Shortening and re-installing front sight on revolver

tactical lever

tactical lever

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Fox Creek, Alberta
Kind of have my eye on a revolver or two, but it seems that they don't come in the shorter barrel lengths either very often, or at all. Looking at big single actions, and I'd like to shorten the barrel to just past the ejector housing, which I would probably do and finish myself. But I'm not confident, or have the tools to re-install a front sight. Can someone ballpark me about what that would cost, and maybe point to someone decent from somewhere in Grande Prairie, to Edmonton?

Thanks guys. You're the best.
 
First off, shortening those barrels has to be done very carefully so that the revolvers still retain their RESTRICTED STATUS. Revolver barrel lengths are measured from the muzzle to the forcing cone entrance, on the muzzle end of the cylinder. On a semi auto, barrel length is measured from the muzzle to the recoil face of the slide.

You say you don't have the tools to do the complete job etc.

To properly shorten the barrel on a revolver, the barrel needs to be removed from the receiver and chucked up, properly, in a lathe.

Yes, you can do a rough cut with a hacksaw, but you still need a lathe to properly face and crown the muzzle.

There are a couple of different ways to attach a new front sight. Silver solder, cut a dovetail or cut a slot on top dead center with a milling machine to accept a slip in sight.

IMHO, you shouldn't attempt to do any of the work yourself. There are quite a few good smiths in the Calgary area. Likely some CGNers will soon be chiming in. There are a couple in the banner advertisers as well that are close to you.

If they won't do the job, email "bitsofpieces.com" out of Delta BC. They do good work and will keep it all legal for your license.
 
bearhunter said:
First off, shortening those barrels has to be done very carefully so that the revolvers still retain their RESTRICTED STATUS. Revolver barrel lengths are measured from the muzzle to the forcing cone entrance, on the muzzle end of the cylinder. On a semi auto, barrel length is measured from the muzzle to the recoil face of the slide.

You say you don't have the tools to do the complete job etc.

To properly shorten the barrel on a revolver, the barrel needs to be removed from the receiver and chucked up, properly, in a lathe.

Yes, you can do a rough cut with a hacksaw, but you still need a lathe to properly face and crown the muzzle.

There are a couple of different ways to attach a new front sight. Silver solder, cut a dovetail or cut a slot on top dead center with a milling machine to accept a slip in sight.

IMHO, you shouldn't attempt to do any of the work yourself. There are quite a few good smiths in the Calgary area. Likely some CGNers will soon be chiming in. There are a couple in the banner advertisers as well that are close to you.

If they won't do the job, email "bitsofpieces.com" out of Delta BC. They do good work and will keep it all legal for your license.
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Thanks Bearhunter. I'm a long way from Calgary though. About 5 hours. Not worried about getting it too short; I think the ejector housing is over 4.5 inches. Thought it might be a little longer, actually. I want to end up with about 5" of barrel. It would end up looking pretty dumb if I cut it down to below 4.2"...;)

Not worried about needing a lathe; I don't figure on getting it 100% perfect, but I can get it pretty good. I would end up using a hacksaw starting from 4 different points to keep the finish work lower. Then some file work to true it externally, and bevel the sharp outside edge, then sandpaper/emery cloth to polish the face and edge. To crown it, I would use a couple of stones, one a bit bigger, then a step smaller to do a 2 stage crowning.

I can solder, and it might be a viable option, though I'm not sure I trust my eye enough to get it straight. I think there used to be clamp on front sights available to finish jobs like this. I have also seen guys that could cut a dovetail by hand. Or blind tapping (if that's the right term) for a screw that bottoms out with a hole that doesn't go all the way through. But all of that, I'd rather have a more practiced hand do.
 
I've done it your way and if you are extremely careful you can do it well, without removing the barrel from the receiver.

You're biggest task will be getting the muzzle edges true to the axis of the bore. Just filing the face of the muzzle flat isn't going to cut it.

Once you've gotten the muzzle face as close as you can, you still need to finish crowning he bore. With a lathe, this would be easy. Without a lathe you need to get a bit more creative.

Some good folks, especially smiths are already cringing.

Get a round head cap screw with the head about twice the diameter of your bore. Brass is preferred but steel works as well. Chuck it up in a drill and smear a large dollop of valve grinding compound over the round top.

Take the muzzle and press it lightly but firmly against the coated head, while it's rotating. Carefully change the angle of approach, while pressing the muzzle against the rotating screw head.

It won't take very much effort to grind away the muzzle so that you have an even crown on it. Be careful.

As for your front sight, I suppose you want a blade sight of some sort???

First you will have to acquire a sight. Likely you will ruin the existing sight taking it off, unless it's soldered in place, then it should come off easily with heat.

I will leave the rest to your imagination, with just one more hint. I've used a Dremel with cut off discs to CAREFULLY CUT OUT A channel for the underside of an aftermarket sight.

Dovetail types are unsightly with revolvers but they will work and can be cut with triangular files. AGAIN, BE CAREFUL and keep your patience in check. Don't try to rush anything.
 
bearhunter said:
I've done it your way and if you are extremely careful you can do it well, without removing the barrel from the receiver.

You're biggest task will be getting the muzzle edges true to the axis of the bore. Just filing the face of the muzzle flat isn't going to cut it.

Once you've gotten the muzzle face as close as you can, you still need to finish crowning he bore. With a lathe, this would be easy. Without a lathe you need to get a bit more creative.

Some good folks, especially smiths are already cringing.

Get a round head cap screw with the head about twice the diameter of your bore. Brass is preferred but steel works as well. Chuck it up in a drill and smear a large dollop of valve grinding compound over the round top.

Take the muzzle and press it lightly but firmly against the coated head, while it's rotating. Carefully change the angle of approach, while pressing the muzzle against the rotating screw head.

It won't take very much effort to grind away the muzzle so that you have an even crown on it. Be careful.

As for your front sight, I suppose you want a blade sight of some sort???

First you will have to acquire a sight. Likely you will ruin the existing sight taking it off, unless it's soldered in place, then it should come off easily with heat.

I will leave the rest to your imagination, with just one more hint. I've used a Dremel with cut off discs to CAREFULLY CUT OUT A channel for the underside of an aftermarket sight.

Dovetail types are unsightly with revolvers but they will work and can be cut with triangular files. AGAIN, BE CAREFUL and keep your patience in check. Don't try to rush anything.
Click to expand...

I have valve grinding compound, as well as a few different types of wax style polishing compounds. I was planning on using a dremel type tool to do the crown.

I would probably re-use the existing sight, a ramp style, sight.

Soldering does somewhat appeal to me more than some other methods, as I can always "start over".

Is there a special trick(s) in getting the alignment right for the sight?
 
fingers284 said:
Gosh I can't think of any S. A., big or small that aren't very commonly available with 4 5/8 " or close to it length barrels, basically their "everywhere".
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Must miss them all, because I don't see very many short ones in .44 Magnum or .45 Colt. One that I wouldn't mind picking up is the Cimarron Bad Boy. Only available with either a 6" or 8" barrel.

And I thought that if I find an example of something I find appealing for the right price, it might be a neat project.
 
You might be right on the Super Blackhawks but .45 colts are very accessible in every Italian manuf. I know of with 4 5/8 barrels.

The "project" thing is another story...if that turns your worm carry on!! Projects never are nor ever will they be the "easy way out".
 
fingers284 said:
You might be right on the Super Blackhawks but .45 colts are very accessible in every Italian manuf. I know of with 4 5/8 barrels.

The "project" thing is another story...if that turns your worm carry on!! Projects never are nor ever will they be the "easy way out".
Click to expand...

Yeah, mainly looking at Super Blackhawks. I'd really like a Bay Boy as well. I think I'd have to go through GunRunner to get one. They only make them with longer barrels. Kind of funny.

I know the SBH are made with shorter barrels, as I just looked it up a while ago, but I never see them.
 
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