Hey Gang, hope this goes okay here, if not move it to where you think is appropriate. I currently shoot a 1911 in local steel plate challenge competition and also want to do this with a revolver. I have a M57 8.3/8 pinned bbl. and want to convert it to a 4" or 6" length, shooting reduced loads which I have plenty of load data for. I love the gun and am tired of just looking at the old girl and want to get it shooting. I have my eye on a stock 4" bbl. on gun broker for conversion but was thinking since I want to shoot with optics in the open class and have to change the barrel, why not just get a custom barrel with no sights and have that installed. My question to you all is who is the best people to talk to for M57 custom work? Any help is appreciated and I'm going with this caliber and do not want to shoot anything else so please don't try to direct me to another caliber, I ain't budgin'......Lol! I'm weird like that

Talk to Dave Clements at Clements Custom Gun in MS. I think he should be able to take care of you.

(But I would go with a stock Smith barrel, were it me... you can have the revolver D&T from Smith.)

I would go with the 4 Inch barrel you have located.

In the last 20 years my 3 Inch 625 has been a 3 Inch, then a 5 Inch for IDPA, then back to a 3 Inch, and now it is a 4 Inch shooting ICORE Limited.

The thing is I still have the factory 3 Inch Barrel, and it can be put back again.

I would not modify your 57 where it could not be easily put back into original condition.

I would rather have a 57 with a 4 Inch barrel. I would have no interest at all in one with a custom bull barrel. Most here would probably agree with this. Put the 4 Inch barrel on it, and keep the 8-3/8 barrel.

Bob

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ICORE MO2908

Good idea getting something out of the safe and putting it to work.
Another consideration here may be your choice of optics.
I shoot a 4" 625 with a MatchDot II.
The front lens fogs up from muzzle gases, so I keep a lens wiper handy to keep wiping it off.
For this reason, I wish I'd gotten a 5" gun instead.
And a bit more sight radius is useful if its shot naked.

Just picked up a 6" 629-4 that will become my pin gun when I can work out a suitable load.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95