"Custom Defensive Project" Guns

[ENGINE18]

I'm not sure where to put this thread, so I'll try it here. Show us your J, K, L, and N-frame, defensive revolver projects, ie; bobbed hammers, trigger polishing, barrel work, cylinder work, thumb release work, trick grips, finish mods, etc.

I'm looking for ideas. What have you got?

 

[29aholic]

My long time project 29-3. Not particularly done for defense but carried for that purpose a few times.

 

[jt1]

Curtis, I like that trigger. Very nicely done.

John

 

[29aholic]

Curtis, I like that trigger. Very nicely done.

John

Thanks John. It started life as a .500" target trigger, but I was shooting IPSC and a lot of double action so I smoothed the grooves off and radiused the trigger so it wouldn't eat my finger.

 

[SAFireman]

My 681 Project

Here is a 681 that I recently acquired...I bobbed the hammer, rounded and polished the trigger, cleaned up the action a bit, then bead blasted it for a satin finish....shoots great, but I am still thinking about doing the round butt conversion on it so I can get the Hogue Bantam grips like the PC 681's.

 

[ENGINE18]

29aholic, that is a nice trigger. Someone smoothed and polished the wide target trigger, and polished the hammer on my 19-3 snub before I aquired it. Plus they did a sweet action job as well.

SAFireman, I like that 681. I've thought about customizing that model too. Kind of a CS-1 w/fixed sights!

 

[ENGINE18]

Maybe this thread belongs in "smithing"

 

[29aholic]

A J frame

John
Here's a pre 40 I carry some. A previous owner had it parkerized which suited my needs. I added the grip adapter and a trigger show to help with the DAO trigger.

 

[ENGINE18]

29aholic, I like that 40! The grips w/the adapter look fine!

 

[tom turner]

Of course, this 1980 Model 25-2 .45ACP revolver started out as a long barreled target revolver, including the super wide target trigger.

The barrel was shortened to 3 1/4" . . . an absolutely perfect size for this wonderful defensive revolver! The action is totally incredible, both in single and double action . . . and has to be experienced to believe.

I'm left-handed, and I replaced the original cylinder release latch with a modern one to best take advantage of my speedloading technique. With this latch I can reload the revolver as fast as my 1911s.

I also radically rounded, smoothed and narrowed the target trigger for even more satisfactory double action shooting for match use.


THE "EVIL FRONT SIGHT" . . . for defense, and why . . .

I know a fellow who was surprised in his sleep one night by an intruder in the dark of night. The home owner had his gun right on the nightstand but didn't get to fire it before the two men fought a life-or-death battle for the .357. For about 15 minutes, the two men fought for control of the gun. During this awful fight, the wood S&W stocks were smashed off the gun. It was brutal. In the end, the homeowner got control of the gun and killed his attacker. With that in mind, I did something to make this gun a tad harder for a BG to grab hold of . . .


The front sight is now very sharp and squared off . . . for a "fighting" defensive handgun this is a good thing. That sucker will CUT someone if you were fighting to retain your weapon against a dark-of-the-night intruder . . . and the shorter barrel makes gun retention in the dark surer too.

The square butt and the Tyler T-grip makes it easier to retain too . . . and those Elk stags make a tough "hammer" if needed!

Looking at the targets shot with this revolver, it must still "think" it is a long-barreled target revolver . . . and I ain't gonna tell it otherwise!

 

[dirtygrunt95]

Here's my 65-2

 

[ENGINE18]

Wow, tom turner, that's what I call a "custom defensive project"

 

[Dave T]

This 27-2 was badly pitted from negligent storage by the previous owner. I bought it "as is" for a good price and had a gunsmith friend bead blast the worst of the rust and pitting away, tune to include an complete trigger job, install the sight insert, round butt and then blue.

Finished product handles and shoots well and conceals much better than the same size gun with a square butt configuration.

Dave

 

[ENGINE18]

dirtygrunt95, what all was done to that 65? It looks serious!

Dave T, very nice! Who did the work? I'm thinking about doing the same if I can find a "rough" 27 or 28.

 

[SAFireman]

what finish?

Here's my 65-2

dirtygrunt95,

What type of finish is on that 65? It looks parkerized....I just got a 65-3 that I was thinking about making into a slick carry gun, but don't really know what I want out of it yet...that finish gives me ideas

 

[SAFireman]

Of course, this 1980 Model 25-2 .45ACP revolver started out as a long barreled target revolver, including the super wide target trigger.

The barrel was shortened to 3 1/4" . . . an absolutely perfect size for this wonderful defensive revolver! The action is totally incredible, both in single and double action . . . and has to be experienced to believe.

I'm left-handed, and I replaced the original cylinder release latch with a modern one to best take advantage of my speedloading technique. With this latch I can reload the revolver as fast as my 1911s.

I also radically rounded, smoothed and narrowed the target trigger for even more satisfactory double action shooting for match use.


THE "EVIL FRONT SIGHT" . . . for defense, and why . . .

I know a fellow who was surprised in his sleep one night by an intruder in the dark of night. The home owner had his gun right on the nightstand but didn't get to fire it before the two men fought a life-or-death battle for the .357. For about 15 minutes, the two men fought for control of the gun. During this awful fight, the wood S&W stocks were smashed off the gun. It was brutal. In the end, the homeowner got control of the gun and killed his attacker. With that in mind, I did something to make this gun a tad harder for a BG to grab hold of . . .


The front sight is now very sharp and squared off . . . for a "fighting" defensive handgun this is a good thing. That sucker will CUT someone if you were fighting to retain your weapon against a dark-of-the-night intruder . . . and the shorter barrel makes gun retention in the dark surer too.

The square butt and the Tyler T-grip makes it easier to retain too . . . and those Elk stags make a tough "hammer" if needed!

Looking at the targets shot with this revolver, it must still "think" it is a long-barreled target revolver . . . and I ain't gonna tell it otherwise!

SWEEEEET!!!!

I love the N snubbies...ever think of making her a round-butt?

 

[SAFireman]

SAFireman, I like that 681. I've thought about customizing that model too. Kind of a CS-1 w/fixed sights!

Yeah, I was envious of a buddies CS-1...now I am thinking of trying to get PC barrel in 3" for it

 

[ENGINE18]

My 65-5 3-inch is looking mighty tempting for a project! But it's too nice. Still looking for a rough 13 or 65, 3-inch though for the project.

I saw one in a gun magizine once that was customized by Chestnut Mountain (I think) and it was very nice. Bobbed hammer/DAO, Wolfe spring trigger job, polished trigger, beveled cylinder, chamfored charge holes, radiused cylinder release, beadblasted; very cool!

I want one..anyone have one?

 

[SAFireman]

battered 13

My 65-5 3-inch is looking mighty tempting for a project! But it's too nice. Still looking for a rough 13 or 65, 3-inch though for the project.

I saw one in a gun magizine once that was customized by Chestnut Mountain (I think) and it was very nice. Bobbed hammer/DAO, Wolfe spring trigger job, polished trigger, beveled cylinder, chamfored charge holes, radiused cylinder release, beadblasted; very cool!

I want one..anyone have one?

You know, back in the thoughtless days of my youth, I let go of my 3" model 13, in 357 mag....it was a beater, a truck gun, and it showed....it had lost most of its bluing, but had zero pitting....this was before the 3" craze hit the Smith market...I can't even remember what I traded it for....maybe a Llama 1911 in 9mm...I don't know what I was thinking....

on the bright side, there is at least one model 65 in the for sale section (seems too nice to mess with though....)

If you come across another beater 13 or 65, send me a PM, I could always use another project

 

[keithherrington]

My oldest and most trusted defensive pistol is a 657 originally customized by Austin Behlert. I shot it so much that I had to return it to the Performance Center to have the cylinder faced and the barrel set back one turn. They also installed the gold bead front sight at that time. The grips are a set of Spegel extended boot grips in Makassar Ebony.
Keith

However, due to the size of the 657 I sometimes like to carry a smaller package. In those cases I use a seven-shot Performance Center L-Comp with a 3" barrel. The 4" 586 in the foreground is the one I use in competition so I don't put the extra wear on my carry piece. It's also easier to compete with a six shot than a seven shot revolver for a host of reasons.