Revolver blew up

Seems to me I recall reading of some of the guys that were early high power experimenters with SAA's welding on a new top strap. Skelton maybe? Some artful welding, and off to the East coast for some Color Case hardening, and back in business.

Yeah, I could see how the strap being stretched and then pressed back would alter the alignment more than the strap being very rapidly stretched would have, as the cylinder is still in place providing some support, and the speed at which the top cylinders parted company, could well concentrate the force to very near the event.
 
trevj said:
Seems to me I recall reading of some of the guys that were early high power experimenters with SAA's welding on a new top strap. Skelton maybe? Some artful welding, and off to the East coast for some Color Case hardening, and back in business.

Yeah, I could see how the strap being stretched and then pressed back would alter the alignment more than the strap being very rapidly stretched would have, as the cylinder is still in place providing some support, and the speed at which the top cylinders parted company, could well concentrate the force to very near the event.
Click to expand...

Pre Skelton. Keith and his cohorts more likely. - dan
 
dan belisle said:
Pre Skelton. Keith and his cohorts more likely. - dan
Click to expand...

Probably. And likely!

But, in any case, it HAS been done, AFAIK. IIRC, some of the guys had some pretty solid bars welded on the top of the cylinder.

Kinda depends on what you are willing to do to salvage a wreck.

At very least, chop out a section of the top strap before shaping it back in to line. Provided, of course, that the strap did not tear or crack at the barrel joint when it bent.

If it did, I suspect that the way forward would be to put a copper or bronze plug in place of the barrel, to keep the weld from running too deep in to the threads and the like.

As I see it, as long as the alignment and indexing stays in good shape, it pretty does not matter a terrible lot what the top strap amounts too, as long as it can handle the recoil. It doesn't carry any really heavy loads unless the timing gets buggered up, as I see it.
 
trevj said:
Probably. And likely!

But, in any case, it HAS been done, AFAIK. IIRC, some of the guys had some pretty solid bars welded on the top of the cylinder.

Kinda depends on what you are willing to do to salvage a wreck.

At very least, chop out a section of the top strap before shaping it back in to line. Provided, of course, that the strap did not tear or crack at the barrel joint when it bent.

If it did, I suspect that the way forward would be to put a copper or bronze plug in place of the barrel, to keep the weld from running too deep in to the threads and the like.

As I see it, as long as the alignment and indexing stays in good shape, it pretty does not matter a terrible lot what the top strap amounts too, as long as it can handle the recoil. It doesn't carry any really heavy loads unless the timing gets buggered up, as I see it.
Click to expand...

Yes, it certainly is doable. Would take some careful welding, and someone with talent to refinish it to look decent, but it it could be done. - dan
 
Option - break it for parts.
Option - attempt a repair, even if it involves precision welding of the top strap.

Why not? Even if it is a failed attempt, parts salvage is still an option.

Barring a government change, the revolver is irreplaceable.
 
I have seen a pistol that was cut and welded. After refinishing a slight discolouration in the finish could be seen. That pistol is still shooting after ten or more years. It was a Uberti SAA IN 45 Colt. He grabbed the wrong powder when reloading. First shot blew it up.
 
Technically a local gunsmith with proper machinery can cut a new frame and stamp same serial on it, destroy the old frame and call it a repair. It was never feasible but now may be it is. Your registration paper is the permission to have one gun of such model and serial. You can keep replacing it with same serial as long as your registration is valid. That being said in current situation with handgun freeze - the reg paper is the thing. Dont give it up.
 
lyman54 said:
A jacketed 250gr bullet, 6.8gr of TiteGroup. Double charge is possible I'll never know for sure. Yes Gunco will give me the news. Primer is large pistol from Ginex
Click to expand...

Hmm Sorry for what happened and GLAD you still got a Hand ! Hodgdon lists 6.2 - 6.3 grs as max with a 250 gr cast - jacketed. Bullets . How did you decide on using it to 6.8 grs - just wondering ! RJ
 
serg777 said:
Technically a local gunsmith with proper machinery can cut a new frame and stamp same serial on it, destroy the old frame and call it a repair. It was never feasible but now may be it is. Your registration paper is the permission to have one gun of such model and serial. You can keep replacing it with same serial as long as your registration is valid. That being said in current situation with handgun freeze - the reg paper is the thing. Dont give it up.
Click to expand...

I think that this is true - however, it would be better to send it in for warranty - and they would "fix" it by replacing all necessary parts and stamp the old number on it and may charge accordingly - in this new scenario, a gun in hand may be worth much more than new price now. I would recommend this. I had a Ruger SR9 that did not take pressure well - and the locking surfaces peened badly - and warranty took forever, but it came back with new frame and slide and with the original number on it. This is worth doing - they may not even care whose fault it is ( double charge or factory defect.)

Those chambers sure are thin. Carbon buildup in a cylinder at the front of short cases (44 spec, 38 spec, 45LC etc.) can cause huge overpressure when going back to 44 mag, 357, 454 Casull etc. - but double-charge is likely the case here (I guess).

I did a double charge (don't chat while reloading) once long ago and shot it over the chrony - and interestingly, the energy of the bullet was exactly twice as much as standard load. It was a Ruger .45acp with a plastic frame, and though the recoil spring squashed, it was good to go again after checking it out and replacing the spring - and shot +/- 15k rounds after.
 
6.3 kinda looks like 6.8 at a glance is my thinking.... Add 5% on top of that "new" max = extra spicy. That cylinder is spooky, amazing no injury. Small miracle that day.

I had one 38 SPL report and recoil like a magnum in my .357 running TG. And from then on I bought a collect puller, started to use a mirror on my progressive press checking each one w/ TG, I audit frequently, and frankly I keep to the middle range of the data.

Love me some N340 for the case-filling volume and versatility.
 
serg777 said:
Technically a local gunsmith with proper machinery can cut a new frame and stamp same serial on it, destroy the old frame and call it a repair. It was never feasible but now may be it is. Your registration paper is the permission to have one gun of such model and serial. You can keep replacing it with same serial as long as your registration is valid. That being said in current situation with handgun freeze - the reg paper is the thing. Dont give it up.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't that require a manufacturing license?
 
serg777 said:
Manufacturing is producing new gun with new serial and adding it in database.
Click to expand...
Still producing a new frame. Doesn’t matter what serial number goes on it or that serial number is already in the data base. If something ever happened with that frame the gunsmith wouldn’t have a leg to stand on in court without that manufacturing license.
 
Creating a new part that is exactly what the government now considers and will very likely define as a prohibited item is not going to work without people risking legal consequences. The new gun idea isn't going to work with the current shenanigans.
 
serg777 said:
Manufacturing is producing new gun with new serial and adding it in database.
Click to expand...

So, producing a new gun and applying an existing serial number and not adding it to the database is not manufacturing?

According to the RCMP's current interpretation of the law you cannot make a gun without a manufacturing license.
 
tiriaq said:
So, producing a new gun and applying an existing serial number and not adding it to the database is not manufacturing?

According to the RCMP's current interpretation of the law you cannot make a gun without a manufacturing license.
Click to expand...
How can you produce a new item which officially is already existing on the earth. I guess its a gray area. And for what gunsmith would stand in a court? For fixing a broken frame? Is there a proof? And what if gunsmith machined half of new frame and weld it together with the original half? Is it a new production frame? Or is it still a repair of existing one? Then what if next day the gunsmith cut out the remaining old half and weld the newly produced part of it? Still a repair?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom