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Post by oregon45 on Nov 20, 2012 20:19:50 GMT -5
Earlier this year I picked up a nice Ruger Flattop 44 Magnum made in 1961 and, for awhile, it was my oldest 44 Magnum. No more. This S&W 44 Magnum was made in the first half of 1958 and, although it's got a bit of holster wear, is otherwise solid and ready for another 54 years of shooting. I'll be 75 years old when this revolver turns 100, and I aim to be around to take it to the range that day ;D Still has the original "Coke" profile factory grips; very comfortable and much slimmer than the later goncalo alves factory grips. Going to put some rounds through it tomorrow; likely a light load of Trail Boss and a 240gr Oregon Trail bullet in magnum brass. That powder burns clean and the load is light enough it won't stress the gun, or the shooter
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Post by Frank V on Nov 20, 2012 21:00:51 GMT -5
Wow, nice catch. Thanks for sharing. Frank
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paulg
.375 Atomic
Posts: 2,420
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Post by paulg on Nov 20, 2012 21:47:05 GMT -5
Beeeutiful!! Very nice revolver.
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Post by pageophile on Nov 20, 2012 23:15:53 GMT -5
Very nice S&W you got there!
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Post by Ken O'Neill on Nov 21, 2012 7:22:10 GMT -5
Nice!
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Post by webber on Nov 21, 2012 7:36:57 GMT -5
I think it would be nice to know the chamber throat diameter on that revolver just to see how tight they were at that time. Would you be willing to check them? Just to see if they were held to tighter tolerances than they were at later times.
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Post by Lee Martin on Nov 21, 2012 8:55:53 GMT -5
Exceptionally clean for a 54 year old gun. And I'm glad to see you won't be pushing it too hard. Trail Boss sounds like a nice load. Enjoy. -Lee www.singleactions.com"Building carpal tunnel one round at a time"
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Post by bradshaw on Nov 21, 2012 10:23:27 GMT -5
I'll back Lee Martin's advice to load light.
Going to try to post a picture of my vintage M-29 6-1/2". Most of its life it has lived on swaged 240 grain SWC, seated deep to crimp above the wheelbase. 17 grains/Hercules 2400, CCI 350 primer, Winchester brass. Velocity, measuring back when we had to shoot through silver-grid screens----destroying two screens for every shot----1060 fps.
Printed several one-hole groups at 75 yards, back in the day when I had eyes.
This modest little load straight deflated a whitetail's lungs. A great many sets of whitetail lungs. Gun never wounded a deer. Preferred forms of hunting: 1) tracking 2) still hunting. Carry: holstered in home made holster of water-molded English saddle leather, on 3-inch cowhide belt with pull-through loops. No "safety" strap.
Keep you new prize wiped down with a Silicone cloth, if you can find one.
Don't remember the dimensions of my old 29, other than chamber-to-bore alignment, which averages about .002-inch. The forcing cone is very short, a HUGE plus in my estimation.
I may need assistance here, but parts drop-forged in the foundry include: * Frame * Barrel * Yoke * Rebound slide * Hammer * Trigger * Rear sight * Mainspring * Cylinder stop * Thumbpiece
The drop-forged barrel is gun drilled, reamed, micro-honed, after which it is submerged and broached. Unless it's been shot extensively, you should see crosshatching on the lands from honing. David Bradshaw
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Post by mindustrial on Nov 21, 2012 14:07:59 GMT -5
I've checked a few 4 scr 29's in the past, they've all been .432-.433.
I really like shooting with Cokes. It's too bad they are so expensive - makes me feel like I have to coddle them at the range.
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mark
.30 Stingray
Posts: 207
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Post by mark on Nov 21, 2012 14:52:39 GMT -5
Very nice. I have wanted one of those early examples for years but I have never seen one sale locally. Enjoy, Mark
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Post by oregon45 on Nov 21, 2012 18:27:43 GMT -5
I think it would be nice to know the chamber throat diameter on that revolver just to see how tight they were at that time. Would you be willing to check them? Just to see if they were held to tighter tolerances than they were at later times. I don't have a set of plug gauges, so I don't have a way to measure the throats. I took the original Cokes off for shooting, to avoid starting cracks up toward the trigger guard which is pretty common on those grips. I replaced them with a pair of custom walnut coke profile grips I had made by a guy on the S&W forum. Here's some pics:
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Post by toroflow on Nov 21, 2012 19:05:28 GMT -5
If one can believe this, here is a set of vintage N frame "cokes" that someone sanded down to fit a K frame. I picked them up at a gunshow a few years back for $20. They fit fairly decently on this 29-3 that had been ground down on the grip frame to resemble a K frame. I picked up that parkerized 29-3 over 20 years ago in a trade that I valued at $125!!
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Post by vonfatman on Nov 21, 2012 19:19:27 GMT -5
Wow! Nice revolver. A thing of beauty.
Congratulations. Nice to be able to shoot a fine & early .44....Beautiful stocks. Gotta love the way that revolver feels in your hand.
Bob
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Post by Frank V on Nov 21, 2012 20:51:25 GMT -5
You guys are making me drool with those nice 29s, it's an era gone by that we won't see again! Frank
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Post by webber on Nov 21, 2012 21:25:49 GMT -5
"I don't have a set of plug gauges, so I don't have a way to measure the throats." Just take a bullet of know diameter and see if it will fit loosely in the throats. Maybe a .430" bullet such as a Hornady etc.
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