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Post by kings6 on Nov 28, 2017 12:23:43 GMT -5
I recently had a question asked of me about who might do some work on a S&W double action gun and the first person I suggested was Andy Horvath. Many of us own or have seen single actions Andy has done such as his JT penned "L'il Guns" but Andy does great work on Smiths as well. As I was thinking about him I decided to dig into the safe and drag out an example of his DA work and just play with it for a few minutes. The gun is one I have posted a couple of ugly pictures of before (ugly due to my camera skills, not the gun). The original owner is a fan of John Linebaugh and he had read John's writings where he talks about his personal EDC gun which is a Smith model 25-5 with a 4" barrel and well worn grips. The previous owner decided he wanted a gun like Johns so he bought a 4" 25-5 and since he wanted it to shoot well as well as look good, he sent it off to Andy along with a model 57 41 mag cylinder. Andy did and action job, new pinned in front sight and he re-chambered the 41 cylinder to a snug 45 Colt and fit it to the gun. When you take this gun and cock the hammer in single action mode then squeeze the trigger, it is one of those things that just brings a smile to your face. Light but positive and you can add your own shooter style adjective - glass, ice, frozen lettuce whatever. When I had the gun out I turned and held it up against the back light of my office window and did a double take. The gun has NO perceptible BC gap. I am not talking about normal or even minimal, I mean no perceivable gap! Now obviously there is a gap since the gun cycles freely but the skill guys like Andy exhibit in the work they do still surprises me after all the years I have handled revolvers and played with custom guns. I have to agree with the statement that we are living in the best of times for our hobby.
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Post by bula on Nov 28, 2017 12:30:10 GMT -5
No discernible gap,but cycles freely,a mind blower for sure. Skill beyond my ken.
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Post by seak89 on Nov 28, 2017 12:47:59 GMT -5
We have lived in a great time for Master Pistolsmiths.
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Post by bula on Nov 28, 2017 12:54:47 GMT -5
Normally I'm a pretty is as pretty does guy. Clearly now we are into the devil is in the details kinda thing.
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Post by potatojudge on Nov 28, 2017 14:03:05 GMT -5
Colt Forum? Should't have passed that one up!
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Post by magnumwheelman on Nov 28, 2017 15:39:33 GMT -5
Unknown gun smith??? I also have a S&W... this one a 357 which has been passed down... originally from a MN Highway patrolman, who had been the State Patrol state champion shooter for many years, back when those guys carried 357 revolvers... I don't know if FIL's buddy tuned his own gun, or if he had work done by someone else, but this gun has both the best single action, & double action revolver trigger I've had the privilege to pull... I have a S&W 610 that was sent back to S&W 4 times for another issue, & it seemed like each time they "polished" something in the trigger system, because each time it came back, the trigger was nicer... it's now "one of the best" but this old 357 is hands down much better... in fact it's so good, that I hate to shoot it for fear of messing something up... I take it out every 4-5 years & put a cylinder through it... not sure when revolver smith craft reached it's peak ( if it has yet ) but I highly agree that there has been some surprisingly nice to shoot revolvers over the years... I fear in the age of fantastic plastic, the likes we are probably not going to see again in the future... just an old "service revolver"
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Post by squawberryman on Dec 11, 2017 16:38:35 GMT -5
Now that the OP's gun lives here, the BC is .0025. The action is all Andy
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Post by 2 Dogs on Dec 11, 2017 20:14:47 GMT -5
I loves my poop pumper. But he might actually be the one guy on this forum blinder than me...
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Post by bushog on Dec 11, 2017 20:50:51 GMT -5
I might be right up there....
The fixed sight one had to go down the road cause I couldn't see the sights....
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Post by dougader on Dec 11, 2017 22:37:39 GMT -5
Same boat here with eyesight. Beautiful S&W steel, gents.
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Post by Ken O'Neill on Dec 12, 2017 6:32:20 GMT -5
Uuhh ... they make these things called "glasses", guys ....
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Post by squawberryman on Dec 12, 2017 8:55:27 GMT -5
I've found a pair that has brought back the front sight of many guns
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Post by 2 Dogs on Dec 12, 2017 11:10:43 GMT -5
I am currently wearing the 3rd pair of prescription glasses I have tried this month. Huge difference. I was pretty worried for awhile there. These are still trifocals but they are progressive and I am far more comfortable wearing these for general purpose. I’ve only had these a couple days and I’m tied up with contractors working on my house so I’m not sure how these are going to let me shoot irons yet...
I might end up with several pairs..
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Post by wildcatter on Dec 12, 2017 11:52:12 GMT -5
Nice classic double actions folks.
Many times when I was younger more glasses was the obvious answer. But like so many others in this and other forums, that have continued to advance in age as we slip backwards in other departments. Find when you get a fix for any of the growing failures we continue to encounter, a new problem jumps up to keep you looking for the next cure or fix to keep on keep'n on.
Today I have run outa glasses, for inspecting my actions and seeing fine details, or working on super tuning fishing reels, rebuilding carburetors on small engines, anything that requiers seeing fine details with small parts with my script bifocals and a Magnifier. I have found that two pair of 3x readers works better than the eye correction glasses and a magnifying glass, gives me two hands again also! But that worked great a couple years ago, now I have found along with that the room lighting over my bench now needs 150 watt bulb in a work lamp as well focused on the work at hand.
Same goes for handgun sights, just a couple years ago I found using a 1.5x reader, worked better than presciption eye wear for seeing them front sights and at the same time not over blurring the target to badly. But today yes the cheater glasses are still working,,,,, in good light. The problem is in poor light, I can't see the front sight on less than totally contrasting background. I tried the thinned front sight and it worked to a point. The problem is now for hunting, them first and last precious hours when we have that 1/2 hour before and after sunrise or set, there just isn't enough light at any magnification for any scrip or cheater glass to work.
For a while now my fix for hunting anyways, where in the last few years I turned to the Bisley Hunter, and am sure the same would work with the ruger ringed Double actions. I have been able to hunt with the optics early and late in the legal hunting hours, and then mid day, or when I have enough light, I can remove the scope, then reinstall it and have found this is all easily done with a key or a quarter, while still holding its zero. Problem now that is interfering with this fix is using the less than ideal light gathering of handgun and extended eye relief scopes, even this starting to fail me.
I also put a fiber optic sight the other day on the 6.5" single six. For hunting it works to a degree but still I need a fair more amount of light than I used to to see them and the target. It works better in low light than the factory sight. The trade off is if I bag the gun and shoot paper targets for groups I am better off with the factory sights than the fiber optic, it is not as precise in good light with the good contrasting background.
I also for a while went with a reflex sight such as the Burris Fast Fire, and Vortex razor red dots. They worked great at first but as the years slide by they are starting to get blurry and Halo'd them last and first low light hours. The light is of the dot is low enough, and any brighter would drowned the target, but soon as the eye deteriorates more, this going to be unusable also.
So for those that think getting older and dealing with failing eyes,,, as well as hearing, and I won't go there. The obvious answers to these problems work at first, but as you age more and more new fix's become more and more needed, while becoming less and less effective. My advice to those that have not reached those problems yet,, do as I do, join these forums and pay attention to those that are where you are heading,,,, if you're one of the lucky ones, trust me it beats the alternative!
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Post by domino300 on Dec 14, 2017 11:27:50 GMT -5
Now that this thread has turned to eyes. I had cataract surgery on my right eye Monday and am hoping to see the sights and target at the same time again, when all healed up. Get the left eye done next Monday. I've worn tri-focals for many years, but the cataracts really mess with that also. Has any one here experience with your shooting vision after the surgery? Doug
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