Can youre re re-line a relined barrel?

Wyatt Burp

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I have a 1915 Colt SAA with an original 4 3/4" barrel relined to 38 Special. It's crudely marked "Colt 38 Special. The front sight is correct for 44 Special and I bought a pre-war 44 cylinder for it. When I can afford to restore this thing is it an easy process to get that 38 liner out and put a 44 liner in it's place? The serial number is very close to Patton's Colt, as I recall.
 
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I have a 1915 Colt SAA with an original 4 3/4" barrel relined to 38 Special. It's crudely marked "Colt 38 Special. The front sight is correct for 44 Special and I bought a pre-war 44 cylinder for it. When I can afford to restore this thing is it an easy process to get that 38 liner out and put a 44 liner in it's place? The serial number is very close to Patton's Colt, as I recall.
 
Depends. If the liner was soldered in and the original rifling was bored out smooth, then forget trying to remove the liner, as it can be done with high heat, but you have a smooth bore .44 barrel left, which is not what you want. Go buy another barrel in .44 cal and put that in the gun. You are building a shooter not a collectable. If the liner is just pinned in and peened over at the breech & muzzle, then it can be drilled out still a lot of work for very little gain. The bore may be bad in the .44 anyway, which still puts you in the position of having to go find a new barrel.
 
Thanks, opoefc. I'd like to use this original barrel but the originality would be compromised by the fact that it's lined. And then the hassel you describe. So I see your point. Thanks alot
 
Originally posted by Wyatt Burp:
Thanks, opoefc. I'd like to use this original barrel but the originality would be compromised by the fact that it's lined. And then the hassel you describe. So I see your point. Thanks alot

Wyatt,
A 44 Spl bar with 1st or 2nd generation threads (20 threads per inch) is extremely hard to find and with an obese price when you do. And you're no doubt looking for a 4 3/4" barrel which is the most desirable but also rarest and next to impossible to find. I happen to have a brand new Colt 2nd gen 44 spl barrel, albeit in 7 1/2" but they can be shortened much easier than relining. It's factory roll marked Single action army 44 special which is correct for a Patton gun era Colt. Doug Turnbull can shorten it,re-roll the correct 2 line address for a 4 3/4" barreland reblue with pre-war type blue. I have one done by him and it's perfect. Other's may also do it as good but not better. Contact me at [email protected] if interested. I'll give it to you for what I paid and it was a while ago so a good price plus shipping.
Hondo
 
If the original barrel was lined with the liner soft soldered into place, then just heating it to melt the solder (around 400/450F) and then tap the liner out. That was the most common way of fitting them till epoxy and locktite came into use. Silversolder is hardly ever used (1000F+).
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Once in a while some well intending gunsmith will cross pin the liner into place for a little extra strength. I've even seen a blind set screw on a couple.
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A 38special liner could be turned to fit into a 44 bore w/o doing anything to enlarge the original 44 bore. It would be thin walled, but probably OK and a cheap way to do it. Aside from solder clean up once the liner is out and assuming there are no cross pins, set screws, you'd have your 44 barrel back. But no guarentees on what it's original condition was before it was lined.
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Relining a 44 or 45 barrel isn't too good of an idea. The liner wall thickness remains awfully thin.
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Either sleeve it, using the original barrel as nothing more than a covering over a new straight barrel tube which includes it's own threads and will stand on it's own as far as strength goes. The old barrel 'sleeve' provides the original contour and markings, sight, etc. It can be soft soldered or even epoxyed into place.
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Or a second generation barrel is a good idea too as Hondo44 says, remarking the top to the first generation 2 line address. Even a 4 3/4" second generation barrel will have a one line barrel address on top IIRC and would need changing.
The left side barrel marking should be removed also (Single Action Army 44 Special) and just the caliber marking '44Special' be present (Some 1st gen guns were marked 44 Russian and S&W Special).
The front sight on the first generation guns is a slightly different contour and thickness than the second generation guns also. That can be taken care of while the barrel is cut, polished and re-marked.
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Originally posted by Wyatt Burp:
The serial number is very close to Patton's Colt, as I recall.

Wyatt,
Does enough of the original barrel left side marking exist to read? If it is in the Patton Colt serial range, it should be marked Single Action Army followed by the caliber. So I would suggest even if you may only be restoring it for purpases of shooting, using a SAA marking to match the time period of the rest of the gun, i.e.,the stampings on the frame, sight profile as 2152 hq mentioned, hammer checkering, grip style, location of the serial #(s), etc. Those prewar Colts can be dated to within 2-3 years just by looking at the many little details that constantly changed every few years.

Hondo
 
If the Colt SAA is a 1915 gun, there should be nothing on the left side of the barrel but the caliber marking (44 S&WSpecial in this instance).
No "Colt Single Action Army" designation along with the caliber marking on the left side of the barrel.
That marking (CSAA) didn't come into use till about 1930.
 
Originally posted by 2152hq:
If the Colt SAA is a 1915 gun, there should be nothing on the left side of the barrel but the caliber marking (44 S&WSpecial in this instance).
No "Colt Single Action Army" designation along with the caliber marking on the left side of the barrel.
That marking (CSAA) didn't come into use till about 1930.
Oh you're right. I forgot Patton got his SAA before WWI. I was thinking it was WWII.
Thx,
jj
 

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