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Green Frog
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You'll be able to hear me shouting for joy at least as far away as the Mississippi River (and on ships out in the Atlantic.) 
Froggie
Froggie
Project 616
- Thread starter Green Frog
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OP
Green Frog
Member
New Sitrep
Well, I'm learning patience or having what I already have tested. My project at Andy's is about 2 months in the future... it just started through the queue when the barrel arrived. Oh well, at least I know(?) it won't be as long as it has been.
I heard from Schofieldkid that he's putting some more layers of finish on my grips for it, so they will be bound to be gorgeous when they arrive. 
This has been my first all custom revolver build with smiths I don't have the chance to drop in and see during the progression, so I really didn't know what to expect, but I was hoping the horror stories I heard about "gunsmith calendars" were not as accurate as it now seems that they are.
The adventure continues!
Froggie
Well, I'm learning patience or having what I already have tested. My project at Andy's is about 2 months in the future... it just started through the queue when the barrel arrived. Oh well, at least I know(?) it won't be as long as it has been.
I heard from Schofieldkid that he's putting some more layers of finish on my grips for it, so they will be bound to be gorgeous when they arrive. This has been my first all custom revolver build with smiths I don't have the chance to drop in and see during the progression, so I really didn't know what to expect, but I was hoping the horror stories I heard about "gunsmith calendars" were not as accurate as it now seems that they are.
The adventure continues!
Froggie
Don't know if it makes you feel any better, but I waited over a year to have a trusted 'smith replace a ramp front sight with a patridge on a 29-2.
Never mind the three+ years for a Kart barrel install on a 1911. (Needed to shoot POA with the existing fixed sights.)
But they both came out wunderbar!
And I am a'fixin' to send him some more work...
Never mind the three+ years for a Kart barrel install on a 1911. (Needed to shoot POA with the existing fixed sights.)
But they both came out wunderbar!
And I am a'fixin' to send him some more work...
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It has been a while, do you have any updates?
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Green Frog
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THE END IS IN SIGHT! (and that's a good thing.) I just got off the phone with Andy and he says he thinks he will have my Project 616 ready for me to pick up on the way to the OGCA show in a couple of weeks. Current plan is to drive up Thursday, 3/21 and pick it up in person from Andy at his shop, then drive on over to Dale53's place for some serious range testing. Then I'll have to shine it up a little and take it on up to OGCA on Saturday morning to have it fondled by the adoring masses. 
It took a whole lot longer than I thought it would, but I truly "love it when a plan comes together!" Now I can get back to the serious business of reloading 32s in all lengths as well as casting a variety of bullet weights for same. Life is good.
Froggie
Then I'll have to shine it up a little and take it on up to OGCA on Saturday morning to have it fondled by the adoring masses. It took a whole lot longer than I thought it would, but I truly "love it when a plan comes together!" Now I can get back to the serious business of reloading 32s in all lengths as well as casting a variety of bullet weights for same. Life is good.
Froggie
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Green Frog
Member
Drop me a PM when you know and I'll make a special effort to drop by and see you. I'll be easy to spot... I'll be the one with his feet about 3 feet off the ground!
Froggie
Dale53
Member
Froggy;
I think I'm about as "antzy" as you waiting on the custom revolver. LOL
I am really looking forward to the "revolver road test" when we pick it up. I hope the weather cooperates and we can do some fine BBQ while you are here. Frankly, it'll have to be pretty bad to dissuade me from running the smoker for us. After all, this will be a REAL celebration!!
Dale53
I think I'm about as "antzy" as you waiting on the custom revolver. LOL
I am really looking forward to the "revolver road test" when we pick it up. I hope the weather cooperates and we can do some fine BBQ while you are here. Frankly, it'll have to be pretty bad to dissuade me from running the smoker for us. After all, this will be a REAL celebration!!
Dale53
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Green Frog
Member
Success!!! I just hung up from talking to Andy. My custom Project 616 is ready for me to pick up Thursday afternoon on my way to the OGCA. I'll drive straight to LaGrange Thursday to get it, then take it (with trembling hands, no doubt) to Casa 53 so Dale and I can drool over it. After we wring it out at his range on Friday, I'll clean it all up to take it with me to OGCA on Saturday morning. For my brethren in that organization, I'll be easy to spot... the guy with the big grin walking around about 6 feet off the floor!
Stay tuned for a range report!
Froggie
ABOUT TIME for us to see project 616. Hope you have a lot of ammo loaded for it. Watch for FROGGIE zooming up rt 71 through Ohio, be carefull. Larry.
Pics as soon as possible, please!
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Glad you got it finally!!
As I sit here working up 32 SWL loads for my 16-4 I keep thinking about your project. I very recently got a 617-6 in 6" (10 shot cylinder). I'm thinking I would only have to buy the cylinder, then "just" the custom work on it all. Hmmmm, can I scratch out enough from my Social Security checks to do this project.
Go for it H Richard, lets see another S&W that S&W should have made. How good does your 16-4 shoot with 32 long? Had a model 17 made into a 32 by Andy myself. Very accurate shooter. HHHMMM, wonder where froggie is. Hopefully test firing the 616. Larry
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Green Frog
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First, let me announce publicly that Project 616 is complete and in hand!
Having just been through the entire build-out project, I would make the following suggestions.;
1) Start with a Model 66 as your donor gun (if you want to go stainless.) This will give you the best start on a platform requiring the least change (and change=$$$) H Richard, you'll come out ahead (IMHO) by selling the 10-shooter rather than going to the expense of converting from rimfire to centerfire and 10 shot to 6 shot.
2) Buy a barrel and cylinder as separate items. Since it will be rebored, the barrel considerations are pretty obvious... what length do you want? On the cylinder, of course you have to start with 6 holes in it, but in addition, try to find one with the old style (round) extractor. I mistakenly grabbed a later cylinder with the rectangular extractor and caused Andy some extra work which translated to extra ¢o$t for me.
I'm at the kitchen table of Casa53 where Dale and I are planning out our day. I will shoot it today as soon as the temps warm up a little and will post range results and pictures (by Dale, of course) when we get in this evening. The more I look at it, the better I like it. The 4" under lug barrel on a stainless K-frame looks very businesslike. As expected, Andy's work was flawless, and although I presented him with a couple of "extra challenges" with the cylinder's configuration, he handled them in an impeccable manner. I may change out the factory (white outline) sights when I get home for a NOS Austin Behlert unit I've been saving for a special occasion, and I'm conflicted on the grips between my tried and true smooth finger groove combats that have been on the 66 for 20 years and the Fitz-style Rosewood Targets that Schofieldkid81 made for me. The combats will stay on it for now, though, as they are here and the targets are at home.
All for now... watch for range report with pix late this afternoon!
Froggie
PS YMMV, but I found it easier and less expensive to find all of the parts and then refer it as a package to the 'smith. However, if I were to do another and if I happened to get the barrel first, I would get that into the queue for reboring as that was my longest wait.
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Green Frog
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It works!!! Dale53 and I went out to his home range, Butler County Sportsmen's Club to give Project 616 its first workout. Keep in mind that I had to sort of load for it blindly, so I picked a warm but still middle of the road big bullet (125 grain) load and charged it up with a powder I had on hand, Accurate #7... more on that later.
The gun itself is a delight to hold and to look at. The first picture shows it on the bench @ BCSC with an MTM case of 100 of my reloads. The second shows the proud papa (me) cradling it in my hands. The third is a studio-style shot done to show the whole revolver, especially the barrel markings by Andy; note also that it still wears the customized (by me) cylinder latch from its old career as a PPC gun and a pair of well worn old smooth combats from the same era.
The weather was too cool and our time was too short for a complete accuracy test, but my initial impressions that the gun has potential. It handles well for me and the recoil of relatively hot 125 grain loads is absorbed well by the weight of the gun... but you still know it's not a pipsqueak by any stretch. With some 32 S&W Longs I also shot through it, recoil was reminiscent of a K-22. Andy did a spectacular job of "marrying" all of the parts, giving me a minimal (perhaps even too tight) barrel to cylinder gap... I thought there was a little drag as it cycled through once or twice. I'll need to shoot it a few hundred rounds to know for sure, though. The carry up is perfect and fully consistent on all six chambers, testimony to the great job Andy did on adapting that cylinder to that gun. Trigger pull was always very good on my old 66 and continues to be so.
All in all, although I had a much longer wait (about 3-4 months longer than I hoped for the rebore) I feel it was worth every bit of time, money and effort I have expended on this project. This was my first truly complete custom revolver and I am just tickled with what I got. In the famous words of Rick at the end of Casablanca, "Louie, I see the beginning of a wonderful friendship."
Froggie
PS All photos courtesy of Dale (Dale53) McGee
Dale53 and I went out to his home range, Butler County Sportsmen's Club to give Project 616 its first workout. Keep in mind that I had to sort of load for it blindly, so I picked a warm but still middle of the road big bullet (125 grain) load and charged it up with a powder I had on hand, Accurate #7... more on that later.The gun itself is a delight to hold and to look at. The first picture shows it on the bench @ BCSC with an MTM case of 100 of my reloads. The second shows the proud papa (me
) cradling it in my hands. The third is a studio-style shot done to show the whole revolver, especially the barrel markings by Andy; note also that it still wears the customized (by me) cylinder latch from its old career as a PPC gun and a pair of well worn old smooth combats from the same era.The weather was too cool and our time was too short for a complete accuracy test, but my initial impressions that the gun has potential. It handles well for me and the recoil of relatively hot 125 grain loads is absorbed well by the weight of the gun... but you still know it's not a pipsqueak by any stretch. With some 32 S&W Longs I also shot through it, recoil was reminiscent of a K-22. Andy did a spectacular job of "marrying" all of the parts, giving me a minimal (perhaps even too tight) barrel to cylinder gap... I thought there was a little drag as it cycled through once or twice. I'll need to shoot it a few hundred rounds to know for sure, though. The carry up is perfect and fully consistent on all six chambers, testimony to the great job Andy did on adapting that cylinder to that gun. Trigger pull was always very good on my old 66 and continues to be so.
All in all, although I had a much longer wait (about 3-4 months longer than I hoped for the rebore) I feel it was worth every bit of time, money and effort I have expended on this project. This was my first truly complete custom revolver and I am just tickled with what I got. In the famous words of Rick at the end of Casablanca, "Louie, I see the beginning of a wonderful friendship."
Froggie
PS All photos courtesy of Dale (Dale53) McGee
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Charlie, I saved this post #1700 which is special to me for a reply to you're gun that is totally awesome. That gun came out nice, I like the Horvath Custom on the bbl also. All I got was something under the grips. Would like to see a pic later with the other grips from Schofield. The 4" bbl has a business look to it. Can't wait to see how it shoots when you settle in with it later on. It was worth the wait as I feel the same abt the wait for my gun. There is no collector value ruined with this gun as you shoot it and I'm sure you could get your money back out of it if you sold it on the forum. The weather will turn warmer and you should be able to enjoy shooting it. It is nice to have one custom gun, scratch one off the bucket list. A nice big gold bead would be nice on the front. Larry
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Green Frog
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Thanks Larry, for using that auspicious occasion to celebrate with me! I sat down tonight with Dale53 and calculated out the cost to me of a custom almost one-or-a-kind revolver and the whole project came in at about $1000. Part of this was because I had the donor gun to start with, and part of my savings came from careful shopping (but nothing that any reasonably savvy gun enthusiast couldn't have done. )
Unless I am dealing with something very old, or with great history or rarity, I don't worry so much about originality as utility, and the donor Model 66 had lost much of its originality about 10,000 rounds ago. Now I am starting fresh with a specimen I can use and enjoy and which begins with its own fresh rebirth to a new look and a new caliber. As you said, it now has its own unique value to me and possibly to some future owner when I am gone. The fact that Andy kindly marked the barrel in the way he did adds provenance as well. As Jerry Garcia once said, "What a long, strange trip it's been!" But for me, at least, it was worth it, and I'll hopefully enjoy the destination now that the ride is done.
Regards,
Froggie
)Unless I am dealing with something very old, or with great history or rarity, I don't worry so much about originality as utility, and the donor Model 66 had lost much of its originality about 10,000 rounds ago.
Now I am starting fresh with a specimen I can use and enjoy and which begins with its own fresh rebirth to a new look and a new caliber. As you said, it now has its own unique value to me and possibly to some future owner when I am gone. The fact that Andy kindly marked the barrel in the way he did adds provenance as well. As Jerry Garcia once said, "What a long, strange trip it's been!" But for me, at least, it was worth it, and I'll hopefully enjoy the destination now that the ride is done.Regards,
Froggie
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Great looking revolver, now how did it shoot?
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