I'll confess that prior to acquiring this piece, I looked down my nose at similar custom examples. I have a new attitude. August '58 shipped HD converted by Mr. Bowen to .38-40. Action, metal work, and finish are absolutely first rate. Notice the caliber marking. I put the later (still looking for a nice period correct set) magnas and T Grip on it--feels great, points well, and shoots fantastic. Many thanks to 29aholic for the heads up, even if it cost me. Jim

Attached Images

	DSCN1153.jpg (86.7 KB, 600 views)
	DSCN1154.jpg (96.7 KB, 592 views)
	DSCN1155.jpg (132.2 KB, 583 views)

Very, very nice!

A vintage S&W as nice as your HD needs a set of Keith Brown grips to make it complete. I have a set of Keith's "Coke style" grips with large medallions on my Bowen converted 5" Pre 27, they look and feel great.

Or--I could put this set of early KB Kearsarge style stocks on it that I got from an unnamed source on the forum, Bob.

Attached Images

	DSCN1157.jpg (130.7 KB, 259 views)
	DSCN1158.jpg (124.8 KB, 255 views)

Jim,
I too don't like chopping up my beloved HDs, but I think yours is cool because of the caliber which I have always been facinated with. I think we are all curious as to how it shoots!
Thanks for sharing it,
Bill

__________________
38-44heavyduty.com

Jim, The Kearsage stocks absolutely make the gun. -Chad

Jim,

What a beautiful way to have your mind changed! I like that one very much.
Let us know how it does at the range. BTW, I know absolutely nothing about the .38-40 cartridge.

Thanks for the post & pics,

Jerry

Jim any of the well heeled gunsmiths of that era and calibre are well worth putting the $$$ for! I really like your gun and glad you found what you were looking for, Congrats, Dale Z in Canada

A custom revolver that nice deserves KB grips!
Congrats!

Jim, you never cease to amaze me. You surely know how to live. Doing your thing brother.
What kind of a load are you going to use in that?

The Kearsarge grips were exactly what I had in mind. Those are the early style with the carved background that I believe Keith has diecontinued in favor of a stippled background.

Sometimes you see a chopped or modified classic and feel sad because it's just a gun somebody went after with a saw. Other times you see a converted classic, and you think, "Why didn't the factory put out that model? They could have sold thousands!"

This is in the latter class -- it's like a factory prototype for a .38-40 N-frame. What a great conversion!

__________________
David Wilson

The 1911 speculators would have apoplexy at the sight of that much work done on one of "their" guns that should be preserved unaltered and unshot for posterity.

Great looking Smith! My .38-40 is a 4 inch Colt New Service.

it's next to the H-D 'caus this is The Smith & Wesson Forum (the button just happened to be there, I apologize if it offends anyone).

/c

Great conversion of a great pistol. I have a Model 28 that Hamilton converted to 38-40 along with some action work and cosmetic enhancements. It has the best 38-40 chambers I have ever seen. Since I own 12 other firearms in 38-40, I am familiar with the norm and the chambers Bowen cut are very good. The accuracy is spectacular. I use a Lee Factory Crimp Die to hold onto lead bullets of 140 gr designed for the 40 S&W or for jacketed 40 cal bullets. Great accuracy either way.

I have two post war HD's on the way to Bowen. I for 45 Colt and the other for 44 Spl. I may have two send a third for 38-40 after seeing yours.

MD

The .38-40 is an old black powder cartridge that fires a .40 cal. bullet at 800-900 fps. Think .40 S&W. The more things change, the more things stay the same. I have a 38-40 Colt SAA and it shoots great, I think .38-40 in a S&W would be a match made in heaven.
Please post a range report!
Rabbit

Don't have a range report yet--but this is result of the first recreational outing. Pulled the bullets on the handloaded ammo I got with it (powder looked like Unique) and recharged them with 6.5 gr. 231 behind a 180 gr. cast FP. Took a center hold at 15 yards and clipped the top off the first bird. Moved over to the next one and held at 6 o'clock. This was the result. I am going to try some other loadings, but this wasn't bad for a start. Jim

Attached Images

DSCN1039.jpg (100.7 KB, 74 views)

I envy you, I have always wanted a Smith in 38-40 but never had the courage to have an old Smith modified.

SWCA 892

I KNEW I should have bought that gun!!! Glad a friend got it.

Great looking gun. A conversion to a round hardly ever done.
I really enjoy custom guns,,and custom handguns in particular.

I always hear the same 'you destroyed a classic, the originality is gone...'
Base guns are chosen carefully, no need to take a pristine piece or one that's anywhere near to it. There's plenty of worked over & altered candidates out there to choose from.

It's always a gun they turn their nose up at from a collectors view,,wouldn't buy it anyway. But they just hate to see it done.
They don't even like a restored ones,,so you may as well give a new life to an old classic.

Nice shootin'! That clay target piece is a one shot classic..

1950jcb,

Now that right there is nice!

Su Amigo,
Dave

__________________
"IN GOD WE TRUST"

One nice thing to know about the 38-40: with an extra cylinder you could make it a convertible to 40 S&W. Same bore size since 38-40 is not a 38. It's a .401 cal. When Winch. designed the cartridge following the famous 44-40 (which is actually a .427 cal), they loaded a 401 bullet over 38 grs of blackpowder. But 40-38 sounded awful, but 38-40 rolls right off the tongue. In it's day it was a flatter shooter than the 44 and sizzled right along with a 180 gr bullet.

__________________
Jim
S&WCA #819

I am fortunate enough to have several of Hamilton's creations, both on contemporary guns and several on 'oldies but goodies.' These include a Colt New Service rebuilt and completely restored as well as a 38/44 HD converted to 45LC. Hamilton and I have had many conversations about his projects and one thing I can assure you is that he would never redo or alter an older gun which comes to him in good condition. Both my HD and the NS had been 'ridden hard and put away wet' before Hamilton worked his magic on them. They came out of the process looking brand new and functioning perfectly.

No sacrilege committed. By the way, if you can find a copy, his book THE CUSTOM REVOLVER is a unique view not only on the topic in the title, but a fascinating look at revolvers, their components in detail, and various cartridges.

Dave

__________________
Time Wounds All Heels

HELLO JIM: I SENT MY S&W MODEL 520 357 MAGNUM REVOLVER (NEW IN THE BOX) TO HAMILTON BOWEN 10 MONTHS AGO FOR A SIMPLE CALIBER CONVERSION TO 38-40. AS OF THIS WRITING I STILL NOT RECEIVED MY REV0LVER BACK. IS THIS THE NORMAL TIME THAT IT TAKES TO DO A SIMPLE CALIBER CONVERSION??? HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO HAVE YOUR REVOLVER CONVERTED???

THANKS, SOLDIER

I think that the .38-40 HD is a gun Smith & Wesson should have made but never did. Yours is gorgeous.

__________________
Vaya con Dios

A great looking gun and you seem well pleased, so more power to you. I often think the HDs are converted so frequently because folks think of them as a 38 Special. If you start loading and shooting real 38/44s the original HDs take on a whole new character and don't seem so much like candidates for converting to some other caliber. A 158g flat point bullet at 1150 fps from a 4" is not just another 38 Special!

Just saying',
Dave

__________________
RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

I too have several Bowen Converted HD'S and could not be more pleased .

Soldier:
1) Turn off the caps. Thanks.
2) Messages like that, IMHO, belong in PMs.
3) Bowen estimated most of a year on the project I sent in January. One of the issues about which he told me is that the shop that does the boring and stuff is backlogged for reasons relating to the economy. Since excellence is the standard, the time it takes is the time it takes.

__________________
NHI, 10-8.

Well let's see here...Anyone that does any kind of quality work, is well covered up in it.
A year or two ain't to bad of a wait...At least not for Hamilton's kinda work.

Hell, I'm booked solid on holster work for the next 12 -18 months, my ownself, no vacations this year!

Su Amigo,
Dave

__________________
"IN GOD WE TRUST"

They are the finest. I have no familiarity with the 38-40, but that's one nice lookin' pistol. I have this example of his work, my 28-2, 5" converted to 45ACP


Here's my pitiful attempt at shootin' it at 15 yards

It gets even worse at 25 yards

The gun is capable of much better accuracy than I am.
Ned

You might want to get a few speedloaders for that thing. None currently being made, but you can modify existing ones to fit. Start with a HKS 25-5 .45 Colt speedloader. With a Dremel and a small sanding drum, gently enlarge the cartridge holes about 0.010". That will allow the slightly larger rims of the .38-40 to fit. You don't have to modify the cartridge rim latches, but make sure that the cartridges will drop free from the loader. This modification works on the .44-40 cartridge, as well.

It's not possible to convert a Safariland J-A10 .45 Colt speedloader. There's just not enough enough meat in the walls to open it up enough to accept the .38-40 cartridge.

I made three of these to shoot an IDPA match with a Colt New Service (with a special [local match] dispensation for the 5½" barrel). Worked like a charm.

Buck

I'm glad this post surfaced again, ... even if it tempts me again to consider a conversion of one of my old N-frames.

Jerry

Converting a .357 to a .38-40 is a "simple caliber conversion"?

That's funny right there.


Cat

__________________
Think for yourself.

While it looks nice, to me another 38/44 HD died an untimely death.

It is always sad to see a beloved friend like a 38/44 go down like that.

Why not sacrifice a Pre-27 or Pre-28 instead?

__________________
SWCA 1646

This article references Ruger SAs but focus on the cartridge potential in the article. Very informative.

http://www.singleactions.com/files/3...terArticle.pdf

__________________
Jim
S&WCA #819

Great info on the .38-40 cartridge. Thanks, Jim!

Jerry