Can you shorten a Colt SAA barrel?
- Thread starter Brianma65
- Start date
- Location
- Behind a large rock
Sure... why not?
It would lower the value since it won't be original. If it's a special edition version it will basically kill the collectibility and the value at the same time.
If it's the one there now i think it's because it's a commemorative/collector gun with tarnishing and wear, which kind of kills its. "collectabity".
Cutting it down and putting the sight back in is not a big deal. The barrel is basically a piece of rifled pipe with a crown machined on the end and a woodruffe keyway cut to allow the sight to be press fitted in place. So if you want an actual Colt and you want it to be a 5.5" barrel then go for it. The corrosion has already ruined any actual collector appeal.
Maybe make it a project gun and while the barrel is being cut down and re-blued send the frame, grip frames (if they are steel) and perhaps the ejector housing off to that fellow in New Brunswick that does the color case hardening. Send the cylinder with the barrel for re-bluing so both match. The results should look pretty sweet.
Or if you want a bit of bling consider getting the grip frames gold plated, main frame and ejector housing CCH'd and the cylinder and barrel re-blued. Then get some nice custom faux ivory grips to top it all off. Or some fosslized mamoth tusk or whatever for the grip scales........ of course then you'd need a big wide brim purple floppy hat and an old school land barge Cadallac to go with your gun....
Maybe make it a project gun and while the barrel is being cut down and re-blued send the frame, grip frames (if they are steel) and perhaps the ejector housing off to that fellow in New Brunswick that does the color case hardening. Send the cylinder with the barrel for re-bluing so both match. The results should look pretty sweet.
Or if you want a bit of bling consider getting the grip frames gold plated, main frame and ejector housing CCH'd and the cylinder and barrel re-blued. Then get some nice custom faux ivory grips to top it all off. Or some fosslized mamoth tusk or whatever for the grip scales........ of course then you'd need a big wide brim purple floppy hat and an old school land barge Cadallac to go with your gun....
Lonesome Donkey
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Central Alberta
If it's actually a Colt, perhaps it would be worthwhile to investigate replacing the 7 1/2" barrel with a new 5 1/2" barrel.
A gunsmith could unscrew the old barrel and install the new one with minimal blemishing, using the tried and true rosin-coated and carefully shaped wooden block method.
The gun is stripped down to barrel and cylinder frame only, the barrel is clamped in the blocks in a large vise, and a hardwood lever is inserted through the frame. A sharp rap or two loosens the barrel and the frame unscrews.
The new barrel goes on in reverse. Then the cylinder gap is adjusted by filing, and then smoothing the forcing cone.
Apart from the barrel cost, the gunsmithing charges might actually be less than having the old barrel cut down and a new front sight made and installed.
As well, the barrel surgery may or may not turn out to be what you hoped for.
However, the barrel replacement would retain the original factory appearance of the gun.
Finally, the removed 7 1/2" barrel would be undamaged and could be resold to defray costs.
It could be installed on another revolver, with some expert fitting by another smith.
A gunsmith could unscrew the old barrel and install the new one with minimal blemishing, using the tried and true rosin-coated and carefully shaped wooden block method.
The gun is stripped down to barrel and cylinder frame only, the barrel is clamped in the blocks in a large vise, and a hardwood lever is inserted through the frame. A sharp rap or two loosens the barrel and the frame unscrews.
The new barrel goes on in reverse. Then the cylinder gap is adjusted by filing, and then smoothing the forcing cone.
Apart from the barrel cost, the gunsmithing charges might actually be less than having the old barrel cut down and a new front sight made and installed.
As well, the barrel surgery may or may not turn out to be what you hoped for.
However, the barrel replacement would retain the original factory appearance of the gun.
Finally, the removed 7 1/2" barrel would be undamaged and could be resold to defray costs.
It could be installed on another revolver, with some expert fitting by another smith.
Last edited:
- Location
- Behind a large rock
You've got to be kidding me... cut, crown, reblue and replace sight would be like a $100... where can you buy volt barrels for that?
We used to do this fairly often. 357 SAA's were pretty common, and everyone wanted big bores. Numrich used to have lots of Colt barrels, so you bought a few in the variations you liked, cylinders too, and put it together to get what you wanted. Pretty sure I still have at least one 7.5" 357 barrel and cylinder in the parts chest. - dan
