had my 1950 Target 45 ACP tore down today including the barrel, Played with a Model 28 barrel and it looks like it would go into place with little fitting. What is easiest, cheapest and fastest way go get a 4 or 5 barrel made or other to go on the gun.I have a 28-2 six inch which requie cutting, boring and new front sight. A new 4 or 5 inch barrel would only need boring. Finding a short 1950 barrel impossible. Than who can do the work in less in a year if at all.

Ideas please or a five inch re-barreled barrel to 45 ACP.

Vtgw938

Sorry, I did not realize the difference in rifling, only knew the bore diameter was the same.



Robert

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

Robert:

Still need boring?rifling? what else to fit properly? Where to get the work done?

The rifling in the 45LC barrel is not the same as the rifling in the 45ACP barrel. If I remember correctly, the LC barrels have 6 lands, the ACP barrels only 5 lands.
The 25-5 barrel is for a Model of 1955, with a heavy barrel.
The Model of 1950, has the lighter tapered barrel.

Search the forum for "barrel reboring". I believe there are numerous threads on the subject.
A 27 or 28 barrel has the proper taper & definitely can be bored for .45 caliber.

This gun is a Model 28, converted by Hamilton Bowen, to .45ACP, with the barrel cut to 5", & the correct roll marks added.



It's my understanding that Bowen no longer works on Smith's.

Ned

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Devil's afraid I'll take over.

I have an extra 4" model 28 357 barrel. I had it mounted on my 6" gun, but ended up having it removed and put my gun back to original. If you are interested, let me know. Maybe there is something trade worthy?

Attached Images

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I would just have the original cut, crowned and a sight fitted.

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dd884
JMHO-YMMV

Call Andy Horvath, he has cut down a few barrels for me. The crown looks factory. Search his phone number, call 9 am or 4:30 pm eastern. He doesn’t have a web site and his shop is also Diagnol road gun shop. Reboaring then cutting would take a while. He is a one man shop, Larry

As per the above two posts, DDIXIE884 and Jebus35745, I'd go with cutting the original barrel and reinstalling the factory front sight with the intent of matching the original style crown, etc.

Sounds like this is going to be a shooter rather than a NIB original 1950 Target 45, so impact on value will be negligible. Who knows, to the right guy sometime down the road, it might enhance the value?

Look at how many guys post RMs, Triple Locks, etc. that have been sensibly modified. We all love them here on the forum because they were (hopefully!) done right, fill a genuine need, and are just plain cool!

I have made several 45 colts using both acp and colt barrels. The rifling may be somewhat different, but the accuracy is no different. But, I do not believe S&W made a blue 5" barrel in acp or colt. The do look and shoot nice though.

A 5" pinned and recessed 45 colt made using by cutting 8 3/8 barrel on a 25-5 and reaming a recessed 44 mag cylinder

A 5" stainless 45 colt usin a full lug acp barrel and a 629-1 frame and reamed cylinder on Left compared to a 4" on right


a cut to 4 1/2" 1950 barrel with a 45 colt cylinder using a Brazilian frame cut for adj sights

The fastest and easiest way to get your shorter barrel is to cut the existing one.

Larry mentioned Andy Horvath, I will second that recommendation. He is superb. I have seen a lot of his work and it is all top quality. He is reasonable on prices and works in a timely fashion.

If you want to go the rebore route, check out this recent thread,

Barrel rebore

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

Ned,

You have that backwards, the Army required 6 lands and grooves for the Model 1917. All subsequent ACP revolvers (until the Model 325) followed that form.


Right on the money.


That is what I have also heard.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

These all look great. But, I especially like the last one! Five screw frame, and the perfect amount of genuine finish wear!

If you don't mind saying, how do you reattach your front sights?
I recall you mentioned how once you did two pins. The first hole was perfect, but the second was more trouble?

Nice work!!

The front sight on ribbed guns has a tab below the ramp that the pins pass through to hold it in place. The ramp sits right on top the rib grooves, even on factory barrels, by the way. The first thing that means is you must cut the barrel back enough to remove the original slot for the ramp tab. Next that to reinstall you need to cut a new slot. That is not hard with a mill. Once the slot is cut you need to make a decision. To hold it back on with pins or use other means. The older guns used two pins that set proud with rounded ends and the newer ones the pins are polished flush.
Polishing flush means you will need to blue that whole area. Proud pins you only need to worry about the ends of the pins.

But, a bigger problem is the holes. Hitting the original holes in the tab perfectly would be difficult and hitting them a bit off with a little .050 bit would be a good way to snap off the bit. So, plugging the original holes in the tab with a pin and tapping the pin to rivet it in hole the filing it flush is a good idea. Then you need to install it on barrel and drill the 2 holes. This means the barrel must be held solidly, be both level length wise and the ramp must be perfectly 90 degrees to the drill. Then you must drill 2 holes perfectly straight though one side of the ramp the tab, then though the rib on other side with a .050 drill. IF the little drill wanders at all it will not come out the other side right. I screwed up the courage to try it one time on a model 29 barrel. Nailed the first hole, I moved the mill bed enough to be over second hole location, which kept me level and square and did the second hole using same bit, pressure etc. The bit wandered a bit and came out on the corner of the barrels rib and it is now a DUH reminder in my parts pile. About all I can do is cut it back more, polish off the markings and make it about 3 1/2". Ir is also one of the reasons, I don't like working on some one else's gun. I mess up mine I will deal with it.

I will never ever try to do that again.

It is much better to tin the tab and sight base with silver solder, get solder in new slot, then clamp ramp in position. It will never ever come off without heat. If you use a big carpenters pencil to hit the sides of ramp and barrel the excess solder that squirts out will not stick to them and cleans right off. It looks no different than one with pins polished flat.

I am going to re blue the Brazilian. The bright blue cylinder and barrel make the frame look funky.

You want to see a 5 screw pinned and recessed 45 colts here are 2. One from a 1955 the other from a early Highway Patrolmen. Both have recessed 44 mag cylinders reamed to 45 Colt


Here is a 3 1/2" made using a 1917 frame with the grip frame chopped and rounded, milled for sights, a cut down 1950 barrel and a non recessed 44 mag cylinder reamed to 45 colt then the center portion of cylinder recessed so it can also fire 45 acp in full moons. The only part of the original butt base left is just enough for the original serial number. Cut, form, weld, cut, form weld, it never ever left the gun