Model 16-4 6” barrel for deer hunting

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pacecars

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I sold my 4” Model 16-4 and bought a 6” S&W 16-4 .32 H&R Mag yesterday and it is in fantastic shape. I spoke to Jack Huntington and I am sending the gun, a Weigand scope mount and a S&W Model 48 .22 mag cylinder to him as soon as the mount comes in from Brownells. He is going to convert the Model 48 cylinder to .327 Federal, D&T it for the scope mount and do an action job on it. The plan is to put a Leupold 4X or 2x scope on it and use it to hunt deer. It should be a very nice light recoiling deer gun
 
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Drilling and tapping the frame won't do much for the resale value of that Model 16. As long as you are aware of that and O.K. with modifying the gun, that's fine. A lot of people cry at a later date over a mod that seemed like a great idea at the time.

Model 686s are still being made and will do anything in the hunting field that a .327 Federal would do.
 
I have been searching for a while for one that was inexpensive enough to convert and I bought it knowing I would be giving up the collector value to D&T it.

I live and hunt in Florida and the .32 H&R and .327 Federal are fully capable of taking our small deer. I have taken them with a 4 5/8” Ruger Single Seven using 100gr Buffalo Bore ammo in the Federal and H&R load and both worked wonderfully. The longest shot was just short of 60 yards with iron sights. I feel confident that the scope will allow me to ethically shoot out to 100 yds
 
I second the caution about the D&T. There are no drill mounts available that work fine and won't forever disfigure that 16-4. Your gun and your money though. Deer aren't all that hard to kill, I suppose many have been taken with a 32-20 in a Win. 92, but 327 Mag wouldn't be my choice either. Sounds like a fun project please let us know what all that costs when you're done with it.

Jeff
SWCA #1457
 
CH4 said:
For me the 44 mag would be my minimum for deer hunting, but then I would have kept the 4” too. ;) Have fun with your conversion. :)
Click to expand...

I have taken deer with just about everything from the .22 Jet (90 lb doe at 30 yds with a neck shot that someone tried to shoot in the head and blew her jaw off) to the .480 Ruger. I haven’t shot one with my .500 Linebaugh yet. I am patient when hunting and will pick my shots based on the gun I have in hand. I am not a collector but if this gun had come with the box and paperwork and was in perfect shape I would give pause to scoping it.
 
Assuming you are a cool shot and not prone to buck fever, that sounds doable based on what you describe, but I probably wouldn’t try it here in Indiana.

I’d tend to favor a red dot over a telescope, based on my own experience with the two types of sights on a handgun. I’ve seen a friend hit a clay target at 100 yards with my 629 and reflex sight, and then hit the remaining piece a shot or two later. Just a thought you might consider. Mounting a small reflex sight on an S&W can usually be done in a lot tidier fashion than that Weigand mount for a telescope.

Whatever you decide, I’d like to hear more about your results. :)
 
M29since14 said:
Assuming you are a cool shot and not prone to buck fever, that sounds doable based on what you describe, but I probably wouldn’t try it here in Indiana.

I’d tend to favor a red dot over a telescope, based on my own experience with the two types of sights on a handgun. I’ve seen a friend hit a clay target at 100 yards with my 629 and reflex sight, and then hit the remaining piece a shot or two later. Just a thought you might consider. Mounting a small reflex sight on an S&W can usually be done in a lot tidier fashion than that Weigand mount for a telescope.

Whatever you decide, I’d like to hear more about your results. :)
Click to expand...

I have used the small red dot sights on several autos and I have one mounted on a 5” S&W 610 and I am happy with it. I have a Weigand mount on a new 617 holding a 4x Burris and the mount base is rather ugly. I had forgotten about the Leupold dual dovetail base that to me looks much better and doesn’t extend over the barrel. I just ordered one of eBay. I will send them both to Jack and if the Leupold doesn’t work, and I see no reason why it won’t work, he can put the Weigand on it
 
pacecars said:
I have taken deer with just about everything from the .22 Jet (90 lb doe at 30 yds with a neck shot that someone tried to shoot in the head and blew her jaw off) to the .480 Ruger. I haven’t shot one with my .500 Linebaugh yet. I am patient when hunting and will pick my shots based on the gun I have in hand. I am not a collector but if this gun had come with the box and paperwork and was in perfect shape I would give pause to scoping it.
Click to expand...

That's cool. Personal preferences are just that, personal. The 44 mag is my personal preference for hunting deer, the 22lr was my grandfather's; he never needed a second shot. :) You know my like for 4"
16-4s. ;)
 
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Aside from the .327 being minimal for even small Deer there is the question of is it a legal handgun cartridge for Deer in Florida?

At handgun hunting distances, usually well under 50 yards, why do you feel you need a scope or any optical sight? Factory iron sights are fully adequate for any hunting distance appropriate to a handgun, especially anything .357 Magnum or smaller!
 
22hipower said:
I second the caution about the D&T. There are no drill mounts available that work fine and won't forever disfigure that 16-4. Your gun and your money though. Deer aren't all that hard to kill, I suppose many have been taken with a 32-20 in a Win. 92, but 327 Mag wouldn't be my choice either. Sounds like a fun project please let us know what all that costs when you're done with it.

Jeff
SWCA #1457
Click to expand...

^^What he said!^^ I have used no-drill mounts on a few K frames with perfect satisfaction. I would urge against altering the frame. Why are you having the cylinder conserved by purchasing an auxiliary cylinder to alter then, negating that preservation by D&T? I would do one or the other, modify original cylinder then drill and tap or fit auxiliary cylinder and use a no-drill mount. YMMV though, so you do you!
Froggie
 
Alk8944 said:
Aside from the .327 being minimal for even small Deer there is the question of is it a legal handgun cartridge for Deer in Florida?

At handgun hunting distances, usually well under 50 yards, why do you feel you need a scope or any optical sight? Factory iron sights are fully adequate for any hunting distance appropriate to a handgun, especially anything .357 Magnum or smaller!
Click to expand...


It is legal in Florida. There are no restrictions as to caliber or energy requirements. The only prohibition is no Rimfire cartridges for deer. I may have the original cylinder converted to .32-20 or Reeder’s .321 GNR (.357 necked to .32). To totally desecrate it I may have Rocky Sharp engrave it
 
I have a friend who hunted deer for a number of years with a Ruger GP100 .357 magnum and a 6 inch barrel, open sights. He has taken several deer and he told me all were clean kills. I'm sure they were at close range in timber.
 
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