Picked up a Reeves Jungkind built DAO Python today **range report post #20**

[tlawler]

I just got back from a trip across the state to pick up this Colt Python built by Reeves Jungkind. I had heard of Mr. Jungkind, but didn’t know much about him, so I had siri read me some literature about his life and work on my drive over. I’ll have to say everything I learned about him was very apparent when I got this beauty in my hands. I am impressed!

I’d been watching the ad for a couple of weeks while I was scraping some gun funds together(we are building an house, so things have been a bit tight), and I’m very surprised no one else jumped on it. He had dropped his price twice with not much traffic on it, so it was time to pounce.

It came with this neat floral carved belt and holster, which, if I lose 20lb, I might be able to buckle

I can’t wait to try this baby out. I’ll bring my 6” 686 and 6” 586 along for comparison. This Python has an incredible trigger on it…like nothing I’ve ever shot before. On my cheap Wheeler analog trigger pull gauge I was getting 5.5 to 5.75 lb double action!

It came with some composite grips, so now I’ve got to track down some Python stocks. I just found a Python grip adapter here on the forum.

It is a little finish challenged, but mechanically pretty sound…there’s a little looseness in the cylinder, but nothing to really worry about. Timing and lockup are good. It seems impossible to me that such a light DAO pull will reliably ignite every primer, but I’ll know tomorrow when I get it to the range.

 

[tlawler]

Some more pictures..,

 

[C3Ranger]

Looking forward to the range report.

 

[Onomea]

Is Reeves Junkind the Python smith who put little rollers into the action to make it super smooth? I recall reading about a smith in Texas who did that years ago.

 

[tlawler]

Is Reeves Junkind the Python smith who put little rollers into the action to make it super smooth? I recall reading about a smith in Texas who did that years ago.

From what I’ve read, he pioneered that modification which was then copied by several of his contemporaries.

 

[Truckman]

My oldest friend has a 586 that Reeves did a trigger job on while he was watching and listening to his lecture to the other students while qualifying on the Texas DPS range for his instructor certification...It's one of two guns which I know he'll have until they pat him in the face with a shovel...He said Reeves just kept talking while he was working on the gun, occasionally looking down to check his work......Ben

 

[AlHunt]

If that belt uses billets for the buckle, you might find a leather worker to put longer billets on it. If you'd like to wear it. Black shouldn't be hard to match.

 

[LittleAugieMo]

Thinking thats more than just a little "finish challenged" also thinking I don't believe I could have waited thru two price drops before I went for it. Great purchase....there won't be any more of those made!

 

[Onomea]

From what I’ve read, he pioneered that modification which was then copied by several of his contemporaries.

Ya know, I read about that long before I learned about Korths and Manurhins.

Certainly a wonderful piece of history you have there.

There's always the debate, fix it up or leave it as is.... Me, I am an inveterate fixer upper. I'd call Hamilton Bowen, tell him what I have, and ask for advice.

Whatever you decide to do, or not do, wonderful acquisition. Congrats!

 

[schutz5]

Ditto,great piece of history from an iconic Python gunsmith!

 

[tlawler]

Thinking thats more than just a little "finish challenged" also thinking I don't believe I could have waited thru two price drops before I went for it. Great purchase....there won't be any more of those made!

Oh, believe me, I was champing at the bit over it. I’ve been wanting another Python for some time now, but alas, my allegiance has been to S&W, and there were always an N-frame or a 3rd gen that took precedence.

I began earnestly looking about a month ago and this time I was gonna pull the trigger on a snake gun. Everything I found that I liked was either hopelessly overpriced (what Python’s aren’t?), or anything somewhat reasonable was snapped up before I could get to it. I had pretty much resigned myself to buying one of the new DLC Pythons, even though none of the new snakes really gave me a warm and fuzzy like the old iron does.

This one popped up a couple of weeks ago and I figured it would disappear in a few days. When it was still there a week later with a price drop, then another drop, I started to get intrigued. Why wasn’t anyone looking at it, or if they were, why were they rejecting it at that price? It didn’t seem to make any sense.

Anyway, I’d been traveling all over and working crazy overtime and didn’t have a chance to get down there until yesterday. I knew I was taking a chance and giving up my first free weekend day in almost a month, but I was intrigued, and knew it was worth the gas and time to at least go look at it.

The hard part was selling it to Mrs. tlawler. Like I said, we are building our forever home and anything that lessens her “amenities” is a pretty hard sell. I knew I couldn’t justify paying NIB price on a vintage one, and even the price of the new ones had her giving me the side eye. When I told her the gentleman was willing to drop the price another Benjamin for me to comp gas and time, she finally agreed. When I got it home and showed it to her, I brought out my early M28-2 and my M686 ND for comparison of DA trigger pulls. Those two have the smoothest triggers of my collection. Her reaction was “That can’t be real”…AND she actually wants to go shoot it. Usually I have to drag her to the range.

As to the finish: yeah, it’s got a lot of blueing loss, but only very minor pitting that I think should polish out well. I went back and looked at my pictures and they definitely make it look crappier than it actually is. I’m still working on my photography skills…hopefully someday I’ll be able to come close to the dazzling displays that Mark does with his iron. I’m going to go shoot it today and give it a good clean and polish, then with some better lighting and effort, hopefully this snake will shine.

 

[stansdds]

Looks like that pony was ridden very hard and put away wet. I, too, am interested in seeing a range report posted.

 

[swagmeister]

Onomea: Walt Sherman in Florida was the gunsmith who put rollers in the action, not Mr. Jungkind.

 

[Onomea]

Good Python info here in American Handgunner Jan/Feb 1977. Ayoob has an article herein on four Python smiths, including Jungkind, but does not mention the roller/disk/bearing. Page 44.

https://americanhandgunner.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/AHJF77.pdf

Info here on Sherman's ball bearing approach: Colt V-spring Adventures: Forensic photos: Sherman Roller Action

 

[tlawler]

Onomea: Walt Sherman in Florida was the gunsmith who put rollers in the action, not Mr. Jungkind.

Is Walt still active? I have an old address for him up in Tallahassee. I make semi regular trips up there to see my kids and would love to contact him and see if he would look at it.

As to the finish, I wanted a shooter instead of a safe queen; and at a quarter the price of a pristine vintage revolver and half what one of the new DLC Pythons cost, I can certainly live with this one.

 

[Yendor357]

I hope you didn’t pay much for that thing.

 

[Onomea]

Is Walt still active?...

It seems that he has passed on. See post 16 here:
Roller bearing hammer, has this been tried?

 

[tlawler]

I hope you didn’t pay much for that thing.

I know…right?

At $700, it’s probably gonna just melt in my hand with the first 800fps .38 wadcutters I put through it.

I probably should have just saved my money a little while longer and bought that tricked out tacticool long slide G17 you’ve had your eye on.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

Reeves Jungkind was one of the old masters at his craft. There were a number of masters at the time but they're few and far between now.

 

[tlawler]

And…….The Range Report!

Took it to an indoor range close to my house today and put a total of 186 rounds through it…126 rounds of .38 (two different wadcutters and some SWC’s), and 60 rounds of some pretty stout .357 SWC’s. First, the bad: I had three light primer strikes, two of which fired the second time, and one that I could only light off with my Kimber K6S.

The accuracy is outstanding. I shot the first two series of wadcutters off a rest just to get a good idea of where the sights were going. I made no adjustments to the rear sight yet. The .38 wadcutters and SWC’s were fun, but I didn’t really start enjoying myself until I started with the .357’s. The trigger is in another world altogether. I didn’t realize what he did to the face of the trigger would have such an effect. The smooth rounded surface against the inside joint of your trigger finger moves like a bearing itself. Most comfortable trigger ever, especially when shooting the hotter stuff. I’ve got some S&W’s with the wide serrated target trigger and I finally realized they are made for mostly SA shooting. I’ve gotten blisters and some pretty raw flesh from those triggers when shooting hot loads double action…D’oh!

No worries about adding another pony to the stable. This RJ has me spoiled and I’ll never be able to duplicate it, so why try. I’m going to do what it was made for: shoot the heck out of it. Maybe at some time in the future, I may have it refinished, but not right away. I’m going to contact Hamilton Bowen like Onomea suggested and get his thoughts on it. It’s pretty mechanically sound, but could use a spa treatment and a little tightening up.