Chopping NMBH barrel

[GSSP]

Have my eye on an older, NM"super"BH blue 44 Mag with 7-1/2" barrel and fluted cylinder in Bisley configuration.  I LIKE the fluted cylinder look.  All my Bisley's are shorter and SS (all Lipsey's), 3.75 to 5-1/2".  What is involved in shortening the barrel?  Cut from rear or front?  Rethroat if from rear?  New, "pinnned" front sight if from front?  Refinish I assume?  Reset the cylinder gap if too loose?  This inquiring mind is curious...

Alan

[DutchV]

If you're planning to do it yourself, cutting from the front and re-crowning is the easier way. Brownell's sells the tools but it might be cheaper to send it out if you're only gonna do one.

[bigbore5]

It's easier to cut the front so you don't have to worry about indexing the front sight. That's the normal route.

I do have one that had both cut. The gap was horrible so Leonard Baity cut another thread to close it up and faced the barrel off for a .002" gap. He then cut the 7-1/2" barrel from the muzzle end to 5-1/2" when I decided after he'd already finished closing up the gap that I wanted a shorter barrel.

As if that all wasn't enough, I took the same gun back 4 months later for a 5-shot conversion.

[edk]

Are you satisfied with the cylinder gap and forcing cone? That might steer you one way or the other.