Why no more Bowen Smiths?

lebomm · #1 07-19-2017, 09:41 AM

Current information has it that Hamilton Bowen will no longer do his inestimable magic on S&W revolvers, but I've not yet heard why he has quit. Anybody know why ?

Larry

-db- · #2 07-19-2017, 09:45 AM

From Bowen's website:

Quote:

March 15, 2016 | CATALOG REVISION — Effective May 1st 2016, we will no longer accept S&W revolver projects and will take down the S&W catalog section. A great many of our S&W offerings involve barrel work, particularly sight and caliber conversion. More and more of the newer guns have barrels set so tightly that the factory service department refuses to remove them because of the risks of receiver damage. Unfortunately, it is impossible to know when guns are suitable candidates for barrel removal until you put a barrel wrench to one. Due to the untimely loss of friend and colleague Jim Dubell who did our reboring, we also have a considerable backlog of S&W caliber conversions to address as we are able to get barrels rebored; these are our top priority. We also expect to concentrate more on our parts business. With a couple of new machine shops hard at it now on our behalf, the sight and part situation is improving which will enable us to bring on line some needed new sight parts.

Jebus35745 · #3 07-19-2017, 01:05 PM

I believe he brought back the Weigand interchangeable front sight base. With all the projects I gave to Andy Horvath, I used up his supply of em. Now he can get more of them. Now if I can find a Bomar winged cover up rib for another project, Larry