Hair Trigger
US Veteran
After seeing the resurrected thread on M57's elsewhere today, I decided I was going to see if I could remove the accessory vented rib that was on the M57 I bought a couple of years ago. I found it at a gun show, had Altamont stocks that didn't really look good on it, plus a vented rib, a la Dan Wesson or Colt Python. I didn't want to pass on the gun, it was an "S" prefix and the finish was 90%. The stocks got replaced with nicer Altamonts and I figured I could live with the rib.
Unique as it looked, I've never been able to get my head around the rib, it was not original and made the gun look too different. However, it was nicely installed, not screwed on but bonded somehow. I finally decided today, it was coming off, one way or the other. I had examined it through a strong 15X magnifier, and determined the bonding agent was some sort of silicone gasket cement. My fear was damaging the gun's rib trying to get the vented rib off, mainly scratching it or removing the bluing somehow. Using a metal tool to dig the adhesive or pry the rib was not an option, so what I came up with was a plastic tool used to remove door panels from cars. You know the kind, they have a thin end and you pry between the panel and metal door with them. Well I wedged the thin end next to the front sight and the accessory rib, lifting it ever so slightly. I took a surgical scalpel and cut the adhesive, keeping the blade against the accessory rib. Then I moved the plastic tool further up and wedged it again, repeated with the scalpel, and once I got to where the barrel joined the frame, the accessory rib popped off.
I hadn't scratched the revolver, the rib was off, but the grooves in the barrel rib were full of the adhesive. Using the plastic tool, I started rubbing the adhesive and then using a stiff toothbrush to remove the loosened adhesive. A final cleaning with a fine brass brush, then some solvent and a plastic bristle brush, and the rib was clean.
I love having a nice, stock appearing M57 now. I have a letter request out to SWHF, I want to see what the ship date is so I can find a set of period correct target stocks. The SN dates it to 1968, possibly 1969; I want to see if diamonds are correct (hope so).
I'm a long-winded old fart, but here are a few pics, before and after:
Unique as it looked, I've never been able to get my head around the rib, it was not original and made the gun look too different. However, it was nicely installed, not screwed on but bonded somehow. I finally decided today, it was coming off, one way or the other. I had examined it through a strong 15X magnifier, and determined the bonding agent was some sort of silicone gasket cement. My fear was damaging the gun's rib trying to get the vented rib off, mainly scratching it or removing the bluing somehow. Using a metal tool to dig the adhesive or pry the rib was not an option, so what I came up with was a plastic tool used to remove door panels from cars. You know the kind, they have a thin end and you pry between the panel and metal door with them. Well I wedged the thin end next to the front sight and the accessory rib, lifting it ever so slightly. I took a surgical scalpel and cut the adhesive, keeping the blade against the accessory rib. Then I moved the plastic tool further up and wedged it again, repeated with the scalpel, and once I got to where the barrel joined the frame, the accessory rib popped off.
I hadn't scratched the revolver, the rib was off, but the grooves in the barrel rib were full of the adhesive. Using the plastic tool, I started rubbing the adhesive and then using a stiff toothbrush to remove the loosened adhesive. A final cleaning with a fine brass brush, then some solvent and a plastic bristle brush, and the rib was clean.
I love having a nice, stock appearing M57 now. I have a letter request out to SWHF, I want to see what the ship date is so I can find a set of period correct target stocks. The SN dates it to 1968, possibly 1969; I want to see if diamonds are correct (hope so).
I'm a long-winded old fart, but here are a few pics, before and after:
...Ben
