|
|
Post by tinkerpearce on Feb 27, 2018 3:37:44 GMT -5
The Astra Police was a large-frame 3" .38 Special designed for law-enforcement in Spain. They were built on the large frame for +P ammunition- sort of a latter-day .38-44. Lately some of these guns have come into the US as police trade-ins at some very attractive prices. I had a large-frame Astra back in the '80s ( a Jovino Terminator,) and it was a very nicely finished gun with a good trigger. I got to look at one in person today and thought, 'Not sure. but I think I could chamber this for .44 Special...' I'm certain I could bore it for .41 Special. Make up a custom grip for it... yeah, this could be a thing.
|
|
|
|
Post by mk70ss on Feb 27, 2018 6:43:54 GMT -5
This I gotta see, sounds cool as hell.
|
|
|
|
Post by tinkerpearce on Feb 27, 2018 12:37:19 GMT -5
This I gotta see, sounds cool as hell. It might take a while, but I can totally see it happening... Rifling buttons are available and not terribly expensive, and a chamber-reamer is no problem either. Ideally I'll ream the barrel and line-bore the cylinder, then ream it it, remove the barrel and re-rifle it. All within my current capabilities. Leaning towards .41 Special; the frame will handle .41 Magnum but I don't know how long it would last doing so. I had a .44 magnum based on this frame decades ago, but I don't know that the material specs, heat-treat etc. were the same. There are quite a few of these on Gunbroker at the moment. Linda liked the one we looked at and wants to go back and buy it... and maybe get one of the Gunbroker guns to keep for herself in .38 Special. Anyway if it's still there when we go back (real-life probably Thursday or Friday) it's mine. |
|
|
|
Post by needsmostuff on Feb 28, 2018 9:31:00 GMT -5
Had one for awhile marked and chambered for .357 so high pressures are fine. Build quality way above average Spanish made gun . I was told that the .38 marked guns had deep enough chambers to chamber a .357 but no personal experience .
Neat feature is the push button to swap crane and cylinder feature. Made that way for easy swap between .357,38,9mm for the international police sales. When doing research I heard rumors of .357SIG being a possibility but no real evidence.
|
|
|
|
Post by tinkerpearce on Feb 28, 2018 23:02:59 GMT -5
Had one for awhile marked and chambered for .357 so high pressures are fine. Build quality way above average Spanish made gun . I was told that the .38 marked guns had deep enough chambers to chamber a .357 but no personal experience . Neat feature is the push button to swap crane and cylinder feature. Made that way for easy swap between .357,38,9mm for the international police sales. When doing research I heard rumors of .357SIG being a possibility but no real evidence. Yes- I love the push-button crane removal. Taurus is now offering this on a new model for just such cylinder swaps. Personally I like it because it makes life easier when cleaning- or modifying- the gun. |
|
|
|
Post by tinkerpearce on Feb 28, 2018 23:21:43 GMT -5
Linda just picked up one of the guns off of Gunbroker. That one will likely remain a .38 for her use.
|
|
|
|
Post by tinkerpearce on Mar 3, 2018 13:28:39 GMT -5
  Picked this up yesterday for $220 from a local gun shop. Hammer has been bobbed and there is some holster wear but the lock-up is great and the DA trigger is very nice. The PMV stamped on the side is for 'Policia Municiapal de Vitoria.' The grip was crudely cludged on, but there was never any real question that I would be making a custom grip for this gun so that wasn't an issue. Linda has another on it's way via Gunbroker, so she'll get whichever she fancies and I'll modify the other. |
|
|
|
Post by tinkerpearce on Mar 23, 2018 17:08:35 GMT -5
  Linda's gun came with factory grips, so I modified those and refinished them. I'm quite favorably impressed with the quality of these guns. |
|
|
|
Post by ezekiel38 on Mar 26, 2018 11:00:26 GMT -5
Can't wait to see where this project goes.
|
|
|
|
Post by tinkerpearce on Mar 26, 2018 12:36:08 GMT -5
Can't wait to see where this project goes. Likely it won't happen fast since we are moving house this spring. |
|
Otony
.327 Meteor
Posts: 722
|
Post by Otony on Mar 26, 2018 20:41:42 GMT -5
Can't wait to see where this project goes. Likely it won't happen fast since we are moving house this spring. Are you staying in Washington? We are in Walla Walla. Maybe neighbors? |
|
|
|
Post by tinkerpearce on Mar 27, 2018 0:26:15 GMT -5
Likely it won't happen fast since we are moving house this spring. Are you staying in Washington? We are in Walla Walla. Maybe neighbors? Heading for the coast, actually. Likely Westport. |
|
