My thoughts:
"My "-4" has the case-hardened hammer and trigger (whereas Doc's no-dash original has the flash-chromed parts). What is the thought of the group -- should I pay for flash-chroming on my hammer and trigger, or leave it case-hardened (with the mirror-bright polished front surface on the trigger)?"
S&W did the flash chroming on the earlier stainless guns mostly for appearances sake. I believe they discontinued it for economic reasons and considerations of simplicity - it cut in half the number and variety of parts they had to manufacture and stock. I recognize that the flash chroming added some measure of rust resistance to the parts, which was the major reason for stainless steel handguns in the first place, but we don't see the case hardened hammers and triggers rusting much without the flash chroming.
I see no downside (other than cost) to having your parts done, too, if that is what you want.
-----
"I guess no one has thrown a yellow-flag on my project, but part of the point of my original question was also what you guys think about me modifying a perfectly-good revolver to a non-original configuration?
"I know some say, "it's your pistol -- make yourself happy," while others shake their head watching a perfectly good revolver being modified."
-----
Some say any modification reduces or eliminates any "collector value." In the case of revolvers like yours, that were manufactured in pretty large numbers and in the fairly recent past, I don't think there is any collector value to worry about, and there won't be until long after you and I are gone, if our descendents are allowed to even have handguns then.
These are tools, not religious icons. If it makes you happy to have one exactly the way you want it, and it isn't unsafe, and you can afford the expense, I can see no reason not to.
I tend to not perform modifications on my guns that can't be reversed, but there are times when I have a specific thing in mind, and either such an item has never been manufactured, or they were made in such small numbers (like Doc44's 5 incher) that it is incredibly unlikely I will ever have one, that having at it with cutting and grinding tools (and some skill, of course, or a good gunsmith) is completely reasonable.
After all, you are not proposing to draw a mustache on the Mona Lisa here. And I don't see how what you propose will make your revolver any less "perfectly good" than it is now.
To illustrate my point of view (and it is only my point of view), I have always been an admirer of the .45 Colt cartridge. I have a few S&W's originally so chambered. I really enjoy them. A few years back, AMERICAN HANDGUNNER magazine featured a 4 inch .38-44 Heavy Duty that Hamilton Bowen had converted to .45 Colt. S&W had originally manufactured a whopping total of twelve Heavy Dutys in .45 Colt, so the odds of me ever finding one at the swap meet or buying one from some well-heeled collector were non-existant.
I bought a very nice post-WWII long action H.D. from a member here (not cheap to me, but I am of modest means) and sent it off to Bowen. The work was also not cheap. I have more money tied up in that gun than any other handgun I own.
Some might be upset, because transitional H.D.'s aren't really plentiful, but in all reality, it was a used gun, there was no box or papers with it and while demand may have kept the prices for such guns up there, it isn't something your stereotypical, snooty, high-browe collector would have owned, because there are unfired, perfect specimens of same in their original boxes they would rather have.
So the upshot is that I now have an absolutely gorgeous (my judgement) fixed sight .45 Colt N frame that is everything I always wanted. I get the warm fuzzies every time I see it. So what if the world has one less nice N frame .38 shooter in it? Nations won't fail, dams won't break, locust infestations won't happen and ships won't sink because of it. One middle aged shooter in Utah is happy about it, Ham Bowen is happy for having done it, and the world goes on.
I plan on sending my -629 off to Bowen soon. Then, as finances allow, I am going to have a 6-1/2 inch Model 624 shortened to 5 inches, then probably a 6 inch Model 66-1, on old duty pistol of mine, also shortened to 5 inches. It will be intersting and worthwhile it to me, which is what hobbies are all about.
