barrels usually requires a trip to the factory, and a new barrel (read that "expensive!").

Part of the reason for the new two-piece system is that it is much less costly to replace the tube, and re-use the shroud - which can usually be done, then replacing a whole barrel.

Since most owners don't change or replace barrels, some or all of this may be a moot point. But those who might buy a revolver for a project gun thould keep it in mind.