Anyone Had the Barrel Lug Milled Off?

[duckloads]

Great thread. Just today, I was in Larry's looking for a 686-5 Mountain Gun or a new 620. I like the half lug barrels. Larry showed my an N frame, 8 shot, 357 mag with nearly a half lug. It had more like a 2/3rds lug. Anyway, I already have an N frame, 625-9 Mountain gun with half lug and "need" a half lug L frame.

Perhaps somebody should start a half lug picture thread.

 

[MrPhil]

It might have been my 5" 625-3. There was a 625 thread a few years ago; I couldn't find it. By the time I bought it, the lug had been shortened, a ball detent installed in the crane, charge holes chamfered, a good trigger job, and been bead blasted. Oh, it has Ahrens finger groove grips.

The gun is beautiful. Very nicely balanced. Very smooth double action that will ignite 100% of Winchester primers. I've put about 20K rounds through it. It sucks reloads right into the cylinder. I compete with this gun.

Resale value? Who cares?

 

[SIG229fan]

You could always call S&W and ask them why they catalogued the Models 619 and 620...made to mimic the most popular 4" stainless revolvers they ever made.

Or ask them why they took so stupid a decision as to drop the K-frame legends: Model 65 and 66.

NIB Model 66's in 4" and 6" barrel lengths can still be had for considerably less than new 686's with that horrible zit above the thumb piece. No other revolver I've owned...except of course the 3" version

...balances or carries better.

 

[Bullseye Smith]

He wants it to look like this:

 

[buckbeans]

I also wish the 686 had a half lug also. The full lug is too muzzle heavy for me.

 

[wrhk33]

Some people really sounded upset with this idea.
I don't know why, full lug barrels don't seem rare or even well liked or cherished group of collectables. Funny how I have seen no similar outrage when Jovino guns are mentioned. If done on a milling machine with skill I think a trimmed down barrel would be intresting.

 

[Sea Bass]

I've thought about it because I can get the gun I want that way. Yes it might be expensive and hurt resale value, but it would be my very own custom gun and if there is no intent to sell who cares about the resale value.

I think one of the gun rag authors sent a Ruger GP 100 to C&S a few years ago and had that underlug cut in half - should make for a very handy weapon. My .02. I think you can find it by Googling custom GP 100 - the article was entitled Maximum Boogy IRRC.

SB

 

[musicmanbass]

You can get factory GP100s with a half lug. I had a 6 incher. Good tough gun... no finesse about it, though!

 

[Gimli]

Yes, I had the lug milled off on a 6-inch 686 several years ago when no half-lug guns were available. It looked great and markedly improved the balance of the piece, to my mind. But, the guy who did it for me said he wouldn't do it again because it was just too much work.

 

[8654jm]

Armybass -

You're right.

I never hacked on my Zildjians.

SF

8654JM

 

[ricketts]

You all say "Who cares about resale value?"

In time, when you WILL try to sell this, and you get lowballed to death, you will care then.

I know this because of numerous 'collectors' that cry and moan whenever I take a worn bare model 10 and refinish it. OH, how they cry--but none of them really want to buy a less than perfect one.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

My guns have (0)-NONE-NADA resale value. Because I don't sell them. So I fix them and use them like I want them to be for me. Who cares what becomes of them after I'm gone. I don't alter a gun to satisfy anyone else only me.

" In time you WILL sell this and get lowballed to death."

Don't think so!

 

[Joe Kent]

I was just at the news stand in the store reading while my wife shopped and there is an article by Dennis Prisbey with pictures of just such a conversion on a 586. The mag. is Custom { Combat?} Handguns . The conversion, shorten barrel to 3in. , cut off lug making it look like model 15 and add glow worm sights all of this done by Bill Laughridge of Cylinder and Slide. Not my cup of tea but to each his own. I have customized rifles, pistols ,revolvers, and shotguns to my taste that others may have thought foolish. That is why we call them Custom.

 

[Stophel]

I have learned NEVER sell a gun!!! You will regret it immediately, and for years afterward!

I cut down the lug on my 681. It's still an in-progress gun, so to speak.

 

[David Sinko]

Full lug barrels are very useful on competition and field guns, and I believe IDPA and ICORE do not allow modifications to barrel lugs. I carried a 625 with 4" full lug barrel concealed for some years and it did not feel uncomfortable or heavy to me. The better gunsmiths like Bowen Classic Arms even offer full lug barrels machined from bar stock for Ruger DA revolvers. They are very expensive, but apparently there is a demand for them.

I do admit, though, that I would like to remove the "lug" from my 3" 625 and thin down the barrel a bit. Having something that is different or perfect is far more important to me than any resale value.

Dave Sinko

 

[S.B.]

Mines not milled but, hacksawed, filed and emory clothed off along with some dremel tool work on the radiused areas? That damn lug seemed too heavy, to me, for timber carry and a waste of good metal.

 

[armybass]

Originally posted by 8654jm:
Armybass -

You're right.

I never hacked on my Zildjians.

SF

8654JM

LOL, I have seen to many of those too.

I am just a "stock" guy, no matter what it is. Cars, guitars, guns ect.

 

[Stophel]

Hey, SB, I LOVE what you did with that 686!!!

 

[S.B.]

It's a 617. 686 would of been a little more work on the enclosed housing to shape it for the ejector rod.
Steve

 

[durco]

Originally posted by RedBerens:
I was just wondering if anyone has had the full lug of their 686/629/625 barrel milled off to make it a half lug?

No, but one time I was at a dove shoot and a guy drove his F-150 over my shotgun. Mike