Post internal lock cosmetics????

[marvin knox]

I'm looking around for a pre-lock gun to purchase and am hitting a brick wall. Looking for a 2 1/2" model 66 k'frame and I'm striking out. I'm considering just going ahead and getting a gun with the internal lock and removing the internal lock.

It's for personal carry. So I don't really need a collector grade older gun just to get a no lock. Still......I, like most S&W fans I'm sure, find the hole in the side of the gun offensive both for what it stands for and how it detracts from what should be a beautiful gun.

Don't know for sure. But I'll likely go for a 2 1/2" 686+ in stainless steel for carry purposes. Perhaps I'll go for a 4" K-frame .38+p model and cut it down since they don't offer a short barrel model. I'm looking at that comped. PC model. It's got a different finish and is a lot of money, though.

I've got j-frames already. If the triggers weren't so awful on them, they'd do me fine for carry. But I want a leaf springed model so I can shoot better with a fine trigger job. I have the 340M&P and am happy with it (except for the j-frame trigger).

When I got it, I thought that I'd be carring it more often in the pocket - hense the 13oz. gun. I'm almost always on the belt carry now. So I'm looking for weight to make it easier to shoot along with the good trigger possibilities.

Long intro - but now to the point. Anyone is welcome to comment on any of that previous also. But I want to know if there is a way that I can cosmetically hide that offensive hole in the side. Can it be filled in? Can such a fill in look cosmetically nice? Etc. etc. etc.

Not looking to fool anyone about it being a no lock originally. I just want to keep it as my carry gun until I die (I'm in my 60's now) and don't want to look at the hole in the side.

I want some custom work done - strictly for carry reasons. I may go DAO - then I can really lighten the trigger through that area since no one will be shooting it after cocking the hammer. (You wouldn't want a 1 or 2# trigger unless it was simply the breakover point of a continuous DAO trigger pull etc.)

I will definately be putting CT grips on the gun as well.

Anyway - back on track here! Does anyone who has removed the lock done any cosmetic work on the hole? Probably it will be a stainless steel gun. But perhaps not.

Pictures would be nice.

(Obviously, if I can find a no-lock, I'll just go with that. But it will have to be in VERY fine condition - otherwise I'd like a new piece to customize for my personal use.) One would hate to "butcher" a fine collection grade piece IMO. We'll see what turns up for me - I'm getting antsy though.

 

[marvin knox]

I'm looking around for a pre-lock gun to purchase and am hitting a brick wall. Looking for a 2 1/2" model 66 k'frame and I'm striking out. I'm considering just going ahead and getting a gun with the internal lock and removing the internal lock.

It's for personal carry. So I don't really need a collector grade older gun just to get a no lock. Still......I, like most S&W fans I'm sure, find the hole in the side of the gun offensive both for what it stands for and how it detracts from what should be a beautiful gun.

Don't know for sure. But I'll likely go for a 2 1/2" 686+ in stainless steel for carry purposes. Perhaps I'll go for a 4" K-frame .38+p model and cut it down since they don't offer a short barrel model. I'm looking at that comped. PC model. It's got a different finish and is a lot of money, though.

I've got j-frames already. If the triggers weren't so awful on them, they'd do me fine for carry. But I want a leaf springed model so I can shoot better with a fine trigger job. I have the 340M&P and am happy with it (except for the j-frame trigger).

When I got it, I thought that I'd be carring it more often in the pocket - hense the 13oz. gun. I'm almost always on the belt carry now. So I'm looking for weight to make it easier to shoot along with the good trigger possibilities.

Long intro - but now to the point. Anyone is welcome to comment on any of that previous also. But I want to know if there is a way that I can cosmetically hide that offensive hole in the side. Can it be filled in? Can such a fill in look cosmetically nice? Etc. etc. etc.

Not looking to fool anyone about it being a no lock originally. I just want to keep it as my carry gun until I die (I'm in my 60's now) and don't want to look at the hole in the side.

I want some custom work done - strictly for carry reasons. I may go DAO - then I can really lighten the trigger through that area since no one will be shooting it after cocking the hammer. (You wouldn't want a 1 or 2# trigger unless it was simply the breakover point of a continuous DAO trigger pull etc.)

I will definately be putting CT grips on the gun as well.

Anyway - back on track here! Does anyone who has removed the lock done any cosmetic work on the hole? Probably it will be a stainless steel gun. But perhaps not.

Pictures would be nice.

(Obviously, if I can find a no-lock, I'll just go with that. But it will have to be in VERY fine condition - otherwise I'd like a new piece to customize for my personal use.) One would hate to "butcher" a fine collection grade piece IMO. We'll see what turns up for me - I'm getting antsy though.

 

[pinkymingeo]

I have four revolvers with the IL disabled in each. You wouldn't know it by looking at them, because I simply grind down the locking tab on the "flag". Only takes a few minutes.

 

[marvin knox]

So the hole still has the "post" filling it in so that debris can't get in to speak of????

I thought the post had to come out as well, leaving a hole there. Wrong???

Is there any chance that the gun can be locked at all once that "tab" on the "flag" is ground down???

 

[pinkymingeo]

No chance of a lockup. Well, you could also be struck by a meteorite or attacked by exploding watermelons. I'd rate the risk along those lines. The parts are kept in place by the hammer. There's a thread or twenty floating around on the topic, with pics. You simply pull the flag out, grind the locking tab off the side of it, then replace the flag. It will no longer be able to lock anything.

 

[marvin knox]

You're right! There is a lot of info out there on how to disable the lock. I've been looking at some of it here in the forum.

Actually - when you think of it - (when you fire many thousands of rounds in practice without a failure) the odds of the lock failing at the precise instant of that one shot fired in self defense that the average guy like me will not likely fire in 10 lifetimes - is probably less than it raining watermelons as well.

Still - I'll probably do it anyway simply because I can't imagine putting time and money into making it my own personal life-time carry piece and then leave the lock in place.

I really do hope to find a no lock that will fill the bill however. Looking for a 66 no lock 2 1/2" gun or at least a similar k-frame. We'll see how it goes.