Can't be a 24. Fixed sights. I'd like to hear the story behind that gun.
.44 Special
- Thread starter Gunnut1952
- Start date
Can't be a 24. Fixed sights. I'd like to hear the story behind that gun.
Iver Johnson is usually credited with inventing the transfer bar revolver safety. Their "Hammer the Hammer" ads showing a man poised to whack one of their revolver's hammers with a carpenter's hammer date to about 1910. Also, Ruger added transfer bars to their single action revolvers in 1973.
keith44spl
Member
Howdy,
Sorry, not a 24......
I've built several 44 Specials on pre-war frames,
both fixed sighted and with adjustable rear sights.
But, this go around, I wanted a post-war fix sighted frame
that a ribbed barrel would mate up to.
And that would be a model 520 frame. Picked up the 44 Spl barrel
& a 44 Mag cylinder here on the forum and voilà,
I got myself a handy back country sidearm. I generally shoot
44 Special handloads, but could use the longer cartridge in a pinch.
(I'll try to make a few additional pictures)
.
ABPOS
Member
Wowz.... So no other pics?
Sir, you nailed correctly......IJ was first with it.......Gives credence to the saying " There's nothing new under the Sun.
BKDinTexas
Member
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How does that fixed sight frame work with the high adjustable sight barrel?Sometimes..........
I jest build one to suit me self.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
keith44spl
Member
keith44spl
Member
The front sight has been lowered a bit.....
I milled the the sight blade down and removed the red insert
and it's dovetail. Milled the sight base down to match, cut new
dovetail for ivory insert.
The sight picture (to shoot to the point of aim) is kinda like
that of a shotgun bead. I hold the white insert just above the
rear notch, for fast action. What with my old eyes, it makes
for a quicker sight picture for me.
.
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My Charter Arms 3" Bulldog (older model) recoil was tamed by loading a 180 grain cast bullet with 6.0 grain Unique.
I was issued a Charter .44 for a few years. I tried it with the Skeeter load, a Keith style semi wad cutter over 7.5 grains of Unique. That one killed at both ends!
ABPOS
Member
Why thank you!!!!
Back in 79 I was a grunt with the 2nd ID in S. Korea.
When our battalion was assigned night ambush patrols up on the DMZ we had one Lt. that carried his personally owned Charter Arms .44 Spl.
Not sure what he thought he was going to do with that if we were to get into a firefight.
Back then privately owned guns just had to be stored in the arms room . No big deal .
I'm sure that's changed.
When our battalion was assigned night ambush patrols up on the DMZ we had one Lt. that carried his personally owned Charter Arms .44 Spl.
Not sure what he thought he was going to do with that if we were to get into a firefight.
Back then privately owned guns just had to be stored in the arms room . No big deal .
I'm sure that's changed.
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keith44spl
Member
One of y'all could be the proud new owner of that fine 44 Special.
.
.
I bought a new CA Bulldog in 2014 and sold it a couple of years later. I didn't think that the quality was poor, but it wasn't a Smith or Ruger either. Recoil was intimidating and it was accurate enough to hit center body mass at 5 yards, but that's about the limit. It's more of a 'point and shoot' 'up close and personal' gun. Charter Arms seems to be conceding that point by now offering a version of this revolver without any sights at all.
I have owned N frame .44 Special revolvers in the past and liked them very much. Today, I'd probably choose the Model 69 or the GP.
I have owned N frame .44 Special revolvers in the past and liked them very much. Today, I'd probably choose the Model 69 or the GP.
ABPOS
Member
The front sight has been lowered a bit.....
I milled the the sight blade down and removed the red insert
and it's dovetail. Milled the sight base down to match, cut new
dovetail for ivory insert.
The sight picture (to shoot to the point of aim) is kinda like
that of a shotgun bead. I hold the white insert just above the
rear notch, for fast action. What with my old eyes, it makes
for a quicker sight picture for me.
.
When I shoot my 442, most of the time if I'm drawing and shooting fast, that's how the sight picture ends up. For some reason that's just where it intuitively falls. And at 7 yards it's not all that high at all. A little bit but not enough for me to care. If I have the time I can make sure the front sight gets nestled down in there properly. But it's not where it is best.
That was a lot to say, I like how you did that. It seems right. And I can't get over how nice that thing is. Great custom job. There's something about guns that have been set up just how the owner wants them. Especially when they make sense to me. LOL. Plus it's just downright beautiful. I still don't understand what it is, but I have to go back and read the numbers. I'm not sure I've ever heard of a 520.....
OK, I googled it and the only place I could find what it was, was a thread on here in the past. A 520 is a fixed sighted N frame .357. Now I want one. LOL..... Just kidding. I like the fixed sighted deal though.
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keith44spl
Member
.
A 520 was a 4 " .357 Magnum, a special run for the New York State Police.
NYSP canceled the 520 model order and S&W sold them to the general public.
I used my 520 for this custom build...I thought I needed a dandy fixed sighted 44 for back country travel.
The front sight has worked out just pretty darn good, it's fast
for me to pickup and for close encounters it suits me to a Tee.
But, as luck would have it, I'm not seeing any bear country traveling in my near future right now.
I've built several 44s over the last half century, just do a search of my threads and you'll find a few.
.
dogzebra
Member
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- Sep 27, 2011
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I would've liked a Boomer, but got a better deal on a Bulldog instead. Laser grips are a plus on any handgun.
This 296 was a real handful to shoot with the original UM stocks. These Tamers do a good job reducing felt recoil, but looking at them makes me want to run 'em over to the pedestal grinder and round the heel off.
The Alaskan sorta' bumps things up a notch, but it can fill the same winter weather Carhart holster as my Bulldog. I'd like to round the heel off the Ruger as well.
This 296 was a real handful to shoot with the original UM stocks. These Tamers do a good job reducing felt recoil, but looking at them makes me want to run 'em over to the pedestal grinder and round the heel off.
The Alaskan sorta' bumps things up a notch, but it can fill the same winter weather Carhart holster as my Bulldog. I'd like to round the heel off the Ruger as well.
