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04-16-2012, 11:36 AM
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DA .44 Finished!
Greetings and Salutations!
I finally completed my rejuvination process with my new DA .44, serial 184xx. It was, by far, the dirtiest firearm I have ever owned! The serial is 'starred' with a refinish date of '10-21'. It appears that the gun was pitted prior to S&W rebluing it. Mechanically, it is perfect. Indexing and lockup are very precise. The bore is a bit rough, but the riflings are very prominent and sharp. The front sight is not OEM, but is nicely done. It is a 'Sheard' sight, as noted in David Chicoine's book. Someone jammed a tool into the sight slot and spread it way open. I used an oak block and a mallet to carefully return the rib to its proper position. The trigger guard is really a bugger to remove and install. I would say the gun has seen some use, before and after refinishing, with some neglect mixed in.
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Last edited by Roundsworth; 04-20-2012 at 08:29 AM.
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04-16-2012, 06:55 PM
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Here are Dave Chicoine's instructions on the trigger guard: "Trigger Guard Removal: The Trigger Guard is a spring, it has no fastening screws and is held in place by machined tabs at its front and rear tops which mate with machined mortice cuts in the frame. Hold the frame upside down by the grip and tap the REAR face of the Trigger Guard with a plastic mallet, causing the rear of the Guard to "jump" out of its seat in the frame. Pull the trigger all the way to the rear, the Guard may now be moved rearward slightly to disengage its front tab from the frame, tilt the front of the guard down and push forward to remove. The Trigger Spring will remove with the guard, make note of its position for reassembly."
He is silent on reassembly, other than to state: "Reassemble the action in EXACTLY the reverse of the order given above." I don't know if he considers the trigger guard to be part of the "action" or not. It may be another tap with the mallet will spring the guard back into place.
Ralph Tremaine
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04-16-2012, 07:25 PM
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Thanks, Ralph. I chucked the gripframe in my padded vise and used a 1/2" oak dowel to lever the rear of the guard forward. I reversed the procedure for reassembly. Indeed, a 3rd hand would have been helpful! I really like these .44s, DA and SA. I enjoyed my Colt SAA and repros, but the Smith really has a certain air of distinction. I ordered Mr. Chicoine's S&W book the other day. I have never seen any photos of cowboys or lawmen carrying these guns, so I am hoping the book may have some. Cheers!
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04-16-2012, 11:03 PM
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I think I like your way better-----whacking stuff with hammers kind of makes my teeth hurt!
RT
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04-18-2012, 03:46 AM
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You should get extra points for your caution. The
rejuvenation project looks really good. TACC1
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04-18-2012, 06:35 AM
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Thank you for the kind words! I had one of these about 15 years ago, and foolishly sold it. It was in better condition and cost me about 1/2 of what I paid for this one! Out of 150 guns I have bought and sold over the past 40 years, it was the one gun I whined about selling (and wanted back!) Cheers!
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04-27-2012, 12:02 AM
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Nice gun Chief. Good job.
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04-27-2012, 06:25 AM
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Thank you, monet61. The other day I placed an order for a new Uberti Russian Model .44. The dealers cannot keep them on the shelves. They sell very quickly and are supposed to be great shooters. I am looking forward to it and have been acquiring the dies and such to make my own cartridges. Cheers!
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04-27-2012, 09:05 AM
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The DA looks good and your clean-up is very apropriately done. The 44 Russian is a very easy cartridge to reload and fun to shoot.
If your S&W is like mine, you will find it very easy to shoot in DA mode, even with the long pull, since the trigger/hammer comes to rest just at the point of firing. Because of that design, it is one of the most accurate DAs out there.
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04-27-2012, 11:12 PM
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Thanks glowe. I was very impressed with the inner workings when I broke the gun down for cleaning. The parts exhibited little, if any, wear. There was so much crud inside the frame. After a careful cleaning, I greased the high-stress points and lightly oiled the rest. Wow! It is amazing how precise the timing and lockup are! What a jewel. There is a wee bit of wobble with the cylinder, but not enough to affect the operation. Indeed, I am getting anxious to shoot it. I just procured an old set of RCBS dies for the 44 magnum. The carbide sizer is fine, but the expanding die needed some trimming. Those dies are hard! I shaped it nicely and buffed the end with emery cloth to where it looks almost original. The seating/crimping die is for the magnum only, and will require an extended session at the grinder.
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04-28-2012, 09:31 AM
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You did a wonderful job on that gun. I love these old .44 DAs.
Here's mine that I bought back in 1999 for $400
This one is in 44-40
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04-28-2012, 11:47 AM
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Wow! That is a nice .44, twaits. Even 13 years ago, $400.00 would have been an awesome price. She's a keeper for sure!
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