K frame 327 project

Well the reamer came from 4D Reamer Rentals

So after some tinkering which I will explain in a bit I get started

Brass plates on mill vise and some parallels to keep the cylinder level across. I hold my parallels in place with a piece of old banding bent in a U. A trick my real machinist cousin taught me.

The pictures were taken as I worked the project, not from beginning.

First I secure the ratchet in place on the cylinder with a piece cut from an old ejector rod and a brass washer made to fit cylinders. Don't want the ratchet moving around. Learned leas son the hard way on that before.
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Then I put a spud in the mill, I turned it on the lathe for previous projects. It is a tight fit in a 22lr chamber in the mill
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With it I can line a chamber up perfectly. Place well down in chamber and adjust vise and bed so it slides in and out perfect when clamped down. With a cylinder and this you can pretty much go from one chamber to the next with no messing around. After set up on first chamber the beds stays put and you just clamp the vice on the cylinder with spud in chamber.
13PhSNN.jpg


Then I use lots of carb cleaner and rapid tap.
unNuSZO.jpg

First off I drill the chamber to 9/32 (.028125) with a real good drill bit.
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Then I clean that up with a 19/64 (.0297) chucking reamer
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Lots of oil and cleaning cutters and holes with carb cleaner and then fresh oil

Now I am ready for the chamber reamer. Notice it has a brass pilot. The pilot that comes with the reamer is for making a 32S&W long chamber deeper. It's pilot is for a .312 hole. My cylinder started as a 22 lr and the closest sized reamer under .312 I have is 19/64 so I made my own pilot that had a 19/64 OD. The Id on this one was .2505 I uses a 1/4 reamer for the ID and polished it to fit the reamer. I could have used a 5/16 reamer, but it is a bit big at .3125. Decided not to.

I make the chamber cut in about 5 passes, pulling the reamer out, cleaning and oiling it between passes. As the cylinder was a recessed cylinder, I was able to make this a recessed cylinder also. After I cut a chamber I fill it with a piece of brass.
PJQP2ai.jpg


Finally I have a K frame 327 mag cylinder

Then I trim the barrel shank for the correct B/C gap for the cylinder using this cutter which is turned by hand by a rod through the barrel. Gives you a flat squared shank. Then a forcing cone cutter goes on the rod, then a lap
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I still got some fiddling to do, But, Merry Christmas to me.
A 6" S&W K frame, 327 Federal Magnum for about $465
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I replaced the 1/2 bobbed hammer it came with with a target hammer and need to pick though the grip pile. Eventually it will get a blue job.

It will always be a shooter grade "Frankengun" But, buying a factory one isn't an option. I do have a 4" 16-4.

Costs
10-7 frame from J&G $180+$30 shipping and $10FFL charge (2frames for 20) total $220
Old K22 barrel $60, K frame sight $55, and the hammer $35 total $150 so $370. Reamer rental $40, a can of carb cleaner $5. $415 and then 1/2 the cost of the 32-20 barrel-$50 so $465
At just $25 an hour for my shop time it is Priceless. LOL
 
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One turn is .0277 so 2 turns (.0554) would have you slammed up with enough (.0034) so you could dial it in. I like to feel them start to touch at about 6 and be as tight as I can turn it by hand at about 10. But, part of it is the threads. Some run way smoother than others. It it really all in that last little bit. So maybe you need to take off just a tiny bit less. It is one of those things that are so close I prefer try fitting over measuring with tools. If your brave you could take it off the frame face.:D
 
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If it wasn't for my affinity for adjustable sights I would leave frames alone. If you mess up a frame it is hard to recover or replace, lots of barrels, cylinders and small parts.

I did do the frame face trim once just because I didn't want to set the barrel up by my old method. It was on an old Brazilian and it worked ok.

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I would like to order a 3 inch k frame RB with fixed sights in 327. ��.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Unfortunately for me not having an FFL, I think it would be illegal for me to buy a frame, do the conversion with the intent of reselling it. Maybe when I get tired of the one I made, I will give you first shot at it.
 
GREAT work steelslaver...

Have you posted a picture of your 3" RB...must have missed it if you did...

Bob

I made the barrel for it virtually the same way, except I used a 22 heavy barrel and rounded the top rib down to match the 10-7 frame. I used a cylinder I had made the same way as this one for my 16-4 and had never fit to it. It is in the J&G special thread. Here is a picture of it
TlkAXLa.jpg
 
Steelslaver,
Since you linked to this thread, I’ve come back and reread it. I’m still in awe of your machining skills! Anyway, at the end you mention trying to ream a K-22 speed loader to accept 32 cartridges. Just as an FYI, HKS makes (or least made) a K-32 speed loader. I bought a couple and if you are comfortable with the “Six Second Loader” principle they work fine. I personally prefer the Jet Loader style, but so far have not been able to find anyone making those for 32s. I’d be interested to know how your reaming project comes out, and what kind of “donor” you use.
Froggie
 
Steelslaver,
I'm jealous of your machine shop! I used to have a more extensive workshop but there are no basements where I now live. I gave up one bay in our 3 car garage for my present workshop and that will have to do.

While I normally don't think conversions are worth the money, I can appreciate you really getting into this project and making something enjoyable from parts you mostly have. You certainly have the equipment and knowledge - so good luck with this project and let us know how it turns out.

Regards,
Chief38
 
Chief, you are probably correct on conversions not being worth the money. While I could probably get all my money back on most of my projects, that is only because my shop time and labor is free. If you had to pay just $25 an hour most times it would be cheaper to buy what you want.

K32 not so much. A decent K32 is usually over $2500, but then it will resell for that or more too. Mine will not

I got into it because I am a 45 colt fan when I started those were hard to find and expensive so I made an acp gun into a colt using a 357 cylinder, then got a 629-1 cheap found a barrel and did another and I was hooked. Mostly I do guns that are hard to come by the way I want them. The J&G specials were hard to pass up and over the years I have accumulated quite a few parts. I check Ebay regularly and if nobody is bidding I toss out a fairly low bid and sometimes I win.
 
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Such an interesting thread. Thanks for linking it. Otherwise I wouldn't have found it.

Your skills are impressive. I wish I had skills like that and the equipment to use them.

Curly
 
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