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Old 08-27-2010, 02:05 PM
BUFF BUFF is offline
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"In a phone conversation with S&W (a number of years ago) they claimed they could not build a 44 Special on the K-frame because of this same issue (forcing cone). When I asked how Charter Arms manages they guy on the phone hung up. Guess he didn't have an answer."

It is not a mystery. The center of the bore and the chambers of the cylinder is further from the cylinder centerline in the Bulldog than in a K frame S&W. Look at a .357 K frame's forcing cone. As it is, the bottom outside of the barrel on a K frame is machined away to give clearance to the yoke. If you screwed a .44 caliber-bored barrel with the external dimensions to fit a K frame, that section would be a lot thinner. Folks think it is too thin, and thus weak, for some .357 Mag ammo as it is.

An easy way to visualize this is that the speedloaders that fit the Bulldog also fit the 5 shot L frame .44 Special S&W's.

There was a custom gunsmith in Spokane, WA (Spokandguns?) that made 5 shot .44 Special K frame cylinders and bored out .357 barrels. They didn't do this for long because the barrels were not suited to ammo warmer than the original, anemic 246 grain lead bullet loading, according to the press of the time.

So, yes it could be done but the guns would be short-lived with most ammo.

Someone who has posted on this site has one. I wish he would havetaken and posted photos of the forcing cone area.
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