My $185 S&W 657, A Work in Progress . . .

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Well I bought this gem on a whim, knowing it needed work, and that I could part it out for my investment.

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Of course in the time it took to get here I bought a nice 629 barrel and cylinder to make it a custom 44 mag with a shorter barrel. But this thing is pretty ugly, needs a new hand for sure and looks like a new sideplate would be in order

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The real question is should I pursue a custom N Frame 44 mag on this very affordable donor or get this thing to work as a 41 mag, paint it (cerakote) and sell it for a small $$


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The Unsafe to Fire tag is there because it does not quite come up to time when cocked at a normal pace, hammer back hard it gets there . . .


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The exposed area of the gun had been polished with a dremel or other rotary tool and the frame surfaces are uneven and pitted (housefire, found in a swamp??) The gun's springs are in good shape, and you can see all the black crud that was left under the pachy's


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A little background on me so you don't think this is a totally crazy pursuit, I work as a fulltime gunsmith, I like to tune up revolvers, and my true passion is 1911's. . . .


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Soo what say ye? Part it out and let it die? Get it working and sell it ugly? OR Order the $250 worth of parts to make it badass from Brownells, hack off that 629 barrel I bought and make it much better??

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I am torn. .. :o


Would also like to narrow down a ship date, cause it is close, but if it is a birthday gun, well that's a whole 'nother can of worms . .. Serial # AUW3485.
 
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Many here have dealt with hard chrome. I don't know if it would fill the pitting voids and leave a smooth finish. You already have the .44 bbl and cylinder. Low money investment so far. You may end up with a decent shooter for short money.
 
The the black residue where the grips should be makes it look like it was in a fire!

If not , I'd just glass-bead the whole darn thing. Maybe bob the barrel to 3 1/2" and round-butt it! ;)

If the action needed help , there's plenty of N-frame parts on E-bay.
 
Well that black residue was on and in the entire gun if my hunch is right. The internals are all the same way. . . Maybe a house fire but having restored a lot of house fire guns, this was not a very hot one.
 
Wow! Cool project! I don't know which way I'd go. I like the idea of getting it working and hard-chrome it. For me it is a toss-up between .41 and .44, since I reload and shoot both.
 
The SN prefix puts it shipping sometime early in 1987, I think.

To me, depending on your metal polishing skills and work schedule over the winter, it would be a dandy refinishing project if the internals are good. Kind of a "can you tell it from an original factory gun", if you think that is possible.
 
87 makes it a birthday gun .. . . I already load 44 and it is more popular if I ever want to sell it. . . Looks like I'll be giving this one a facelift!
 
I hate to put a lot of money in a fixer upper if there are unknowns as to how bad it really is. I would first get it functioning and not worry about the looks, then, I would see if it is accurate. After that I would start polishing and oiling and and see how good I could make it look. If everything goes well you might be able to sell it and triple your investment at that point or spend more money on it and make it something special.
 
The the black residue where the grips should be makes it look like it was in a fire!

If not , I'd just glass-bead the whole darn thing. Maybe bob the barrel to 3 1/2" and round-butt it! ;)

If the action needed help , there's plenty of N-frame parts on E-bay.

Oh yeah, me really likes this idea :)
 
That is a concern but....

I don't think I would trust a gun in a house fire. If you want a custom, I would start with a donor that was in better shape.

That is a concern but it doesn't look like it got anywhere near hot enough to mess with the heat-treating. The grips would be toast.

I wonder what that poor gun HAS been through.:(
 
I do wonder as well, and on trusting guns that have been in a house fire . . .. everyone gets nervous, but having restored dozens of 'fire' guns over the years ; if the springs are still 100% the heat treat etc has not been affected. Most rust and pitting and damage seen on fire guns comes from the toxicity of the smoke and ash combined with everything being hosed down with a lot of water, and honestly the guns are rarely the first thing someone digs out of the wreckage. . .
 
Get it running and sell it ugly. You'll make a buck and the buyer will be tickled.
 
Being that I already own a pair of 44's and lately have been obsessed with getting myself a 41, I would keep it a 41... But that's just me.
 
The only 2 problems with keeping it a 41 for me is needing to gear up to load another caliber, and the last 1-2 inches of bore are junk . . ..
 
Make a nice 4 inch 44. Apparently you reload, and much more brass, bullets and factory ammo is available for a 44 Mag. When I had my 629 Mountain Gun, I used to buy 44 Special cowboy loads at my local Bass Pro Shop and go plinking. The finish is just cosmetics, and I don't know how important that is to you, but you could make a nice sound 44 out of what you have, put some good grips on it and have a lot of fun with it. Life is short, don't think of it as an investment to sell at a profit, think of the pride you'd have in building, shooting and enjoying a replica of Elmer Keith's favorite sixgun.
 
MOVING FORWARD

I have decided to embark on this project, got an order in with Brownells for a Power Custom Bolt and Hand, some endshake bearings (doubt I will need them), Crane detent drilling fixture, wolff springs, and a Weigand front sight base . . . . Still unsure what rear sight I will use, Bowen or stock

Gun stripped, test fitting new barrel and cylinder.

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Barrel is screwed in hand tight and needs set back just a touch which is ideal, shooting for a 3-5 thou barrel cylinder gap.

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