Recent content by racer19j

Right hand or left hand threads?

Last time I looked Midway had new 4” barrels in stock. The new ones are a little long so you can fit the cylinder gap as close as you want. I think that may be better than getting the original barrel cut down.

It’s easy to put a 65 barrel and cylinder on a 64 frame. The frames are the same.

I also like the Hogue Bantams. Have them on my 64-5 3”. Like them better than the Pachmayr. Just fits my hand better and carries well.

I prefer the Wilson Combat spring kit over the Wolff. I’ve used both and the Wilson Combat is more reliable. Doesn’t have the rib so you don’t have to change the strain screw.

Find a model 17 no-lug barrel. Have it hard chrome plated. Will have a similar appearance to the stainless frame but not exact. Will give you the weight/balance you are looking for.

I use 4.9 grains w231 with 125 grain X-Treme bullets in my 64-5 3". The holes are round but a little low. Now I use 6.0 grains of Accurate #5 with 158 X-Treme bullets. Holes are still round but the elevation is spot on. Both loads are very accurate at 10 yards.

When .38/.357 cylinders are converted to 9mm, there is a distance between the cylinder and the throat that doesn’t get machined. To get a true 9mm chamber you need to start with a smaller chamber like a 22lr, such as a 617 cylinder. This will give a true 9mm chamber with a full length throat.

I fitted a 648 cylinder to a 617 no dash. Shoots the same POI with 22 lr or 22 mag. Each cylinder has 6 holes.

Here’s a couple of 686-4’s with modified barrels and a 617 no dash with an NOS 4” no lug barrel installed. Get a new 617 barrel and get it modified and installed on you gun. Just note that new Smith barrels have large forcing cones.

I have a model 60-15 3” .357 which I bought new. Installed a .38 cylinder which was purchased new from Brownells. Both cylinders are identical except the .38 has shorter chambers and longer throats. I would expect that the metal and heat treat are the same but cannot verify that. I believe that...

I agree with Protocall. Most likely too much end play. A shim cylinder shim or too should fix the problem.

Not sure when they went to pined replaceable front sights. All of the -4 barrels I’ve looked at had solid front sights. All of the -5’s have replaceable front sights. They might of transitioned to the replaceable sight at the end of the -4’s. Yours is from 1996 which is close to the end of the -4’s.

I used the .38 extractor because there is very little material left between the charge holes when they are reamed out for 9mm. It’s possible that they could break into the pin holes. Also, I was able to find a new .38 extractor so I could fit the cylinder without using shims and then fit the...

In my opinion, the best cylinder to convert your model 10 to 9mm would be a model 17 (22lr) cylinder. It’s not as easy as using a model 10 cylinder but get a much better cylinder when you’re done. You have to machine about .060 from the breach end of the cylinder, use a .38 extractor, weld up...