I have a barrel from a 4" prewar Third Model 44 Special.

I am looking for a donor gun to fit it to.

If I find a Second Model 44 Special (no ejector rod shroud on the barrel) - will the third model barrel fit without modification - that is, should the Second Model's ejector rod be the same length and profile?

I don’t know for sure, but I believe that it would. Should.

If you decide not to do it, I am looking for a 4” third model barrel, for just such a project. I have a second model. 6 1/2” bbl., pitted. I’ve wanted to do that project for some time!!

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

I have as well! I have a couple of third model 4" 44's ... I have in mind to do this project and engrave it, and add some carved steerhead pearls on it

Does the second model ejector rod have a mushroom knob? If so you will need a rod with the smaller knob.

Oh, yeah!! That sounds like a winner!! Be sure and share with us if you do. Best of luck in your project.

Best regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

To get the correct extractor rod with the correct barrel shaped knob (instead of the mushroom) on a pre war donor gun, you'll need a donor frame from the 1930 to 1945 period.

Or to obtain a separate rod with a barrel knob and correct Right Hand thread, it must be from 1926 to pre 1945 for a frame/cyl from 1908 to 1959. A frame/cyl from after 1959 will need a LH threaded rod but no rods with barrel knob were made with LH thread in the N frame size.

A straight rod will work of course in a pinch, but the cut out in the shroud of your 3rd model barrel has the slight bulge in the front of the cutout for a barrel knob as you likely know.

Occasionally slight length fitting is needed, and for sure if the 4" barrel shoulder has to be faced off for proper alignment (very likely).

Do you prefer a pre war donor frame or does it matter?

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Jim, I for sure want a prewar donor frame. I had in mind to just find a pre war 44 of any fixed sight variant in "project gun" condition and a price reasonable enough to refinish it. An alternative would be to find an N frame cylinder in 38 and bore it out to 44, but I really don't want to do that when there are plenty of 5" 44's around.

OK, I'll keep an 'eye open' for a donor.

Did you mean 5" 44s or plenty of 6 1/2" 44s?

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Jim
S&WCA #819

I thought that I have seen a good number of 5" guns but it has been a while and I don't recall what they're bringing. I need to look at numbers. I bet there are more 6.5's out there.

A pre war HD solves all these issues. Just bore the cylinder out and get the throats to your spec. Will also have the correct rod which isn’t that easy to find alone. An unwanted already modified 455 will typically go cheap(er) but doesn’t have the correct rod. There’s also the question of the round top vs square.

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SWCA: 3154
SWHF: 552

The Roughly 7000 .455 Triple Locks have an extractor rod to fit with the 3rd Model .44 barrel.

Granted the TLs have to be pretty rough before the price gets very low. But at least one member here has purchased several candidates to restore properly as his specialty.

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Jim
S&WCA #819