Modified guns

BubbaBlades · Feb 9, 2012

Allen-frame had this 5" barrel installed on this 30's M&P. It shoots great.

It's easier to see the barrel changes on these Model 19s.

Mark

Tired Gunsmith · Feb 9, 2012

Modified Guns

Sorry to interupt with a spelling guide, but I think that I have
the right to do so.
My name is 'Bob' Frielich, not Freilich.
Have long since retired from doing custom work on any kind of guns.
Did many, many alterations on both Colt And Smith & Wesson revolvers, mostly for NYC PD officers as my main shop was located in the building adjacent to the NYC PD "Equipment"
Bureau onBroome Street.'
Unfortunately, when I retired I had to give my records to the NYC PD and am unable to show photos or particulars of the many jobs done.

Dave Nash · Feb 9, 2012

Muley Gil said:
"(Have you ever tried to shoot a New Service quickly in Double Action?),"

Actually, the best police qualification I ever shot was a 59/60, using a standard Colt 1917. And no, I don't have big hands; mine are on the smallish size.

I did do a mainspring mod to it.

"Muley Gil"

But you had to "do a mainspring mod to it" and that is entirely my point (and in some ways, I thought it was yours as well).

You altered the firearm to make it "work" (more successfully) for you.

I didn't go into detail about the particulars of the New Service but I made that remark for a reason. It is NOT an easy gun to shoot in the double action mode for which it is designed and all kinds of people did all kinds of things to it to try and make it more accommodating.

In his wonderfully interesting 1950 text "Secrets Of Double Action Shooting", Robert M. Nichols talks about double action vs. single action shooting and how the Colt ruled the roost when it came to double action (revolver) target arms but that these guns were generally shot "single action" for all kinds of reasons including mechanical ones.

He gives Colt its due in regard to who they were and what they accomplished in regard to revolver shooting but he opens the book by stating that he believes that the prewar long action Smith & Wesson's were better double action performers than the Colt's ever were. And he goes on to say that while the postwar short action Smith's were designed with an eye toward the single action cocking of the gun, they too were still a great (and better than the Colt) DA revolver but that even Smith never really seemed to realize what they had in them.

Interestingly, that book talks about numerous modifications to both single and double action revolvers. It talks about "double action autos" before most Americans ever thought about such a thing. He talks at length about Fitzgerald and McGivern (as well as others whose names have been sadly forgotten by all but the most ardent hobbyist or student of the gun). And for another reason altogether, Nichols illustrates several points he is making with both 2" and 4" cut away triggerguard S&W (not Colt) DA revolvers.

Until you said something, I had forgotten how much that book (which focuses on the benefits of DA shooting at a time when few people employed it) also touched on some of the issues that relate to this discussion here (including a mention of the aftermarket Nichols-Roper "Speedsite" and the theory behind it). It's a good read if you can find a copy.

Dave Nash · Feb 10, 2012

Stu Honea said:
I have modified just about every gun I own or have ever owned to suit my particular needs whether it be for "feel" or for function. Some mods have been rather extensive,others very simple.
Then,there have been a few that were fine for my purpose just the way they were. I am not a purist or a collector although I have a great appreciation for all quality firearms. I view them as tools to perform a specific task and make improvements where needed to suit me,personally.

"Stu Honea"

Your view of these things as "tools" (much as "Muley Gil's" in the Post that started this thread) is an enlightened one.

When certain collectors complain about a change being made to a given S&W handgun or that not enough information is available on why it (or that change) was made or that nothing was recorded for posterity about it, a phrase that was sometimes uttered by upper management "in the old days" is often heard today about the fact that historically, the company was in business to make "guns" and money and not "collectors" items; to "make money and not collectables". Such a thing is completely understandable for, in essence, that kind of thinking is probably true of any manufacturing operation regardless of the product they make.

So it would appear that even the people who made these things that interest us enough to collect them, shoot them, discuss them, and write about them, looked at them as something far less esoteric and far more utilitarian than some people who fail to see that they are simply implements designed to perform a task.

And if safely and sensibly modifying them to better suit a particular task helps the person utilizing it to do that job, then there is nothing wrong in doing so.

Oyeboteb said:
Here is an older S & W Model 36 which I modified to be as you see it, in 1989...I Pants 'Pocket' Carried every day for 21 years thereafter...

...By the time this image was taken, the really careful and excellent re-Blue I had originally done was totally gone and worn off and the little Walnut stocks I had made for it were a little dinged up.

I set a small shoulder Holster in the image, but I never carried it in one in practice.

I filed down the Ramp sight into a little 'Half Moon', I bobbed the Hammer and checkered the top...I shortened the Grip of the Frame and checkered the Back Strap...and I made it to have an open front Trigger Bow-Guard.

It carried very nicely in the front pocket of average Levi 501s without printing, and or I'd fold a piece of Junk Mail and slide it between the Revolver and the outer Pocket Fabric ro reduce any suggestion of printing.

This then represents an entirely snug and practical Arm, modified to answer to particular purpose and mode of carry.

Which for me, was for Motorcycle riding while wearing medium weight Leather Gloves, or in Summer Work or Social situations where I was wearing just a light ( tucked in ) Shirt, Shoes and ( regular style Levi or similar ) Pants with no other way to carry CCW but 'Pocket'.

"Oyeboteb":

Your Model 36 exemplifies what this thread is all about. A "tool" crafted to meet the very specific needs (and personal preferences) of its owner.

I have several questions and they're all about the grips and the gripframe.

I can't tell from the picture but are you achieving the almost Bird'sHead forward sweep to its profile through the stocks you crafted or did you alter the frame in this regard when you shortened it?
Did you find that this shape aided you in the both the pointing/aiming of the revolver?
Did you find that this shape aided you in the control of weapon during firing? Especially multiple shot firing?
Are the stocks fitted on to (or partially around) the gripframe? (I know that your checkered backstrap is exposed.)
Does the screw visible in one of the photos merely secure the stocks in the conventional (albeit lower) manner?
Or does that screw (and perhaps one on the other side) actually thread into the frame instead?

Thanking you in advance for any answers you can provide and thank you also for letting us see the gun.

rhmc24 said:
I'm all for mods that make sense. Here is... ...my New Service that I did a bit of mod/decor.

"RHMC 24"

And speaking of a Bird'sHead stock profile, your approach here is certainly one way of reducing the overall size of the New Service gripframe.

Were you able to just grind things away (doubtful) or was this possibly a cut and weld project? I'd be very interested in knowing.

And as I asked "Oyeboteb"
Did you find that this shape aided you in the both the pointing/aiming of the revolver?
Did you find that this shape aided you in the control of weapon during firing? Especially multiple shot firing?

Thanks for whatever you can tell me and thanks for the picture of the Colt. I've always had a soft spot for short barreled big bore's like this. It's a great gun.

Green Frog said:
Oyeboteb, since this is about making a gun "fit" the user, all answers must be personal in nature. I went another way to get the smaller grip frame...I started with a Baby Chief to achieve the desired size. Of course I also have the smaller trigger guard opening which in my case is intact and which I have no thoughts of altering. I'm curious as to why you thought the "Fitzification" of your trigger guard was necessary and advisable for a pocket carry (not challenging at all just curious.) One thing about posts like yours is that we get to talk about our "old friends" and how they have been influenced by us and influential on us.

About 20-25 years ago when police trade-ins were very common on the market, I picked the most likely looking Model 66 off of a gun show table of its brethren. I was looking for tight lockup and good timing first and foremost, with lack of significant wear a secondary concern and indicator of the first. What I ended up with was a typical 4" Model 66 no dash with a set of soon-to-be- discarded battered target grips. I had access to a large supply of S&W parts at that time, and with a more experienced friend went through and did a complete action job by the simple expedient of parts changing. IIRC, my example came with the blued adjustable sights, and if not, they were installed at this time. I also replaced the grips with the then popular smooth combat grips (factory) that fit my hand like they were custom made. The only true modifications I did were to use a smooth faced trigger for better double action feel on PPC events and modified the cylinder release by shaving off the bottom to provide better clearance for speed loaders. I shot this gun several thousand rounds at PPC and eventually decided to replace the barrel with a new 6" version from the factory and that's how it remains to this day. Modified? Yes, somewhat. Mine? Absolutely.

I wouldn't go out and pay collector's prices for another one of these to duplicate this one, but at the time and place it was the thing to do and I definitely have no regrets about having done it. In fact, I think I'll pull it out for a little exercise this weekend!

Froggie

Green Frog/Froggie

Sometime in the second half of the 1980's I, like you, picked up a used but very minty Model 66 to carry at work. I was shooting a Smith competitively at the time and while the actions were never going to be identical, I thought that the similarities would be helpful. As it was a duty gun, and the action was OK, I pretty much left things alone except that I went to a narrow K-frame service trigger where I removed the serrations, rounded the edges, broke the sharp rear corners, and polished the whole thing in a step-by step manner so that it externally resembled the Sadowski (300 Gunsmiths) type DA-Only trigger that was quite popular in certain circles at the time while it retained its original SA capabilities. I would never have considered thumb-cocking the gun for any reason at work (and I was shooting DA at all stages in the matches too) but my agency required that it be there.

I also lightly chamfered the charge holes (not the extractor; never the extractor) to facilitate loading even though the profile of the bullets in the rounds we were issued was rather forgiving and I lightly relieved the cylinder release (thumb piece) to better clear the speedloaders I was carrying at the time.

Grips were an issue for the standard S&W target stocks that came with the gun did not fit my hand very well when it came to drawing from the holster and firing double action. As much as people bemoan modified target stocks these days (that is sorta the theme of this thread after all) and as much as I see what are, in actuality, often poorly figured, run-of-the-mill, Goncalo targets of the type shipped on 19's and 66's going for what to me is almost stupid money on the auction sites, I often sawed them off flush with the bottom of an unaltered Square Butt Gripframe on my competition guns. My hand could still control things and it got rid of the counterproductive (for me anyway) swell at the bottom.

But on my work guns, I tended to stick with full length grips and I was always experimenting with synthetics. I sweat like crazy in the summer and I worked in a part of the country that was amusing to say the least in the winter. So I was always looking for something that would stick to my hands under all conditions and the department wouldn't allow us to wrap things in friction tape like I did on some of my plinkers and target guns when it was permitted by the rules.

At the time, there weren't a lot of options like there are today. Pachmayr made two size service grips and while both of them covered the backstrap, the smaller one didn't increase the length of pull so far from stock that it made the gun awkward to hold or pull the trigger.

So by the time that I clamped them on, I ended up with something for work that paralleled my target guns (I eventually put Pachmayr's on one or two of them too) except for the sights. I had installed black Patridge-type blades on all of those guns and this thing still had its original red ramp/white outline combination that was so common (and for some, so much the hot setup) back then.

So sometime in '87 or '88, I sent the gun to Wayne Novak to have something more rugged and perhaps of a greater profile than Smith would have installed put on the gun and he machined the sight that you see in the photos below into it; making this revolver about as far from stock and irreversible as can be. So I guess by the time it was done, it too, earned a place for itself in this thread.

rhm0351 · Feb 11, 2012

My Grandfather's .32-20 Hand Ejector 1905 Third Change. Shipped on July 12, 1912 to A. Baldwin Co., New Orleans, LA with a 6" barrel, nickel finish, and checkered walnut grips. My Grandfather traded into it from a friend in the late 1950s and used to carry it while bear hunting down in Mexico. As far as I am aware, it was in this condition when he got it. The barrel has clearly been cut and the front sight now covers some of the lettering on the top of the barrel. This was given to me in 1997 by my Grandfather before he passed away. I need to get in touch with the gentleman that he traded to get it from before that history is lost, as I'd like a little more information on where it might have been between 1912 and circa-1958.

I also have a modified 1909 Colt New Service .44-40 transitional model.

rbswede · Feb 11, 2012

Here is one I had a local gunsmith revamp for me. It is a 2nd model .44 special had adj. sights put on it and cut to 4.5". It shoots great and I like it. I did this because it was in very rough shape and so I made it what i wanted.

Muley Gil · Feb 11, 2012

Over the years, I've modified a number of guns to suit ME. A few were older guns, but they had either already been modified (refinished) or had other mild problems (rust, pitted bores). None were collectors items.

The first was a 5" nickel .32-20 M&P. It had a pretty rough bore, but it shot well. The finish was so-so. I turned it into a round butt, similar to one that Skeeter Skelton wrote about in an article.

At one time, my police department had a pile of guns in the property locker. The ones that could be IDed to an owner were returned, but the others just sat. I was able to check out a number of them over the years.

I took a nickeled S&W 1917, with gold hammer and trigger, and cut it down to 4". I stripped the gold plating, and then added an adjustable rear sight and a ramp front. I also round butted it. I carried this as a duty revolver for a while. Think early Mountain Gun.

I checked out a couple of Colts as well. One was a 5" Police Positive Special .38 special. I cut this one to 2" and modified the long gripframe to one that was similar to a modern Detective Special. It became my ankle gun. I also took a New Service 1917, that had been reblued (poorly) and rounded the gripframe to that of the USMC & Shooting Master profile.

29-1 · Feb 11, 2012

Modified Victory

Here is a modified Victory that was the carry gun for the SSA FBI Las Vegas office in the late 40's through 1960's. If this one could talk....

Chuck

Dave Nash · Feb 12, 2012

Dave Nash said:
"Lefty"

Recently on the other side of this Forum (the S&W Collectors Association Site), I discussed George Nonte's penchant for chopping pistols into mini-guns before most people had any idea of their value to those needing a service caliber concealed carry firearm. And while he wrote a lot about aftermarket and do-it-yourself cut down 9mm's, he also wrote a great deal about something on the opposite end of the spectrum: big bore caliber conversions of the type generally performed on Smith N-Frames that I and "Muley Gil" mentioned (separately) in our original Posts.

Two contemporary writers who are always experimenting and trying out new (and old) ideas are Charlie Petty (a former officer and engineer) who is one of the most knowledgeable people in the business when it comes to historical mini-guns and custom handguns and Wiley Clapp (a combat Marine and police officer) who is currently having limited runs of his own spec'd-out Colt's and Ruger's made these days, so that others can benefit from his decades of experience.

While over the decades, Smith & Wesson and the other major manufacturers have often broken new ground in amazing and independent ways, many of their products have indeed drawn (as you suggest) from the work of others who were generally independent gunsmiths or private experimenters.

oldflatfoot said:

During the late 1950's and well through the 1960's, altering, modifying or customizing "modern" revolvers was probably at it's zenith. The endless attempts to improve a stock revolver in some manner or fashion was among one of the most popular preoccupations of handgun enthusiasts. Gun writers in particular, were ever searching for fresh innovations, which they either decried or championed, because it sold magazines in a time when we depended largely upon the newstand for the latest poop. Series features were a sure way to sell the consecutive installments, and were a favorite format employed by the gun rags of the day. Many of the people you mention, I have been personally acquainted with, some more intimately than others.

Long before that time of course, during the 19th. century, probably late 1850's, yup.....guy's were doing the same thing. While I am not a historian, I would venture a guess it's been going on forever. We can find every sort of altered arm imagineable, because since it's invention, man's desire to improve things assured "tinkering" or "tweaking" or whatever we wish to describe this subject of modifying a gun.

One of our character flaws as human beings, is that we live only in the present and at best, only the very recent past. I believe we often overlook the obvious. As a young man, I frequently thought (mistakenly) that this thing or that thing was new or unique, only to be reminded by my elders that it certainly was not. What was old, is new again!

Cheers;
Lefty

Click to expand...

Lefty:

Having recently sorted the magazine collection of a deceased friend while comparing it against my own, I believe that "customizing" (another of those pesky automotive analogies) and just as often, "sporterizing" (a term generally related to the civilianization of military weapons), was one of the primary topics for both handgun and long gun writers for a least a couple of decades back then. To be honest, I think that with the fact that most magazines in the 50's and (at least the early) 60's focused on rifles and shotguns (with a real emphasis before 1968 on "surplus" rifles), I think that the bulk of the articles probably dealt with them. One publication in general, seemed to have an ongoing affair with the M1 Carbine: offering just about every imaginable restocking and even rechambering option to their readers over a period of years.

I mentioned George Nonte in one of my earlier posts and he certainly fills the bill as someone who offered his followers point-by-point technical descriptions and how-to's when it came to making one handgun into another. While many (sometimes me included) would question his sometimes overly simplified methods (having both designed and rebuilt machinery in two of my earlier career positions, I can attest that in many cases, drill presses cannot substitute for milling machines), he did offer a huge number of very worthwhile suggestions in this regard to his followers. Especially in making the kinds of irreversible alterations that we are discussing here!

And you're right about "guys" doing the same thing decades if not centuries earlier. One of my other jobs at one time allowed me to study and appraise antique and collectable firearms and I was always amazed at either the custom features available from the factory on 1800 and early 1900 vintage Winchesters and Colts or the sensible things that people did on their own to these same brands and others. While the manufacturers could offer things like the single and double set triggers that Winchester did on some of their models, private owners often created non-standard barrel lengths and grip profiles (as well as things like Slip Hammers) on their Colt Single Actions (including the non-cartridge versions).

Almost of these alterations and non-standard features, regardless of their source, were intended to improve performance as measured against a specific need. That aspect of customization has never changed. In fact, in regard to your remark that it has probably gone on forever, I once worked somewhere (still another job) that had a nice non-public collection of Japanese matchlocks. It was amazing to see how many variations and differences there were in a collection of only perhaps twenty or so firearms that were of such an extremely simple design.

Your belief that we overlook the obvious in regard to such matters (and how we don't look at things with an historical perspective) was one of the reasons that I responded to Muley Gils thread a week after he started it. Just as people are wrong to judge what their predecessors did without taking the time to try and understand why they did it, people are often quick to embrace or disregard things without taking the time to see where they have come from and what people thought of them in their earlier incarnation(s).

Hopefully the people who have viewed this thread (roughly 1300 at the time of this posting) and read your comments, those of Muley Gil who started it and all the folks who took the time to contribute to it, will give more thought to what they see in the future and base their criticisms on something more than just a contemporary overview and perhaps instead, on what they've taken the time to learn about in regard to the past.

motocop · Feb 12, 2012

My first post on the boards. I really like the thread. I just picked up a 1917 Army which had been re finished and all markings removed except the butt markings. I contacted S&W and bought a 4" barrel for the newer 22-4 .45ACP. I plan on having a smith change it over. I dont like the idea of a lock on a revolver and can have something more compact. The pistol was a 300 purchase.

cooperduper · Feb 12, 2012

Only a slight mod

I know it's not much, but here's my New Service that started life as a 455 Eley. Someone bored the cylinder to take 45 Colt. Obviously, this was to make it usable with less hassle. Not sure where the black finish came in...

And welcome motocop!

rhmc24 · Feb 12, 2012

"RHMC 24"
And speaking of a Bird'sHead stock profile, your approach here is certainly one way of reducing the overall size of the New Service gripframe.Were you able to just grind things away (doubtful) or was this possibly a cut and weld project? I'd be very interested in knowing.

"DAVE NASH"
It was a cut & weld project. I shortened the butt (top to bottom) and bent the back strap around and welded in a piece to bridge it together. Also removed some material at the thumb-crotch area, actually a little too much for shooting comfort.

zelda · Feb 12, 2012

Dad bought some property when l was in middle school. lt had some junk vehicles that needed haulng away. One was a 1950 Ford pickup in pretty good condition. lt was missing its running gear and other stuff too. Dad got the idea to fix it to drive. He said it would be real cozy inside because of the bench seat. He and a body shop friend of his got together and decided to fix the Ford up and update it for daily use. Mr Poplin found a wrecked 79 Buick Regal for parts. They took engine, transmission, rearend from the Buick and put it into the Ford. l think we were the only family in Augusta with a V6 Buick/Ford. Dad even put AC in it. The exterior looked Ford. Underneath it was all Buick. People try stopping us wanting to see his beautiful Ford. They would ask what year. He would reply, "79-50 Ford"

There were always those who belittled him for "messing up" an original 50 Ford. He would come back at them saying, "lts mine. Not yours"

l am trying to say in repeating this story what Dad used to say to those who sometimes judge his truck. l think there are enough old NIB Smiths preserved. lf l want something different,my call. lf l fall upon Hoovers Magnum,no. Same for any other historical piece. As for the rest. Like Dad said, "lts mine. Not yours"

Dave Nash · Feb 12, 2012

rhmc24 said:
"RHMC 24"
And speaking of a Bird'sHead stock profile, your approach here is certainly one way of reducing the overall size of the New Service gripframe.Were you able to just grind things away (doubtful) or was this possibly a cut and weld project? I'd be very interested in knowing.

"DAVE NASH"
It was a cut & weld project. I shortened the butt (top to bottom) and bent the back strap around and welded in a piece to bridge it together. Also removed some material at the thumb-crotch area, actually a little too much for shooting comfort.

"rhmc24"

Thank you for the information. Living in a world today when most firearms modifications involve bolt-on parts or shipping the gun off to somebody else to do the work, your frame really caught my eye.

As I mentioned somewhere else, early on in this thread, I used to reprofile S&W K's from square-to-round butt (doing the same by changing Ruger Service-to-Speed Frames contours as well – much as the Ruger factory did when they needed Round Butt guns and merely redid already model-marked revolvers or frames that were in stock) but I knew people who were much more skilled than I who would "reduce" as well as reprofile big frame Smiths and, more commonly, huge frame Colt's to allow people to get their hands around them.

It takes a lot of thought, a lot of skill, and a lot of nerve to alter something like this to such a degree. I started my participation in this thread by comparing this hobby to that of the automobile enthusiasts across this land (something that "zelda" rightfully builds on in the post immediately preceding this one) and having done some radical car reworking myself in the late 60's and throughout the 70's, I can tell you that for having chopped tops and done some real scary fender and wheel well modifications, nothing makes you lay out everything first like cutting up a grip frame (or a semi-auto pistol frame) knowing that you would be welding it back up in a different configuration when you're done.

I congratulate you for your work here. As I said, I am a real fan of period, short barreled, big bore revolvers and yours really caught my eye.

delta-419 · Feb 12, 2012

Modified Guns

I wanted one of these but never could find one, so I made one. Found an old 38/44 with endshake, side play, barrel gap this wide < > and a bulged barrel with ring that had been set back 1X. Found a factory unfinished barrel on the net, put in a new ejector rod and center pin, oversize cylinder stop, new (old stock) hammer and trigger with great colors and had Fords finish it off. She shoots great and has an action as smooth as butter. You might say that I have my own custom Smith.

rhmc24 · Feb 12, 2012

I have a mess of other MODs but this is the only HE type (to stay within the thread). Some of my projects were from extensive to bizarre. This one pretty simple, just making something useful from a New Service that was abused.

motocop · Feb 24, 2012

Got my modified 1917 back today. Here is a pictue.

Sebago Son · Feb 24, 2012

Heathen! Philistine!

Muley Gil said:
Folks, these are TOOLS! While some guns have been embellished with gold, diamonds, what have you, most are used; some more than others.

And I suppose that the Mona Lisa is just a poster and the Shroud of Turin is just a bathrobe....

Smithhound · Feb 24, 2012

Well, deep down I just have an aversion to 'modifying' older guns, but they are your property and if they are nicely done, which all the above are, I agree that there is a certain attraction. All the posters on this thread obviously know thier stuff or know someone who can do a great job of a modification. But I can't count the times I been shown 'modified' guns only to see some hideous object that used to be a fine, collectable firearm now reduced to a bad dream.
I remember years ago getting a call to come and look at some 'old Smiths' a lady had brought to a local shop, most were poorly cared for and one in particular was, at one time, a 6" barreled .32 S&W 'Target' First or Second model. Somewhere along the line someone had 'modifyed' it into a short barrelled 'pocket gun still with the target sights on the rear but a brass or bronze front sight soldered on it. Broke my heart.
Now for your displeasure I present the 'Dark Side' of a mocification, or more exactly a 'mutilation'
What onece was a 1920 Commercial Artillery Model Luger was reduced to this:

*Forgot to mention all the numbers matched on this, including the original magazine!*

As well as the crime commited against it, it had also sat neglected for decades. I bought it for $100 (which shows my level of depravity when it comes to buying guns) and after a few year sold it to a collector for $400 as is.
RD

Oyeboteb · Feb 25, 2012

Green Frog said:
Oyeboteb, since this is about making a gun "fit" the user, all answers must be personal in nature. I went another way to get the smaller grip frame...I started with a Baby Chief to achieve the desired size. Of course I also have the smaller trigger guard opening which in my case is intact and which I have no thoughts of altering. I'm curious as to why you thought the "Fitzification" of your trigger guard was necessary and advisable for a pocket carry (not challenging at all just curious.) One thing about posts like yours is that we get to talk about our "old friends" and how they have been influenced by us and influential on us.

Froggie

Hi Green Frog,

At the time, I had only some limited Firearms Experience, and, I do not know if I had even heard of Mr. Fitzgerald then to have had a name for the modifications I had done.

My initial reason for having the open Trigger Bow, was to facilitate operating the Revolver with alacrity, while wearing Riding Gloves, as I was riding my Motorcycle quite a lot in those days.

I shortened the Grip-Frame and bobbed the Hammer in order for the Revolver to be carried in Levi 501 Jeans or similar front Pocket, where, the front Pockets are not usually very deep or ample, and, the original Grip-Frame length was too long.

For me, for a J-Frame, ( or, if a Colt Detective Special ) the open Bow would be a big 'Plus' even without Riding Gloves, especially if in the Pocket Carry mode.

Just to muse a moment more, in a general way and not in reply to anything you had mentioned - I have of course heard or read all of the controversies about having an open Trigger Bow, and, I have noticed that no controversy has ever existed among anyone who had actually routinely carried and used such Revolvers, but, always, the controversy or nay-saying is limited to being a topic among those who have not.

I myself was comfortable with the condition from the beginning, and, I never came to know of any reason for me not to be entirely comfortable and satisfied with it.

Too, and, this also entered into my choice at the time - If one is routinely wearing a light tucked in Shirt, and, plain old traditional Levi 501s, and, is of a slender build, then, there are not many options for practical CCW, unless one elects a Pocket Carry mode, and, that was my choice then, and, it was always fine with me.

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