.44 Russian

[Incitatus]

I have gotten into the .44 Spl cartridge shoot it thru a number of 44 mags that I own as well as the SW696.

I recently (no so recently, it was before the snow) shot one of these


The version I shot was a Navy Arms import, this one carries the manufacturers name, Uberti.  In any event, I liked shooting it and was thinking of getting one and having the cylinder bored out to accept the 44spl cartridge. 

My gunsmith is going to let me know what he thinks about this idea but I was curious if anyone here has done such a modification.  I have read about folks who have bored out the cylinders of original S&W's to accept the 44spl cartridge but I am a bit uncomfortable reworking an antique when I can get a repro.

Thoughts?

[coyotejoe]

Seems a little sketchy to me. That form of top break has the weakest of all latch systems and the force of firing is directly on the latch, and actually the latch pivot screw. If you'll remove the latch you'll see that there is just a very thin sliver of steel above and below the pivot hole and that takes all the stress of firing.  The Schofield has a much stronger latch design.  Your version is chambered for the .44 Russian because that is the stoutest load they can take. So if you're going to run .44 Russian loads why not run them in .44 Russian brass and avoid any possible mix up? If it is the cost of brass and dies that is the issue, I would expect rechambering will cost more than a set of dies and a very goodly supply of brass and you'll be using loads you know your gun can handle rather than loads it might handle for a while.

[Lloyd Smale]

I wouldnt change it. the 44 russain is a great round and probably the most accurate revolver round out there. Recuting it to 44 special wont gain you much as you wont want to run hotter 44 special loads in the gun anyway. Id either find some 44 russian brass or cut down some specail brass to lenght and leave it as is. Also rechambering it will make it worth alot less if you ever resell it.

[Incitatus]

I hear you all.

I like having weapons that can interchange calibers and this may be taking a good idea too far.  Further even than rechambering my Armalite AR-7 to .223.

[coyotejoe]

Interchangable cartridges may be exactly what you want to avoid here, one round of an Elmer Keith type .44 special would no doubt be all it takes.  I used to run Keith type .44 specials in my .44 magnum Blackhawk and they were great loads with all the power I could need but one day I accidently got one such load in my Charter Arms Bulldog. The gun survived but I had a serilous flinch for months after. I now put magnum loads in magnum brass only.