617-6 Factory Defect

[Notaglock]

Hard to believe it shot well from factory with that crown.Now you don't have to look at that mess and gained accuracy also.Nice work.

I was surprised it shot as well as it did too. After the recrowning, the point of aim changed slightly and the groups tightened up a good bit so I may end up redoing the crowns on a couple more. I have a stainless Ruger MKII Target that's jealous now

 

[jkallner]

I purchase a new 617-6 to set up for steel challenge matches. I don't know how in the world it ever left the factory with the muzzle looking the way it did, but I had other plans for it anyway. Here's a few before and after pics.

I love the fixed muzzle - did S&W fix that up for you? Never mind - I'm a step behind. New question, if you didn't do the work yourself, where would you send it for the work?

 

[jkallner]

Thanks! It really wasn't that difficult to do. I used a 1/2" 11 degree crown cutter from Brownells, worked slowly with lots of cutting oil and cleaned the chips out of the cutter every couple of turns. I used some lapping compound on a 1/2" felt disc to polish it before bead blasting the entire gun. I've used the 45 degree piloted cutters to chamfer a lot of cylinders and always had good results so I figured it was worth a shot to do the muzzle.

Holy ****, I take back my previous post about S&W fixing the muzzle. Beautiful job!

 

[Notaglock]

Holy ****, I take back my pervious post about S&W fixing the muzzle. Beautiful job!

Thanks you!

 

[H Richard]

Would love to have you do mine that way. If you have sticky extraction I'd ream your chambers with a finishing reamer in exchange.

 

[AzShooter]

I purchase a new 617-6 to set up for steel challenge matches. I don't know how in the world it ever left the factory with the muzzle looking the way it did, but I had other plans for it anyway. Here's a few before and after pics.

Should have never left the factory with that crown!

You did a great job with the crown. I too have the Apex Mass Drive Hammer on mine and really like it. I can reliably shoot a lot more brands of ammo with it set up that way.

 

[Notaglock]

Would love to have you do mine that way. If you have sticky extraction I'd ream your chambers with a finishing reamer in exchange.

My chambers are already reamed, polished and micro chamfered. I'd be happy to do yours but I'm a hobbiest/tinkerer and shipping could cause problems.

 

[Notaglock]

Should have never left the factory with that crown!

You did a great job with the crown. I too have the Apex Mass Drive Hammer on mine and really like it. I can reliably shoot a lot more brands of ammo with it set up that way.

I have been running the Apex bobbed hammers in an L frame and 2 N frames and love them but this is the first rimfire version I've tried.
I have to admit, it's everything they advertised! In case you can't tell, I have a thing for JM stocks on my completion guns too

 

[reddogs]

Notaglock you have the right tools and know how to use them.I use a guy that is gunsmith,machinist and shooter.It takes him awhile he is busy.You probably knocked that out faster and just as good.I know a guy that fixed cleaning rod damaged crowns with oval head wood screw chucked in a drill and they shot amazing.Thanks for sharing your good work off.

 

[3rdgeargrndrr]

It does not make any sense to me how horrible that muzzle looks and even more perplexing that you actually bought it.

 

[Notaglock]

It does not make any sense to me how horrible that muzzle looks and even more perplexing that you actually bought it.

I bought it because I had been waiting on a 4" 617 for months and they were out of stock everywhere. When this one finally came I was already planning some custom work, so the muzzle wasn't a deal breaker for me...I like it better the way it is now a lot better than if it had been perfect from the factory.

 

[Notaglock]

Notaglock you have the right tools and know how to use them.I use a guy that is gunsmith,machinist and shooter.It takes him awhile he is busy.You probably knocked that out faster and just as good.I know a guy that fixed cleaning rod damaged crowns with oval head wood screw chucked in a drill and they shot amazing.Thanks for sharing your good work off.

Necessity is the mother of invention! Years ago I used a hacksaw, a large flat file, sand paper and a carriage bolt with valve grinding compound to turn a beat up old 4" heavy barrel, square butt police trade in Model 10 into a 3" round butt, bobbed hammer carry gun. That one turned out better than I expected. I sold it a couple years later for about 3x what I paid for it and have wanted to do another one every since then....just haven't gotten around to it yet, but I'm thinking target crown instead of carriage bolt when I do

 

[Stevens]

To me it seems they started drilling the bore off center then somehow realized the mistake, corrected the center point but left the mistake divot "hanging out there".
Steve W

 

[Notaglock]

To me it seems they started drilling the bore off center then somehow realized the mistake, corrected the center point but left the mistake divot "hanging out there".
Steve W

I thought maybe their CNC machine flunked basic math but anything is possible. I look at it like a blessing in disguise...It gave me something to keep me entertained for the evening and I like the new look a lot better.

 

[DS-10-SPEED]

I purchase a new 617-6 to set up for steel challenge matches. I don't know how in the world it ever left the factory with the muzzle looking the way it did, but I had other plans for it anyway. Here's a few before and after pics.

I bought a new 617-0 back in the 90's and it had the exact same defect. The salesman said it wouldn't affect anything but I couldn't get it to sight in. I took it back and demanded they give me a different one. The replacement is perfect, picture below.

 

[jkallner]

I have been running the Apex bobbed hammers in an L frame and 2 N frames and love them but this is the first rimfire version I've tried.
I have to admit, it's everything they advertised! In case you can't tell, I have a thing for JM stocks on my completion guns too

Well, I certainly like your choice in red dots - C-More rules!

 

[Notaglock]

I bought a new 617-0 back in the 90's and it had the exact same defect. The salesman said it wouldn't affect anything but I couldn't get it to sight in. I took it back and demanded they give me a different one. The replacement is perfect, picture below.

That's a pretty one! The bright finish on the new production models leaves a lot to be desired. I was planning to slab side the barrel on mine (to look like the barrel on my 627 Pro), but the balance is great the way it is. I may pick up a 6" model at some time in the future slab side it.

 

[Notaglock]

Well, I certainly like your choice in red dots - C-More rules!

I have the Ultradot L/T on a couple semi race guns and really like those too. C-More RTS2 is nearly identical except for the way it mounts and it's available with a bigger dot than the 4 moa that's standard on the L/T. I like the 8 moa dot on revolvers for steel challenge and IDPA because I can find it faster.

 

[wproct]

You did really nice work! Makes that 617 something really special!

 

[Notaglock]

You did really nice work! Makes that 617 something really special!

Thanks! I liked the way it turned out so much that I decided to give the same treatment to another one (not a S&W sorry). It was the first new pistol I ever purchased (the day after my 21st birthday in 1984, you do the math). I upgraded the sights and internals a couple years ago so my grandson could shoot steel challenge with it. After 38 years and probably 50,000 rounds, it was starting to look more like brushed stainless than polished. The target crown and glass beaded finish made it look as good as (or better than) it did when it was new.