My Beater Registered Magnum

[Modified]

I bought this gun at a gunshow in October of 2011.

It had what you might call "Issues", but the lockup was good and I thought; "What the heck, I'll give this guy his asking price of $150, a rear sight can't be that hard to find."

When I asked him where he got it he told me that it had been hanging in his shed since he moved in, and he thought someone at the gunshow might want it. This was the only gun he had, and I happened to be there right as he set it on the table and put the sticker on it. Sometimes God favors the fool.

At the time I only had an inkling as to what a Registered Magnum even was. I thought the gun had a weird hammer, and didn't make much sense, but any .357 Magnum S&W with good lockup is worth $150. Later, when I had it out in the sun and was looking at the little REG in there, it dawned on me what I had, I must admit that I giggled in a most unmanly fashion.

Six months later I had the letter and a modified incorrect rear sight on it. This is the letter:

Fast forward to last year: I find a set of broken Pre-War Magnas. They are pretty bad but very nicely repaired by a man who does amazing things with wood. At this time I had given a lot of thought to what I wanted to do with this gun. While it is a prime candidate for refinishing I don't think I ever will do so.

I like a gun that shows that it's been places and used, and this gun has most likely been to Mexico, yet somehow ended up hanging on a nail in a shed in Southwest Washington state with some downright criminal butchery done to it's rear sight and top strap. But you know what? It shoots great.

Just look at this grin on my Grandfather's face:

That's the magic of a registered magnum right there.

So my decision was to get it back to shooting as it did when it left the factory, which involved getting a set of pre-war magnas and as I came to discover an incredibly elusive pre-war sight.

The Magnas were very damaged:

I would have left them that way had they not been such a hindrance to shooting. So when I had them repaired I made it very clear to the amazing guy fixing them that matching the wood was not a priority, this gun is to shoot, not to look pretty. I couldn't be happier with the job he did.

So that brings us to today, where I am so close to having this gun where I want it to be I can taste it. I found a Pre-War N Frame sight, not quite correct (I believe it should have some grooves below the blade and be more of a matte blue instead of polished), but close enough for my purpose right now.

So yeah, I need that screw. The one in there "works" but it's just an old buggered thing I found in a box of screws that clearly sticks up where it shouldn't. Any idea where I might find the correct screw? I'm kind of coming up blank on my searching.

Once I have that screw the Saga of the $150 Registered Magnum can finish another chapter and I can happily shoot it to my heart's content.

Well, it's not exactly a $150 gun any more, my total investment plus the letter is sitting at about $450 + whatever that screw brings me to. So pretty dang close to that mythical $500 RM.


Also I do have 2 Side notes/questions.

1) I've learned a fair bit since I last had this gun out. Should my Call Gold Bead front sight have, I don't know... a bead on it?

2) The cylinder is a bit sticky opening, I asked the question elsewhere and got a good reply, I thought I knew what the issue is, but fiddling with it some more since I got this sight has led me to believe that my issue is probably slight end shake. If I pull the cylinder back slightly it will no longer be sticky when I open it. It's a really small amount, but it does clear up that stickiness. I wouldn't say this gun had more end shake then most of my other guns, but I'm thinking that any end shake is probably more then it was built to have?


Edit:
Everything is together. Have the correct sight, screws, stocks that match it nicely. Basically the only thing at this point I would like to change about it is to find a set of nearly wrecked Ropers to put on it, that match the overall look of the gun. I'm going to keep it this way. It's a fantastic shooter and I love that the gun really shows what it has been through. When I decide I need a shiny Registered Magnum, I'll just get a second one.

Thanks everyone for all the information and help with this along the way.

Edit again; Dang it, I just realized (again, apparently I forgot) that the gold bead on my front sight is missing. Something more to fix!

Last Edit I think: See post #60 for what are the "proper" ropers for this gun, for me.

 

[murphydog]

What a great story! I bet putting it back together bit by bit was almost as much fun as finding it.

Yes, the Call gold bead should be on the rear face of the front sight blade. I think it sticks out from the surface and the McGivern doesn't, or the other way around...

It sounds as though you have diagnosed the stickiness problem and how to fix it. I'm sure someone here can advise you exactly how to do this.

 

[Modified]

What a great story! I bet putting it back together bit by bit was almost as much fun as finding it.

Yes, the Call gold bead should be on the rear face of the front sight blade. I think it sticks out from the surface and the McGivern doesn't, or the other way around...

It sounds as though you have diagnosed the stickiness problem and how to fix it. I'm sure someone here can advise you exactly how to do this.

Truth be told the discoveries along the way about what was right for this gun have reinforced my decision to keep it as is and just shoot it.

I figure when I can get enough money I'll buy one that's really nice too, and keep right on shooting this one.

For a while I was expecting to have to modify this pre-war K-Frame sight I found:

Compared to the N I just found:

But I was having a heck of a time trying to find someone who actually wanted to do the work somewhat locally, so I went back to scouring the internet for an N Frame sight. Edit: Found the sight! All good now.

It's a bit of a shame that it doesn't quite fit, makes me wonder if whoever messed up the sight in the first place also ground off a bit of that checkering, but it should be shooting correctly now I think.

 

[mikepriwer]

The Call gold bead is flush with the rear surface of the front sight blade. The
McGivern gold bead is a semi-sphere, and so projects back from the rear surface
of the front sight blade.

You could probably find a good welder who could repair the front end of the
rear sight leaf. You'd probably have to get the sight leaf reblued after such a
repair, but that is not a big deal.

Mike Priwer

 

[Modified]

The Call gold bead is flush with the rear surface of the front sight blade. The
McGivern gold bead is a semi-sphere, and so projects back from the rear surface
of the front sight blade.

You could probably find a good welder who could repair the front end of the
rear sight leaf. You'd probably have to get the sight leaf reblued after such a
repair, but that is not a big deal.

Mike Priwer

Ahh thank you, that's one question down.

I suspect the bead is under a layer of corrosion if it's still there, the face of the front sight is pretty thick with it.

 

[LEO918]

That was my guess on the front sight. I'll bet you find gold under the crud.

 

[S&W ucla]

Now that's a gun with character! I'm with you, keep it as is, and enjoy it. Good shooting.

 

[Muley Gil]

"So yeah, I need that screw. The one in there "works" but it's just an old buggered thing I found in a box of screws that clearly sticks up where it shouldn't. Any idea where I might find the correct screw? I'm kind of coming up blank on my searching."

If the thread is correct, just alter the screw. If the head is too large in diameter to fit the recess of the sight tang, use the "poor man's lathe" to reduce it until it just fits. Gentley chuck the screw in a portable drill and secure the drill handle in a vice, upside down, so that the screw head is parallel to the floor. Turn on the drill, at a slow speed and reduce the screw head diameter with a Swiss file, checking often until the head just fits. If the screw now fits the hole, but is too thick to fit flush, turn the drill back on and gentley file until it is flush. Place the screw in a padded vice and and, using a jeweler's saw or an extremely thin file, cut a new slot. Polish with emory cloth, degrease with rubbing alcohol, and cold blue.

You now have a custom made rear sight screw.

 

[P&R Fan]

Totally cool story.
Congratulations on a nice score. If it would have been me, I would have casually asked the old Gentleman if I could poke around in his shed. That's the kind of story where somebody opens a door and there's a cherry '67 GTO under a tarp, just sittin' there.

Or maybe a 5" 1950 Target Model .44 Special......on the front seat of the GTO. Hey, I can dream.

Go take a look, then report back.


Jim

 

[j38]

Wonderful story and dedication to your dream of restoring the function of that old RM - and maintaining its character. Thanks much for sharing,

Jerry

 

[Modified]

If the thread is correct, just alter the screw. If the head is too large in diameter to fit the recess of the sight tang, use the "poor man's lathe" to reduce it until it just fits. Gentley chuck the screw in a portable drill and secure the drill handle in a vice, upside down, so that the screw head is parallel to the floor. Turn on the drill, at a slow speed and reduce the screw head diameter with a Swiss file, checking often until the head just fits. If the screw now fits the hole, but is too thick to fit flush, turn the drill back on and gentley file until it is flush. Place the screw in a padded vice and and, using a jeweler's saw or an extremely thin file, cut a new slot. Polish with emory cloth, degrease with rubbing alcohol, and cold blue.

You now have a custom made rear sight screw.

I think I need to go to the hardware store.

The annoying part is that I have to go out on a business trip for the next 8 days and will be away from my garage. Stupid work always interfering with the really important stuff.

 

[DWalt]

Over many years, I have gotten pretty good at modifying screws to go places they never were intended for, and have even made up my own screws from whatever scratch I could find. In the process, I have accumulated lots of oddball taps and dies, most of which I haven't used, or maybe only once.

If yours originally shipped to Laredo, It's a very good bet it didn't take very long to cross the Rio Grande. Then as now, Laredo has been a major crossing point for things which go bang. I know, having lived there for awhile, over 20 years ago.

 

[Hondo44]

Sixgun,

Great find, great story and great resurrection so far.

For that sight screw, you might have better luck at an old gun smith. Gun screw thread count is usually finer than typical screw threads. Also I know several suppliers that sell old Smith screws or reproduce them, just shoot me a PM if interested.

The black staining on the cyl: is that rust pitting or just metal stains? If stains, try acetone. If that doesn't do it (ok nobody get their hair on fire now if you haven't tried it), Naval Jelly works well. Just don't follow the directions for using it to remove rust by leaving it set on the metal surface! Used carefully with a little on a rag, it will wipe away most metal stains. The beauty of it is, that it won't leave the metal shiny like 'mechanical' removal such as steel wool or very fine grit paper.

The front sight blade corrosion can be removed with fine grit paper wrapper around a hard flat surface. Avoid sanding the Call Bead. Finish up with 600 grit which will leave a brushed, non-relective surface. Then touch up with OxPho Blue from Brownells. Now go back and polish the Call Bead with silver polish on a Q-tip.

Once you find someone to Tig weld a little metal on the front end of the rear sight, he can also run a small bead of weld in the gouge in the top strap checkering. File the bead down flush with the top of the checkering. Count the lines per inch of the checkering and get a matching checkering file from Brownells. Carefully follow the checkering lines with the file, first one direction and then 90 degrees to the first direction. In this case the checkered surface is a blessing. You'll never see the repair.

The horizontal lines in the rear surface of the rear sight can also be cut with a checkering file by only filing in one direction. When I count the lines on my S&W sight, I get 10 lines per 1/4". That's a standard checkering size; get a 40 lines per inch checkering file. If you're lucky, that might be the same size as the top strap checkering and you'll only need to buy one file! By the way it's also the correct size for the lines on a S&W 'Boughman Quick Draw' front ramp sight and it's a #1 checkering file at Brownells.

Hope you find these tips useful. Have a safe trip and we look forward to a progress report when you return!

 

[GPJohn]

What they said. I can't offer any help repairing the damage done in the past, I can only enjoy the story and pictures. Thanks for sharing.

 

[boykinlp]

SixgunStrumpet,
What you don't realize is that the carved notches on the original grips were put there by a former owner denoting each "bank job" he did using the RM.

In all seriousness, the look on your Grandfather's face while shooting the RM is worth 10x your investment!!

 

[Modified]

SixgunStrumpet,
What you don't realize is that the carved notches on the original grips were put there by a former owner denoting each "bank job" he did using the RM.

In all seriousness, the look on your Grandfather's face while shooting the RM is worth 10x your investment!!

Actually those post war magnas were very cleverly carved to loop a pinky under the grip if you are right handed.

Despite the heresy of messing up such a nice set of stocks I find I really do like them, especially after doing a bunch of SAA shooting.

 

[Hondo44]

Actually those post war magnas were very cleverly carved to loop a pinky under the grip if you are right handed.

Despite the heresy of messing up such a nice set of stocks I find I really do like them, especially after doing a bunch of SAA shooting.

I came to the same conclusion, to wrap the pinky. Even if you replace them since they are post war, I'd keep them with the gun because of their matching 'character'.

 

[Modified]

I came to the same conclusion, to wrap the pinky. Even if you replace them since they are post war, I'd keep them with the gun because of their matching 'character'.

Sort of, the set of grips that were actually on the gun when I bought it were that set of Herrett's on the right in that photo. You are right in that they are in character for the gun, and they were actually what I had on the gun until I found the set of pre-war magnas for it. They went straight on there as soon as I got it home. Those modified magnas were just something I had picked up in a $5 grip bin at a gun show.

Frankly I hate these Herett's, sometimes I take a passionate dislike to things like Hi-Point firearms, Sean Penn, lima beans, and those grips. They look terrible on the gun, they don't fit my hand at all, and I just don't like them. They've sat in the bottom of my grip drawer for the past 2.5 years until yesterday when a friend of mine was asking if I had any spare N frame grips for him to try out.

As I type this I am looking at those Herretts and the set of bone grips in a box that I am about to go mail to him.

 

[A10]

I've nothing to add other than I have been enjoying your thread. It sure keeps hope alive for finding an RM!

Didn't we run into each other at a shop in Bothell? I remember a similar RM story......

 

[410bore]

i like those bone grips