Is it possible to convert a 544 to another caliber?

Poke · #1 01-05-2014, 10:17 AM

I picked up a 544 at a fair price and the caliber seems to be a wash. Is it possible to have one of these converted to something like a 44 special or so? It didn't come with the factory grips though which is fine.

On the flip side is there any decent load info for jacketed bullets? I know its not a magnum and brass is the limiting factor but figured its worth asking.

Pics

colt_saa · #2 01-05-2014, 10:30 AM

Of course you can convert it.

There is almost no gunsmithing project that can not be acomplished with a big enough pile of cash.

With the popularity of Cowboy Action Shooting, there is lots of loading data for the 44-40 cartridge all over the internet. You will just need to spend some time doing the research. GOOGLE is your friend

BTW this is also called the 44 Winchester Center Fire or 44WCF

Poke · #3 01-05-2014, 10:47 AM

When I did some googling on this most loads are for lead. Tons of data to shoot lead. My question kind of centers on cylinder replacement. I already have the stuff to load 44mag and special. If I have to rig up to load for the 44-40 I would spend about the same as a cylinder from wherever and the fee to have it timed and properly checked out.

Its a beautiful gun in an odd caliber that I thought about just putting in the back of the safe somewhere. Its no fun to not shoot these things though.

Pizza Bob · #4 01-05-2014, 10:57 AM

To each his own, but I would hate to see someone take one of these limited edition (<5K) 5" N-frames and diminish it's value by converting it to some mundane caliber, for their convenience. Are you aware that this is the only gun that S&W ever cataloged in this caliber? And what is wrong with shooting lead? Before the advent of CAS, this was primarily a hand loading caliber, now it is pretty easy to find factory ammo.

I'm not a big one for safe queens. While my shooter-grade (no box, display case, papers or tools) 544 mostly languishes in the safe, it does get shot on occasion.

Rather than destroy a rather interesting revolver, why not sell it, unmolested, and purchase something in a caliber more to your liking? Maybe a 24 or 624, but leave the 544 alone.

JMHO

Adios,

Pizza Bob

BUFF · #5 01-05-2014, 11:11 AM

I don't think that fitting another cylinder in another chambering like .44 Special would take anything away from the gun.

I have a Colt New Frontier with cylinders in both .44 Special and .44-40. I have never shot the .44-40 cylinder and likely never will. I prefer loading straight-wall pistol cartridges with carbide sizing dies much more than tapered or bottleneck cases with case lube and steel sizing dies. Plus, I have a lot more .44 Special guns, brass and ammo than .44-40.

chipking · #6 01-05-2014, 11:48 AM

PLEASE DON'T!!! Sell it to someone who has been searching for a 544 for years with no luck (myself for instance) and use the money to buy something you want in a caliber you want.
Chip King

jtcarm · #7 01-05-2014, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chipking

PLEASE DON'T!!! Sell it to someone who has been searching for a 544 for years with no luck (myself for instance) and use the money to buy something you want in a caliber you want.
Chip King

+1. Not that I'm interested.

You got a good deal, but conversion puts you into it for more money and almost surely lowers value. If you want a shooter, sell it and get what you want. You will come out better financially on the gun and a caliber that's more readily available and easier to reload.

Nightowl · #8 01-05-2014, 03:11 PM

I recently came into a 544 as well. It looks virtually unfired. So, was interested in the question, having a couple of .44 Specials and reload for them and .44 Magnums.
Having nothing better to do at the moment, I decided to measure the length of the cylinders to see if a .44 Special cylinder could be fitted. This is what I measured with my digital caliper.

544 1.667"
629-3 1.703
25-7 1.667
624 & 24 1.576
If these measurements are nominal, then it appears to me that you could not fit a new .44 Special cylinder to the 544 without setting back the barrel, which would mean that the original 544 cylinder would not fit without refacing it to 1.576. You could find a .44 Mag cylinder and reface it to fit the 544, but I personally would not want a magnum cylinder in a non magnum frame.
44/40 normally uses .427 bullets. I don't know what the barrel diameter of the 544 is, whether it used a .44 Mag barrel or if it was made for the 44/40 diameter. I measured the cylinder throats of my 544 and they measured .424. I am thinking that the barrel is probably a .427 rather than a .429 one. I would be interested if anyone knows what diameter of barrel Smith installed on the 544.
It appears the easiest solution here is to leave it a 44/40 and reload.

M29since14 · #9 01-05-2014, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightowl

...I measured the cylinder throats of my 544 and they measured .424. I am thinking that the barrel is probably a .427 rather than a .429 one.

Wow - really small throats so I too would bet S&W sized the bore according to .44/40 specs. Can't imagine they would do elsewise and stamp the .44/40 caliber on the gun's barrel.

Back to the OP, I am not normally squeamish about modifying revolvers to suit my purposes but in this case I think it would make best sense to sell the gun to someone who wants it for what it is. I understand it might seem to be an easy way to come up with a 5-inch .44 Special, but I don't think it is going to be cost effective. Probably best to find a Model 24 and cut it to 5-inches, if that is what you really want. If you can find a spare barrel on the internet, you could have it cut and installed, thus preserving the gun's original barrel.

STCM(SW) · #10 01-05-2014, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pizza Bob

To each his own, but I would hate to see someone take one of these limited edition (<5K) 5" N-frames and diminish it's value by converting it to some mundane caliber, for their convenience. Are you aware that this is the only gun that S&W ever cataloged in this caliber? And what is wrong with shooting lead? Before the advent of CAS, this was primarily a hand loading caliber, now it is pretty easy to find factory ammo.

I'm not a big one for safe queens. While my shooter-grade (no box, display case, papers or tools) 544 mostly languishes in the safe, it does get shot on occasion.

Rather than destroy a rather interesting revolver, why not sell it, unmolested, and purchase something in a caliber more to your liking? Maybe a 24 or 624, but leave the 544 alone.

JMHO

Adios,

Pizza Bob

Just what I was thinking.
I have a M544 & try to find a large calaber revolver that is 5".
Slim.....

clang444 · #11 01-05-2014, 05:06 PM

OP - It looks like there are a few people that would like to own a gun like your 544.

Why not put a WTT (wanted to trade) ad on this website. List what kind of gun you are willing to trade for and see if someone can come up with it. Maybe a 24, 624, 29, 629, 25 or 625. Just be specific on what you want.

Poke · #12 01-05-2014, 05:10 PM

NightOwl pretty much answered my question. I guess I didn't state it fair enough as I meant going with a different cylinder that wouldn't really modify the gun. I would buy a 44mag cylinder from midway from $99-$109 or but the 44-40 stuff for about $150. Didn't look at Brownells but most likely the same story.

I thought I had a set of grips laying around that came spare with a 25-2 I got last year but no luck there.