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Post by mike454 on May 28, 2020 13:42:50 GMT -5
Quite a few years back I purchased a old model Bowen with a 5 1/2" S&W barrel in 45 Colt. It was one of those guns that I wouldn't have done for myself at the time. No stone was left unturned as far as the cosmetics went.
After looking through the safe a few years back, I decided that I'd probably covered all the custom bases that I "needed" to cover except one. A plinker. Just a fun gun chambered in a simple caliber that would be fun to shoot and easy to feed. For insperation I reached back to my Bowen OM 45 Colt.
I had a 44 special flattop that I had intended to keep that way with a few touches by John Linebaugh. I had him checker the ejector rod, scallop the inside of the loading gate, and point up the serations on the bisley thumbpiece. I decided this would be a great base gun to send to BCA. Hamilton and Co. performed the following to the gun:
6 shot conversion to .38 Special 5 1/2" S&W style barrel with hand detachable front sight Deluxe action job Nitre Blue pins and screws Case color frame and hammer Deck gripframe Flute and chamfer cylinder Keith Brown did the grips for me years ago for another Flat top Bisley and they happen to fit this gun perfectly.
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Post by squawberryman on May 28, 2020 14:00:12 GMT -5
Bearing block also? Good night what a pair.
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Post by bushog on May 28, 2020 14:03:23 GMT -5
Beautiful guns!
Couln't and wouldn't have done a thing differently on either.
You've had ne thinking about a long barrelled .38sp since I heard of this one.
Custom cylinder on the .38 right?
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Fowler
.401 Bobcat
Posts: 3,555
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Post by Fowler on May 28, 2020 14:04:44 GMT -5
Magnificent guns, simply marvelous.
I have to ask why 38sp and not 357 mag? I know I'm not the only one thinking this question. And I ask this from the standpoint of a guy who almost never runs 357 ammo in his 357s...
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Post by kings6 on May 28, 2020 14:19:56 GMT -5
Tough to think of anything to change on either of those guns Mike! 48 Special probably for the same reason some if us have 41 Specials. Worthy of standing on their own merits.
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Post by bushog on May 28, 2020 14:27:25 GMT -5
Blue trigger love!
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Post by potatojudge on May 28, 2020 15:18:29 GMT -5
You just never see full custom 38 special guns. Perfectly good target gun for the mid frame.
If you ever felt the itch it could become a 357 mag or 360 DW, but I suspect it'll stay a 38 in OP's hands.
Very nicely done.
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Post by mike454 on May 28, 2020 15:43:14 GMT -5
Beautiful guns! Custom cylinder on the .38 right? Thanks guys! Yes, custom cylinder! went with the "6-SHOT ‘LONGHUNTER’ CALIBER CONVERSION Built to the same mechanical standards as our 5-shot big-bores" I went with the 38 special because I actually have more 38s than 357s by a large margin. I was looking for a fun gun, but also one that would be super accurate. I've always felt that I've gotten a bit better accuracy with cases that are the full length of the chamber. Since I'm just looking for an easy shooting gun I stuck with the 38 length chambers. If I need to I can goose the 38 in this gun using something approaching Keiths 38/44 load, but will most likely just stick with standard 38s
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Post by bushog on May 28, 2020 15:48:30 GMT -5
If I had given it some thought, I would have known that it was shopmade....
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Post by mike454 on May 28, 2020 19:15:00 GMT -5
Bearing block also? Good night what a pair. The .38 has the bearing block and was built to Nimrod specs, the OM doesn't but is pretty darn tight just the same.
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Post by ddixie884 on May 28, 2020 23:27:36 GMT -5
Cool. I almost never shoot .357s either. Too noisy and busy for the return. Skeeter and Keith had the right idea......
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Post by Rimfire69 on May 29, 2020 6:41:30 GMT -5
Just said to a friend yesterday that I've been thinking about the .38 spc again lately, I wouldn't change a thing. Love the idea of a dedicated .38 and find myself using them more than all the rest. If I had an example like the one shown above I'd never be able to put it down.
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Post by squawberryman on May 29, 2020 8:29:23 GMT -5
What do you call that treatment to the rear of the cylinder? The ridges that is
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Post by mike454 on May 29, 2020 8:38:22 GMT -5
What do you call that treatment to the rear of the cylinder? The ridges that is Not sure, I think they might be machine marks. I can't see them with the naked eye.
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dhd
.327 Meteor
Posts: 941
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Post by dhd on May 30, 2020 7:27:06 GMT -5
I don't know what I like best about your newest build. Looking at the pic that shows the grip/cylinder frame junction, I'd bet you can't feel it with a finger nail. One of my favorite things is a cylinder that fills the frame, and there it is. I know many of the more experienced owners of customs mention the safety of being able to see cases without opening the loading gate, but I personally like recessed cylinders, and there it is. A super tight revolver just feels like quality to me, and I'd bet that one is a bank vault. However, it being a 38 Special in a full size gun (and blocked at that), it'll still shoot loose. Talk about overbuilt!
That is one good looking gun!
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