My Latest N Frame Project.. The beginning---Update: May 23rd, 2018!!

[les.b]

I'm going to be the voice of dissent here and say that you should leave that gun as it is. Brazilians that nice don't come along very often. I'd suggest finding one that's already been Bubba'd and needs rescuing, instead of being the Bubba.

Tom:

I gave you a "like" even though you don't agree with me on my latest project. I realize that everyone doesn't always agree on everything, and I actually appreciate honest criticism, especially when it is presented in a sprit of constructive comment.

I agree that this is a fairly nice specimen of the 1937 Brazilian, and I'm aware that at the most there were only about 25,000 of them made...which is why I'm not really "Bubbaing" it. I am actually only planning on converting a 1917 barrel which is not numbered to a gun at all, and has already been spoiled for a collector piece by having the property marking ground off of the bottom of the barrel. I plan to keep the original numbered to the gun barrel with the original numbered to the gun stocks, and may even have the stocks cleaned up and restored. Changing out a barrel is a relatively simple affair, and is not irreversible, so that I can change back to the original configuration at any time.

Best Regards, Les

 

[les.b]

Didn't Fitzgerald at Colt wear snub New Service guns?

Those who have Chic Gaylord's, Handgunner's Guide (1960) can see Det. Ganio's .45 NS snub. Not a M-1917;it was in .45 Colt. The Colt doesn't have a front cylinder lock, so he got the barrel pretty short.

Tex,

I seem to remember that Fitz had leather front pockets sewn into his pants, and he kept a brace of snub New Service snubs in each, and he would startle visitors to his workshop by fast drawing and presenting them!! I may have even seen a photo somewhere of this setup.

Best Regards, Les

 

[Iggy]

If old Fitz was big enough or tough enough to carry two New Service revolvers in his front pockets, he din't need a gun. He could have gone bear huntin' with a switch.

 

[younggun22]

I don't have much to add except for: CHOP IT!!!!


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[crsides]

Tex,

I seem to remember that Fitz had leather front pockets sewn into his pants, and he kept a brace of snub New Service snubs in each, and he would startle visitors to his workshop by fast drawing and presenting them!! I may have even seen a photo somewhere of this setup.

Best Regards, Les

something like this




Charlie

 

[Green Frog]

Don't want to hijack the thread here, but keith44spl is one of the very best at making the guns that Smith never made but should have, and he builds them out of guns and/or parts that are way beyond collectible. For example, this one is a Colt 45 with a RM front sight, ivory bead and half-adjustable rear sight with Keith Brown grips. Beautiful work! Smith didn't make it but they should have. This is my idea of a big bore, short barreled revolver! I see nothing wrong with taking a fairly hammered old gun and making it into a work of art. I think les.b's project is terrific and I look forward to seeing the end result.

Yep, I like to virtually "sit" at his virtual "feet" and just marvel at the ideas that percolate through his fertile mind then actually come to fruition in steel and wood. Even though he works way above my pay grade, some of his ideas translate to applications we mere mortals can aspire to.

One idea I've long had on my "Back Burner List" is a S&W 1917 US or a 1937 Brazilian with King-type sight upgrades (with or without rib - the jury is still out) and checkered back strap along the lines of the pre-War Colt target revolvers. Finish it off with a nice set of Roper-style grips or maybe service-type stags, and it should be ready for the next Bar-B-Que!

Froggie

 

[Tom K]

Tom:

I gave you a "like" even though you don't agree with me on my latest project. I realize that everyone doesn't always agree on everything, and I actually appreciate honest criticism, especially when it is presented in a sprit of constructive comment.

I agree that this is a fairly nice specimen of the 1937 Brazilian, and I'm aware that at the most there were only about 25,000 of them made...which is why I'm not really "Bubbaing" it. I am actually only planning on converting a 1917 barrel which is not numbered to a gun at all, and has already been spoiled for a collector piece by having the property marking ground off of the bottom of the barrel. I plan to keep the original numbered to the gun barrel with the original numbered to the gun stocks, and may even have the stocks cleaned up and restored. Changing out a barrel is a relatively simple affair, and is not irreversible, so that I can change back to the original configuration at any time.

Best Regards, Les

I'm still skeptical. Maybe the original barrel and stocks will get put back on the gun someday, maybe not. If you don't do it, who will? And if you are going to someday, then why not leave it as is? When will you decide, "Nope, don't want a snubby any more"?

This is the kind of gun that should be the basis for this project. You wouldn't even need to replace the barrel, just trim the one on it. Certainly there are others out there in similar shape.

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/682875686

Well, as soon as I saw the title and first post of this thread, I knew there would be some pushback from the folks who think every gun that ever left Springfield was built to the perfect specifications and should never be altered and from those who have their own well developed sense of propriety for what certain classes of guns should look like. ....

Hope you don't think I'm one of those guys, as I have had my own custom S&W projects done.
The seldom-seen 8-3/8" .44 Special

The seldom-seen 8-3/8" K32

But ya know, I started off with guns that were sad cases to begin with, not ones that were already very nice in their own right. For instance I could have had the 8-3/8 .44 Special made by taking one of my two 6" Model 24-3 revolvers and having it rebarreled. I'd still have the original barrel "if I ever wanted to change it back". Which likely would never happen.

Instead I gave new life to a gray old Model 28-2 that otherwise would just get more and more sad looking. Kind of like what keith44spl does on a regular basis.

Don't want to hijack the thread here, but keith44spl is one of the very best at making the guns that Smith never made but should have, and he builds them out of guns and/or parts that are way beyond collectible. For example, this one is a Colt 45 with a RM front sight, ivory bead and half-adjustable rear sight with Keith Brown grips. Beautiful work! Smith didn't make it but they should have. This is my idea of a big bore, short barreled revolver! I see nothing wrong with taking a fairly hammered old gun and making it into a work of art. I think les.b's project is terrific and I look forward to seeing the end result.

My point exactly. les.b, like I said, find one that's already been Bubba'd. They are out there and need your help.

 

[Frank46]

The m1937 for the Brazilian contract I have makes Les B'S 1917 look like a minty handgun. Very heavy pitting that has been blued over, large deep pits in the grip frame which get scrubbed out wetther they need it to keep the rust away. I do have a NOW1917 barrel hiding around here so that won't be a problem. Sights both front and rear I'm still trying to figgure out and eventually what the finish will be. Propably get it bead blasted and then blues. Frank

 

[stu1ritter]

For a "one of" custom creation I can't ever think of why you would start with a hammered old gun and then put all the money, thought, time, effort, hopes, dreams, into it. I would start with the best example I could to get the best finished product I could.

Stu

 

[jack the toad]

Stu,
In my neck of the woods, once upon a time a person could pickup an old N frame HE (namely 1917's) pretty cheap. Some had decent barrels and some didn't but regardless, replacements were sometimes hard to come buy so finding a replacement was in order. Hence, the 1917 with 625-10 barrel was created. At least that's what I used. Same for a 3.5"-4" so chopping a barrel and resetting the sight was a sometimes common thing and breathed new life back into these old guns.

 

[stu1ritter]

Indeed Jack, indeed, but I wasn't thinking of yesteryear and $12/hr gunsmithing. I was thinking of todays gunsmiths and their prices and parts prices and on and on. Ahh, the days of King and Micro and all the others who made all the bits and pieces we used to assemble our dreams, but they don't exist anymore. It has become a fairly expensive proposition to build a custom anything these days.

Stu

 

[keith44spl]

Les,

Them snub'd N frames are..............A-Okay in my book.

.

 

[les.b]

Dave:

Wow!! That sure is another beauty! Thanks for sharing with us. One of the earlier posters said that you were famous for building the guns that Smith and Wesson should have built...I gotta agree.

Best Regards, Les

 

[Green Frog]

For a "one of" custom creation I can't ever think of why you would start with a hammered old gun and then put all the money, thought, time, effort, hopes, dreams, into it. I would start with the best example I could to get the best finished product I could.

Stu

Stu,

I feel like I need to start with a good solid gun as my donor, but if it's a little "cosmetically challenged" it doesn't hurt my feelings too badly. Of course using a LNIB example or a collectible in anything like good shape is a no no for me.

Froggie

 

[steelslaver]

I agree with Froggie. Starring out with a cosmetically challenged guns is the way to go. First they are usually much less expensive than those with perfect finishes, next the mods will usually need refinished, parts changes often cause mismatched finishes. Myself, I have a small blue setup and I don't think fixing minor scratches and pits is that hard, maybe a bit time consuming. Once the the gun is smooth and even the actual blue job isn't that hard. Most important on finishing steel is to use a correctly shaped backer on your sand paper to avoid rounding things off. Start at the finest grit possible and get rid of all imperfections and then go up to real fine grits to remove scratches left by previous grits.. Buffing should not round stuff off, because it shouldn't take much buffing. Buffing doesn't remove metal as much as smear it a bit. If you try to remove imperfections or scratches with a buffer all you'll really get is shiny scratches and imperfections.

 

[raljr1]

great idea, Les. Now I want one.

 

[WC145]

I'm all about taking guns and turning them into what you want, never mind what anyone else thinks.

I had a chopped '37 Brazilian a while back, sold it to a forum member IIRC. Great gun great look.

This is my .41mag M28-2 that Mark Hartshorne recently completed for me. Started with a beater 28-2, a titanium M357 cylinder, and a 4" M58 barrel, Mark worked his magic and boom, there it is.

 

[Kinman]

If the piece doesn't have any historical or significant collectible status I say "Whatever floats your boat and more power to you."
I don't have any need for a firearm that I do not enjoy to shoot and only a but a few that I consider nice enough to keep that down to about a couple times a year.
It would have be a very cherry any kind of Model of 1917, Brazilian or otherwise that would keep me from working into what I wanted, I'm sorry...
I picked up a decent Brazilian from a friend for a very reasonable price, it had already been reblued which faded out most of the roll marks, damage done...fair game.
I've got good eyesight but for some reason or another fixed sights devil me to no end. I continually shoot high and to the left, and I've done all the right eye dominant stuff and shoot adjustable sights just fine once I crank everything over to the right.
I stuck a Wondersight on it and that solved most of the problem, I wanted it a little shorter and had a good friend of mine shorten it to 4" and install a Baughman style front sight with it regulated to the height of the Wondersight. What a difference it makes, I've got a pretty decent load built up that shoots 185gr Rainier plated hollow points with 6.2gr of Red Dot to point of aim at 10-15 yds, I like shooting the 185gr Rainiers at targets and loading 185gr Hornady XTPs for carry. I used to carry that little number quite a bit until I lucked into a nice 25-3 3", I like a 44 just that much more.

 

[Green Frog]

Kinman, when I first heard about the FDL Wondersight (about 35+ years ago) I was pretty excited about the potential it gave. Although I still have not spent any real range time with one, the more I study on it (OK, I'm slow like that) the more it strikes me as delicate or even fragile for field use. Would you care to comment on this and perhaps disabuse me of my misconception? I really would like to have the FDL WS in my package of useful accessories for pre-War M&Ps like Victories and even my 32-20 M&P.

Regards,
Froggie

 

[ddixie884]

The Wondersight was in production a coupla years ago. I'm not sure if it is still available. Check on-line............