Author Topic: another custom project (Read 1609 times)

Lloyd Smale · « **on:** February 06, 2004, 11:08:01 PM »

sending one of my favorite guns to dave clemments monday. Its a 5 1/2 .45 bisley vaquaro. its allready got an action job belt mountain pin and its throated and it has a set of sk french walnut grips on it. Dave is going to cut the barrel to 4 5/8s recrown recut the the forcing cone add a drift adj front sight remove the warning tighten the gun up set the endplay and cyl gap black powder champer the cyl put in a eject. housing stud round but the grip frame case harden the frame and hammer and reblue it. It should go nice with the round butted 4 inch .44 thats due here any day and the round butted 4 inch .500 John is suppose to have done any time and the round butted 4 inch .41special single six that John G. is suppose to have done for me for the shot show. I had to swear to the girlfriend that this was the last gun for a while though :wink: Oh well i need to start spending my money on hunting instead of guns anyway.

KENTDEP · « **Reply #1 on:** February 07, 2004, 02:43:25 AM »

Sounds like a nice project gun to me Lloyd. How's the weather in Munising? Kinda cold down here in GR (20 on the thermometor).

I am considering sending a project gun to Clements too. I am thinking about sending him a Vaquero Sheriff model .45lc. I would like to have everything done that you listed except I would keep the gripframe stock as it has the standard frame now and not the birdhead (I don't care for the birdshead grip that much). Should make for a great little woods gun.

Jay

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #2 on:** February 07, 2004, 03:06:36 AM »

cold and its snowing pretty hard again. No end to this winter! Been a tough one up here. The roundbutted bisleys that he does are not near as radical as the birdsheads just the corners rounded off. It doesnt really effect the grip just looks nice. that sheriffs model would make a real nice piece. I wouldnt round but that standard frame either.

Dan V. · « **Reply #3 on:** February 07, 2004, 07:10:53 AM »

Lloyd,

Sounds like a nice list of changes, How do they remove the warning ? Is it turned off on a lathe and if so does it noticeably change the contour or diameter of the barrel ? Love my Rugers with that one exception. Just bought a 7.5" SBH and think that if in the future I find I would rather have a shorter barrel the warning will come off at that time also. Was not sure if I wanted the 5.5" or the longer barrel when I bought it , easier(cheaper)to shorten a barrel than to replace with a longer one .

Thanks , Dan

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #4 on:** February 07, 2004, 08:27:20 AM »

Dan i dont know how dave does it but i did a stainless blackhawk myself once by just using various grits of emery cloth when it was done you couldnt tell i had did it. You just kind of blend it in. Clemments will remove them but on a blued gun it requires reblueing. If you want the barrel shortened anway thats the time to do it. He also sells a real nice post front sight that i have a my two stainless bisley 5 1/2 adj sight guns. IF you get one have him do it in .010 it really improves sight pic especially in low light.

Quote from: Dan V.

Lloyd,

Sounds like a nice list of changes, How do they remove the warning ? Is it turned off on a lathe and if so does it noticeably change the contour or diameter of the barrel ? Love my Rugers with that one exception. Just bought a 7.5" SBH and think that if in the future I find I would rather have a shorter barrel the warning will come off at that time also. Was not sure if I wanted the 5.5" or the longer barrel when I bought it , easier(cheaper)to shorten a barrel than to replace with a longer one .

Thanks , Dan

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #5 on:** February 07, 2004, 08:30:24 AM »

Dan i just looked on his site and the price to remove the warning cut the barrel and add the sight is $175 and that includes the bluing work.

KENTDEP · « **Reply #6 on:** February 07, 2004, 01:32:49 PM »

I have a Super Blackhawk and the barrel was shortened to the length of the ejector rod housing and when that was done the warning label was turned off on a lathe also.

I have been thinking that this one would look nice with a color case hardened frame and hammer. The other thing that I would like to do is have the pins slotted to look like screws and then fire blued to make them stand out. This would go nicely with my sombar stags.

Jay

Dan V. · « **Reply #7 on:** February 07, 2004, 03:59:35 PM »

Lloyd ,

Thanks for your replies , my SBH is SS so it would be that much simplier.

Dan

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #8 on:** February 07, 2004, 11:58:58 PM »

nothing prettier in my opinion the case hardened guns i drewl on every one i see

Quote from: KENTDEP

I have a Super Blackhawk and the barrel was shortened to the length of the ejector rod housing and when that was done the warning label was turned off on a lathe also.

I have been thinking that this one would look nice with a color case hardened frame and hammer. The other thing that I would like to do is have the pins slotted to look like screws and then fire blued to make them stand out. This would go nicely with my sombar stags.

Jay

2 dogs · « **Reply #9 on:** November 23, 2006, 05:42:16 AM »

Have you gotten this project back yet? Funny, I have an identical project in Alan Hartons shop. We think so much alike it is starting to scare me....

Dusty Miller · « **Reply #10 on:** November 23, 2006, 08:50:43 AM »

LLoyd, explain please your reasoning for cutting the barrel from 5.5" to 4.whateveritis.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #11 on:** November 23, 2006, 11:52:06 AM »

you guys must have done some serching to find this old post. All the guns have been hear for a couple years. 2 dogs if you want to see pictures email me and illl send them. I dont know how to post them here. Reason for cutting barrels is the longest barrel i like on a sa is 4 5/8s I have one accusport 44 left in 5.5 that i havent chopped because its probably the most accurate handgun i have.

Quote from: Dusty Miller on November 23, 2006, 08:50:43 AM

LLoyd, explain please your reasoning for cutting the barrel from 5.5" to 4.whateveritis.

KENTDEP · « **Reply #12 on:** November 23, 2006, 03:15:14 PM »

Quote from: Dusty Miller on November 23, 2006, 08:50:43 AM

LLoyd, explain please your reasoning for cutting the barrel from 5.5" to 4.whateveritis.

Sometimes, depending on your grip the balance work out better with one barrel length than the other. I have two Bisleys both Vaquero type, one has a 5 1/2 and the other is a 4 5/8 inch barrel. There isn't a big difference in balance but one has a better sight picture.

With the 4 5/8s inch there is less to take out of the holster too.

Jay

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #13 on:** November 23, 2006, 11:14:33 PM »

like he said balance has alot to do with it. Ive just allways shot better off hand with a shorter barrel. Its a personal thing and others like them longer. Another big advantage to me and another one people will argue is that they pack alot better in a hip holster. Third and other personal preference is i think they just look alot better.

Quote from: KENTDEP on November 23, 2006, 03:15:14 PM

Quote from: Dusty Miller on November 23, 2006, 08:50:43 AM
LLoyd, explain please your reasoning for cutting the barrel from 5.5" to 4.whateveritis.

Sometimes, depending on your grip the balance work out better with one barrel length than the other. I have two Bisleys both Vaquero type, one has a 5 1/2 and the other is a 4 5/8 inch barrel. There isn't a big difference in balance but one has a better sight picture.

With the 4 5/8s inch there is less to take out of the holster too.

Jay

2 dogs · « **Reply #14 on:** November 24, 2006, 03:38:26 AM »

That was me doing the searching, I was bored, the forum was slow, I didnt realize the post was 2 years old. Sorry about that Lloyd, I thought you was holding out on me!

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #15 on:** November 24, 2006, 06:05:31 AM »

i contacted my buddy steve and asked him to post some pics of the guns for you pal.

Camel 23 · « **Reply #16 on:** November 24, 2006, 09:41:56 AM »

Here is one of the pictures. The second one he sent me didn't come through.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #17 on:** November 24, 2006, 12:36:04 PM »

top to bottom 41 mag on an old model 357 4 5/8s 44 special round butted 4 inch on a 357 old model and a 45 colt on a new model vaquero 4 5/8s round butted. All done by clements.

Camel 23 · « **Reply #18 on:** November 24, 2006, 02:46:08 PM »

Here is the other one.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #19 on:** November 24, 2006, 11:03:36 PM »

that one is the 41 special single six that gallagher did for me. round butted 4 inch gun. Scrimshaw by our own 44man.

2 dogs · « **Reply #20 on:** November 25, 2006, 04:18:42 AM »

Lloyd and Camel23, you guys make a great team. Thanks for the pics.

fowler · « **Reply #21 on:** November 25, 2006, 08:13:15 AM »

Lloyd you have the sexiest collection of single action revolvers. You throw out a new pic like this one and I get green with envy! I don't know what you do for a living or what lucky star you sailed under to find such a understanding wife but dang! That 45 colt Vaquero is increadible, the front sight and really bold case hardening with those fancy walnut grips is just some thing to drool on for a long time, especially if it shoots at all close to what it looks like. Just wondering what load it is regulated to, I know you don't hot rod your guns but from the height of that front sight I doubt it is a 250gr at 850fps.

The round butted 44 sp is pretty darn nice to. I stumbled onto a original flat top .357 that had been shot a lot and has a fair bit of honest wear on it that is selling for about $550. So tempting but I am not in a position to buy it right now. Besides I have decided to save for a while and get a really top notch custom or FA next.....

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #22 on:** November 25, 2006, 01:47:38 PM »

That 45 is one of my favorite guns. Its just as pretty up close as it is in the pics. The grips are by scott kolar and are about as nice of french walnut as ive seen anywhere he does wonderful work. Its a shooter too. Its regulated for 300s at 1100 or 275s at 1000 Shoots the rcbs 300 swcgc or the 270saa into an inch at 25 yards. Im just a lineman for the local power company. Im not married but am enguaged to a wonderful women and have been for about 5 years. She lets me buy guns without complaint. I tell her shes on a 10 year probabationary period and if she complains once durning that time the ring gets tossed!!!! She will tell you shed rather have me buying guns and shooting then have me at the bar and driving every known motorized vehicle twice as fast as I should. That was my old hobby! Thank you for the compliment but it should go to the guys that built them not me. All i do is fork out green and shoot them. As far as not hotrodding them i do a little of that to. That vaquero started out as a 5.5 inch vaquero and it was shot so loose that you could hear it rattle when you shook it. Lots and lots of 300+ grain bullets with charges of 110 that i wouldnt even admit to putting in a 6 shot. Dont let anyone tell you you cant shoot a ruger loose. They will take an amazing amount of abuse but that gun was so sloppy that it took clements replacing almost every part on it to make it what it is today. Live and learn i guess. I learned that gettting every ounce of velocity out of a handgun means absolutley nothing in the field and just accelerates wear on a nice gun.

fowler · « **Reply #23 on:** November 25, 2006, 05:45:48 PM »

I have said before that I am baddly under the influence of Ross Seyfreid and his teachings. My uncle is pretty fair friends with him and I guess I have never been able to fault anything he ever said and so I follow that pretty blindly. Under that guiding priciple and a article he wrote for Guns and Ammo in April 1998 titled "The Ultimate Revolver" I decided to build a Ruger Vaquero llike his for a all around woods gun. Mine is the 5 1/2" barrel with the casehardened/blued finish and I have been stepping it through it customization as I could. I had intended to send it to John Linebaugh for the basis work but his back log and incouragement that I could get it done myself. So I ventured into the black abiss.

So far I have reshaped the front sight and had it cross checked and reblued, the cylinders opened up to .4525 and the barrel slugs at about .4515, the trigger and action were reworked, and we have attempted to regulate the sight but here is where I have struggled. Following Bowens article I made a home made barrel vice but could not budge the barrel, so defeated I took it to a area gunsmith with some rep for revlover work who charged me for the work but failed to turn the barrel at all. He said he could bend the front sight but my stomach rolled at the idea of that so now I am pondering just having a dovetailed front sight installed and calling it good, I should have done that to start but the sights seem to be tall enough for my intended loads. I want to run a 300 WFNGC LBT bullet at 1100 fps and it seems that it will hit pretty close to the front sight top at 50 yards. My thought was to just warm the load up or cool it off a little to get my hit to the top of the sight precisely. This should load would be enough for deer, coyotes, rocks, bears, rabbit, gophers, and if I do my part elk. So I am not sure what I will do about the front sight but 9" left at 50 yards is beyond acceptible variation to me. My next step I think is to fire lap the barrel as it has a hell of a constriction under the barrel threads (who would think on a Ruger ha!). The gunsmith who muggled the barrel turning has told me he would install the dove tail if I want just pay for the front sight but only if he breaks the factory sight off bending it. Still thinking just get the dovetail put on. Besides if in the future I want to change loads swap out fron sights and regulate from scratch again. Also after seeing the close up of Dustin Linebaugh's 475 he killed his bear with I really like the shape of his front sight so I may just copy that.

Yup that is why that gun really intreagued me and why I wanted to know so much about it specifically. You have been gracious with info on some of your other guns but they were so far away from what I can think about doing anytime soon they were just dreaming. This gun is a poor boys custom that I can call my own. Even put a set of semi custom grips on it from Hogue in walnut that makes it look a lot better and they feel much better as they are a little fuller at the top of the grip and more round though out. When the sight are finally hitting where they should I will order a new LBT mold for them its just I want to make sure to get the right one before I order it.

Antways looking and talking about other succesful project keeps me going on this one that has pissed me off so much but then I go shoot it and remember why I am trying to get it right. The gun just feels right in my hand and once I get over the road bumps will give me a lifetime of enjoyment down the road...

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #24 on:** November 25, 2006, 10:55:34 PM »

sounds like a neat project. I like the dovetailed sights on the vaqueros ive had clements and dustin do them and they both make a nice sight. I think clements will do it for @100 bucks. Nice thing with them is your not staring down the barrel at a leaning sight. IVe done it but it allways bugged me that it made a nice gun seem like a cobbled up affair when the sight looked bent. Another way to accomplish it is to file on one sid of your sight until you bring your poa over but if your truely 9 inchs off your going to have to do quite a bit of filing or bending to get it right. IVe take game with loads like your talking and have never seen it lacking for anything. Dont get me wrong i love my big guns. There a hoot to shoot and very effective on game but a 45 or even a 44 shooting a 300 hardcast at 1100fps will kill ANYTHING! If i had to go to just one revolver for he rest of my life it would be that .45. But then id have to put it to my head!

KENTDEP · « **Reply #25 on:** November 26, 2006, 12:43:33 AM »

Fowler,

I have a Sheriff model Vaquero that is like that. I bought it that way though, with the sight bent to correct the point of aim. I have been thinking that it would look a lot better with a drifit adjustable front sight too. I like the one Hamilton Bowen made for his "Sedgley" style Vaquero.

http://www.bowenclassicarms.com/NEW/Sedgley_r1_c1.htm

I get warm fuzzies when I look at that work of art.

Jay

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #26 on:** November 26, 2006, 02:22:07 AM »

my favorite bowen gun is that light weight .45 he built. I handled it in person and its flat gorgeous!!

fowler · « **Reply #27 on:** November 26, 2006, 04:05:44 AM »

Yea I really like that sight too. Even called Hamilton to get some specifics on it and it is a pretty complicated piece really (with Hamiton who would thunk?). He would be happy to sell me the front sight blank but there is no slot for the from blade, a front blade, or cross pin hole in it. Now I work for a laser machining shop so the front blade is easy but the rest is far more handfitting than one might think and he suggested the complete milled front sight for a working gun as that sight was while not fragile a little less durable for years of hard use.

My personnal favorite he built is the #13 he built for Ross Seyfried, just a increadible piece of art. But then I reall like S&W Heavy Duty he turned into a .45 colt and the 5 1/2" 500 Linebaugh Bisleu with the octagon barrel is damn sexy just needs a set of walnut grips http://www.bowenclassicarms.com/NEW/RS07pictures.htm#iv. If I was rich man there are a lot of guns I might build but then they probably would not mean as much to me when they are finished....

Camel 23 · « **Reply #28 on:** November 27, 2006, 04:13:32 AM »

Quote from: 2 dogs on November 25, 2006, 04:18:42 AM

Lloyd and Camel23, you guys make a great team. Thanks for the pics.

I've got the easy job. Lloyd dreams up the guns, has them built, loads up the ammo, lets me shoot them, then he takes the pictures, all I have to do is post them. Pretty good deal for me.