kilov
Member
Everyone has been posting about .44 magnums today so I figured I share mine.
In 2016, I decided I wanted a .44 Mag as a "field gun" that was still fun on the range. I wasn't super interested in the Model 69, and wanted a 5" N Frame. Personally, I despise full lugs more than the dreaded internal lock. Smith only produces full lug 5" guns and grinding off the lug presented some challenges with heat and potential damage to the barrel. I had seen John Taffin's 5" half lug model 629 and knew it could be done. Enter my Gunbroker 6" 629-6!
Upon arrival it was fine, but I immediately set out to find a gunsmith willing to cut down a NIB never fired gun. I reached out to a few but found out that Mark Hartshorne had actually done similar work before and even had the job pictures posted on his website. After a few months, I shipped it out to PA and some time later received it back. The barrel was cut down to 5" with his DX style interchangeable sight base. It now sports a custom made gold bead from Mark as well as an XS tritium white dot sight.
In addition to chamfering the cylinders, Mark tuned the action and lightened it to an appropriate "field gun" level. One thing that was cool is that he trimmed the rebound spring and put a ball bearing in the slide. The result is that the reset is lighter than stock but isn't "notchy" or sticky and no short stroking occurs during rapid fire.
It typically sports VZ's for carry. For extended range work, I throw on pachmayr decelerators. The less cumbersome than a 6" but more shootable than the 4" .44 Mags I've tried. Mark was great to work with and the gun is more accurate than I am. No reliability concerns with a variety of factory loads. Mostly buffalo bore, HSM bear load, HSM cowboy loads and tons of Magtech.
My friends love the gun and I like having a gun that is exactly what I wanted, a 5" partial lug 629.
In 2016, I decided I wanted a .44 Mag as a "field gun" that was still fun on the range. I wasn't super interested in the Model 69, and wanted a 5" N Frame. Personally, I despise full lugs more than the dreaded internal lock. Smith only produces full lug 5" guns and grinding off the lug presented some challenges with heat and potential damage to the barrel. I had seen John Taffin's 5" half lug model 629 and knew it could be done. Enter my Gunbroker 6" 629-6!
Upon arrival it was fine, but I immediately set out to find a gunsmith willing to cut down a NIB never fired gun. I reached out to a few but found out that Mark Hartshorne had actually done similar work before and even had the job pictures posted on his website. After a few months, I shipped it out to PA and some time later received it back. The barrel was cut down to 5" with his DX style interchangeable sight base. It now sports a custom made gold bead from Mark as well as an XS tritium white dot sight.
In addition to chamfering the cylinders, Mark tuned the action and lightened it to an appropriate "field gun" level. One thing that was cool is that he trimmed the rebound spring and put a ball bearing in the slide. The result is that the reset is lighter than stock but isn't "notchy" or sticky and no short stroking occurs during rapid fire.
It typically sports VZ's for carry. For extended range work, I throw on pachmayr decelerators. The less cumbersome than a 6" but more shootable than the 4" .44 Mags I've tried. Mark was great to work with and the gun is more accurate than I am. No reliability concerns with a variety of factory loads. Mostly buffalo bore, HSM bear load, HSM cowboy loads and tons of Magtech.
My friends love the gun and I like having a gun that is exactly what I wanted, a 5" partial lug 629.
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