Cutting barrel 4” to 3”

Maybe someday in the future Model 10s and Model 64s will be sought after rarities. Not so much now, around here they are common as mud after rain. Modifying one or a thousand is a good exercise to create what you want.

Kevin

Exactly. Here is the 2018 receipt for the one I showed above. It has no collector value now and no collector value when I bought it.

 
The cost of my model 10 frame were $159 plus shipping for the first 3 and $179 for the last 3.They had already been stamped with re import marks so the collectors value was zilch.

I don't use silver braze, because of the high heat and unless your using the sight for something other than a sight silver solder will hold it very well using a slot. Not saying it is a bad way to go, just don't believe it is really necessary for the application. Most S&W sights and sight ramps are just held on by .050 pins and the slot, the slot being the key IMHO.

I have even considered turning a barrel from a blank and then slotting the barrel lug on. The amount of side force on the ejector rod lug is really low.

When I made my 16 1/2" 45 carbine barrel I used an old lug and milled the barrel portion into a dovetail and dove tailed it to the barrel
 
Just picked up a 4" M10 barrel off eBay for my 2nd J&G 'gunsmith special' M10... it'll be getting cut to 3" so I'll be headed down this path after the holidays. Also thinking about picking up a 2nd cylinder for rechambering to 9mm w/ moonclips.

Anyone have any input on front sight height calculations when cutting a 4" heavy barrel back to 3"?

How about potential rear sight mods... something like the Wiley Clapp Rugers maybe, with an XS dot up front?
 
I don't use silver braze, because of the high heat and unless your using the sight for something other than a sight silver solder will hold it very well using a slot. Not saying it is a bad way to go, just don't believe it is really necessary for the application. Most S&W sights and sight ramps are just held on by .050 pins and the slot, the slot being the key IMHO.

You are correct. When I did mine I didn't know there was a stainless steel solder flux available. I know better now. I would have preferred a silver SOLDER product because silver BRAZE fillers have copper in the mix which gives golden color when applied.
 
As a very experienced shooter always says:
" 4" and longer barrels are overrated." 😁

Swissman
 

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The front sight on my pictured Model 1917 and several others are secured with plain soft solder with no keyway. A good solder joint will hold it in place. Recoil is apparently not that much at the muzzle.

Kevin
 
You are correct. When I did mine I didn't know there was a stainless steel solder flux available. I know better now. I would have preferred a silver SOLDER product because silver BRAZE fillers have copper in the mix which gives golden color when applied.

I use Stay Brite flux when soldering stainless. Only flux I have found to work well on it.

The front sight on my pictured Model 1917 and several others are secured with plain soft solder with no keyway. A good solder joint will hold it in place. Recoil is apparently not that much at the muzzle.

Kevin

I don't doubt that it will will stay put if soldered properly. To me the slot and key is stronger and owning a mill not hard to do, so I do it, plus it gives me my alignment.
 
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I use Stay Brite flux when soldering stainless. Only flux I have found to work well on it.



I don't doubt that it will will stay put if soldered properly. To me the slot and key is stronger and owning a mill not hard to do, so I do it, plus it gives me my alignment.

I used to have a lathe, milling machine, etc. Ex wife and brother ex law “inherited” them all.

For me, now, a portable, handheld, compact milling machine (aka hand file) and a propane torch will have to suffice!

Kevin
 
LOL, It takes about 2 minutes to get saw a 4" barrel to approx length with my stand mounted port a band. To me the hard part is profiling the muzzle, affixing a front sight and of course fitting it to the frame. If you start with the original barrel the frame fitting part isn't a problem. Also notice that the cut down barrels for sale are the heavy wide ribbed ones for adjustable sight frames that don't fit on fix sight frames very well at all. But, it is one way to go and allows you to save the original barrel
 
I just picked up a 4" M10 heavy barrel off eBay for $37 shipped+tax. They're pretty easy to find out there, but everyone on GB seems to think they're worth $80-100...
 
....Also notice that the cut down barrels for sale are the heavy wide ribbed ones for adjustable sight frames that don't fit on fix sight frames very well at all. But, it is one way to go and allows you to save the original barrel
Yep. Those heavy barrels will only look good on a heavy-barrel frame. Those are relatively easy to find, so I'll just put this barrel away until I'm ready for it. (I just started working on cleaning and polishing one of my J&G frames that has a 2" in its future. Next up is another Model 10 frame with a 5" barrel waiting.) :)
 
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