Modified Mod. 520 to resemble Heavy Duty !?

bigmtnman · Jan 21, 2020

I saw this offered for sale on GB and did a "double take" ------

Seller description ---

"A S&W 520, one of 3000 originally produced for the NY State Police but never delivered. They were then sold off commercially. This is one of several purchased and customized by gunsmith Karl Sokol in the mid 90's. He did about 10 of them for various customers. This one was a part of a set that Karl did in various calibers. This one stayed in its original caliber. The barrel started out very much like a 4" Model 27 barrel. He then milled off the rib and formed the front sight base from the rib. Looks largely factory." ------

What the heck !? I guess one man's "crazy" is another man's "good idea".
I have to go with "crazy" on this one.

jimbo728 · Jan 21, 2020

I dont know about good idea or crazy but that sure is a nice looking N frame .357. I like it.
Jim

Muley Gil · Jan 21, 2020

I'm guessing somebody or bodies wanted an old style looking Heavy Duty, only factory chambered in .357 Magnum.

murphydog · Jan 21, 2020

It looks nicely modified. Would have been cool to see the pre-war patent information on the top of the barrel.

StrawHat · Jan 21, 2020

Be a nice revolver to convert to 45 ACP.

Kevin

rubiranch · Jan 21, 2020

bigmtnman said:
What the heck !? I guess one man's "crazy" is another man's "good idea".
I have to go with "crazy" on this one.

Here's my Model 520.

I would have to go with crazy too. For the most part I like mine the way they left the factory.

I don't mind grips being replaced with era correct S&W grips or hammers and triggers being upgraded to targets or smooth triggers.

But for me I wouldn't want anything done that wasn't reversible.

Pine_Worker · Jan 21, 2020

rubiranch said:
Here's my Model 520.

I would have to go with crazy too. For the most part I like mine the way they left the factory.

I don't mind grips being replaced with era correct S&W grips or hammers and triggers being upgraded to targets or smooth triggers.

But for me I wouldn't want anything done that wasn't reversible.

What rubiranch said.

Wyatt Burp · Jan 21, 2020

That's a nice looking gun, but i do have a little problem with the way the redone barrel tapers from the frame. It's a longer slope than on the Heavy Duties and just looks a little weird. But not enough to stop me from buying it if price was right.

2152hq · Jan 21, 2020

I agree that bbl contour needs a bit of work. But the idea isn't all bad.
I love custom projects.

No matter what anyone were to convert one of them to, either the conversion itself of a 520 or the caliber converted to would be questioned.

I think the Model 58 is almost in the same catagory but not quite.
The 520 is unique with low production and it's connection to the NYSP.

Tom K · Jan 21, 2020

Seems like it would have been a lot easier to find a Heavy Duty that had been rechambered to .357 (or have one rechambered) and re-mark the barrel.

bigmtnman · Jan 21, 2020

Wyatt Burp said:
That's a nice looking gun, but i do have a little problem with the way the redone barrel tapers from the frame. It's a longer slope than on the Heavy Duties and just looks a little weird. But not enough to stop me from buying it if price was right.

$950 to open - no bids yet. For me a "right price" would have to be lower for this particular gun. It is certainly unique and pretty ....but.... I would rather have a high condition unaltered M520 for that money.

Pizza Bob · Jan 21, 2020

StrawHat said:
Be a nice revolver to convert to 45 ACP.

Kevin

Mmmmmm, you mean like a 22-4?

rubiranch · Jan 21, 2020

bigmtnman said:
I would rather have a high condition unaltered M520 for that money.

What are high condition unaltered M520s worth these days?

bigmtnman · Jan 21, 2020

rubiranch said:
What are high condition unaltered M520s worth these days?

As of time of this post, I see one being offered at $1275 opening (no bids) and one true auction starting at one cent currently at $621.16 with 5 days to go.

AZretired · Jan 21, 2020

I like it, makes it a shooter

loeman · Jan 21, 2020

An interesting and informative thread, at least for me. Until a couple of days ago I didn't even know what a Model 520 was. Another recent thread noted that S&W DID make an N frame with fixed sights, the Md. 520.

6518John · Jan 21, 2020

I suspect at the time those familiar with the model looked at it as an excellent springboard for modification. They had been rejected by NY State police then put up for public sale. I doubt gun folks back then looked at them as some collectors item. I have seen many fine project guns here that started life as every Smith under the sun, up to and including Registered Magnums.

mtgianni · Jan 21, 2020

When you think you have seen it all........something new shows up.

rubiranch · Jan 21, 2020

loeman said:
An interesting and informative thread, at least for me. Until a couple of days ago I didn't even know what a Model 520 was. Another recent thread noted that S&W DID make an N frame with fixed sights, the Md. 520.

This is my M520. ^^^^

The M58 .41 Magnum is also a fixed sight N frame.

StrawHat · Jan 21, 2020

Pizza Bob said:
Mmmmmm, you mean like a 22-4?

Yes. But prior to the reintroduction of the 22-4, such a revolver, from the factory, was expensive. I wanted something like that when I was a LEO. Everyone wanted collectors prices. I grabbed a cheap 28-2 and had the barrel rebored, fitted a new ACP cylinder, r&r’d the frame lug and adjusted the sights. Took a run of the mill 28-2,and created a 4” tapered barrel 45 ACP revolver. Only thing I goofed on was I rounded the grip frame. After a couple of years, I came to prefer the square butt.

This was before S&W made the Mountain Guns and before the new gun of the month era.

Kevin

Modified Mod. 520 to resemble Heavy Duty !?

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