PROJECT ARTICLES

COLT NEW SERVICE .45 COLT CUSTOM
June 2008

Bowen Classic Arms Corp. has had an abiding interest in the great American big-bore factory revolvers of the old days. We have for years offered custom caliber and upgrade conversions on vintage S&W revolvers, particularly the Smith & Wesson .38/44 Heavy Duty models which make such wonderful and purposeful .45 Colts, a caliber S&W offered only in exceedingly small numbers. Originals probably number in the few dozens making the exceptional collectors pieces on the rare occasion one surfaces.

Due to our relative inexperience with the early Colt double-action lock work, we have shied away from working much with them over the years. All of the folks we know who were fluent in action building and tuning are dead and took their knowledge with them so we have always been a bit leary sticking our oar in where we didn't know what we were doing. Practicing on other folks properly is not a great idea. But, occasionally petty rules are for the breaking. We were presented with a tired but serviceable .455 New Service that had been converted to .45 Colt reasonably well many years ago. The lock work was in first-class condition with a tight even double-action cyclel and nice, crisp 4-5 lb. single-action pull. No room for improvement and no remedial work indicated so we were able to undertake the finishing on a sound foundation.

Gun was completely hand polished, any visiible and savable markings recut, including the rampant Colt and several proof and military markings. The barrel was shortened to 4 inches and rollmarked with Colt SAA markings by Turnbull Restorations. Not quite authentic but proper and attractive never-the-less. Our little Colt-style single-action front sight completed the barrel work. The cylinder received the usual black powder cylinder chamfer. All the screws, pins and trigger were nitre blued and the hammer color cased. It isn't often that you find decent original hard-rubber grips so the owner resorted to some reproductions which, with a bit of fitting and tinkering, turned out surprisingly well. Ivory grips on one of these would be stunning.

At the end of the day, the owner ended up with a right handsome old Colt. Thad Rybka produced the military style holster. We're looking for a couple more in rimmed calibers in decent shape mechanically with minimal external goobers to try a couple more. Also need a domestic target version in any caliber with the adjustable sights all there and working. Export targets with have non-adjustable sights with a pinned front blade and dovetail rear. Blue and bore condition not important. In view of the increasing shortages of suitable S&Ws, these big Colts are an attractive and fascination alternative for a shooter or collector who wishes to have a fine old big-bore revolver.

Click image for larger view

 

Best-Quality .50 Special Ruger Blackhawk
May 2008

This old fellow passed through the shop this month; couldn't let it get away without make a few photos and comments. Not much to be said except that this is the 15th 'best-grade' gun we've built and, perhaps, our favorite. Build on a chromoly .357 large-frame Blackhawk, the top strap was welded and re-machine in the S&W M&P style which, in our view, is the handsomest top-strap treatment there is for single-action revolvers. Usual other refinements include scalloped recoil shield and loading gate, narrow Super Blackhawk hammer, dovetail front sight in an integral base and the regulated/blended ejector housing screw. The two-piece Power Custom grip frame accommodates a set of lovely one-piece ivory grips from Paul Persinger. The finish is fine brushed surface with the screws and pins nitre blued.

Click image for larger view

 

.327 Federal Magnum Cartridge
May 2008

Those of us who are serious small-bore, small-game revolver enthusiasts have clamored for years for the moral equivalent of the great old .32-20 but in a more modern, tougher, available package. The cartridge fairies have been listening and have come through in grand style. The .327 Federal Magnum will perform every bit as well as hand-loaded high-pressure, high-performance .32-20 loadings. Better still, the .327 is nothing more than a stretched .32 H&R Magnum which means it is quite small in diameter and can be built in 6-shot guns on relatively small frames, places the longer, larger .32-20 just wouldn't fit easily (or cheaply).

For reasons known only to the fine folks at Sturm, Ruger & Company, the .327 has ended up in their small double-action SP-101 rather than in the Single-Six. While the SP-101 is a hardy little double-action gun, many of us really, really wanted to see the gun in a small single action. The .327 will work fine in a slightly longer cylinder body section with virtually no other modifications. The walls and webs of the factory .32 H&R cylinder are thicker than many .357 Magnums so there is no reason to go to a more costly and complicated 5-shot part.

Bowen Classic Arms is adding the chambering to our line-up and will offer Single-Six and medium-frame Blackhawk and Flat Top single-action revolvers in this great little cartridge. We'll have a semi drop-in cylinder available under the RS06 catalog number for the .32 H&R Single-Six model that will utilize the original barrel suitably modified for the long-body cylinder. The receiver will be properly marked as to caliber and then re-blued. We'll also offer a more sophisticated version similar to our 'Long Hunter' package per catalog number RS07 which will feature a line-bored cylinder, custom barrel and the usual trimmings. We'll also note the availability of 6-shot line-bored conversions with factory-style cylinders in conventional calibers in all of the New Model size receivers.

We're hoping to have our initial run of cylinder blanks available this summer. As an aside, these same blanks will enable us to offer tight-chamber .22 rim fires. .22 and .25 caliber wildcats based on the .327 are contemplated, as well. We've done a few Smith & Wesson K-frame guns in .327 which have proven wonderful shooters. Unfortunately, the better cylinders for re-chambering are the scarce older K22 parts. As the supply is fading fast, we're working to produce a long-body K-frame S&W cylinder which we can utilize not only for the .327 but also the .32-20, .218 Bee, .25-20 and .256. For M53 enthusiasts, we will be able to fashion an auxiliary .22 LR cylinder. As long as we can get our paws on K22 barrels, which should be in S&W part bins for a while now, we'll be able to produce the lovely K-frame M14s and M15 in a variety of great small-game and plinking rounds, including the .327

It is not often that we have a new revolver cartridge to get fired up about but the .327 Magnum is the most important mainstream cartridge offering since the .44 Magnum for serious revolver nuts.

FACTORY DOUBLE-ACTION BARREL INSTALLATIONS
March 2008

In the Bowen Classic Arms shop, the vast majority of custom barrel installations involver the various Ruger revolvers we work on. Only rarely do we replace or fabricate barrels for S&W revolvers. That said, not all custom barrel installations involve custom fabricated barrels. Some useful barrels come right out of the factory parts bins; we'll touch on a couple of house favorites.

Click on Image for larger view
.500 Bisley with S&W barrel	Rib and Sight details

Of all the barrels a custom revolver builder can fabricate for single-action revolvers, one of the most complicated shapes is a round barrel with an integral rib. Most of these barrels we've made from scratch over the years ended up faithful copies of S&W barrels. After a while, that little light bulb that occasionally flickers in the back of one's head glimmered a little brighter than usual one day and it occurred to us that, where possible, why not just use S&W bbls. And, as the fates would have it, factory S&W barrels happen to be of nearly perfect diameter and contour to work on most Ruger single-action revolvers without recourse to far more costly custom pipes. There a few limitations but not many. Obviously, the barrel length and caliber you want has to reside within the contours of factory parts. For large-frame Rugers, SAs, the traditional N-frame Target model barrels found on the M25, M29 and M57 guns and their stainless counterparts will yield wonderful barrels in virtually all lengths from 4 to 7 1/2 inches. Thanks to the fine folks at Delta Gun Shop, we can rebore these on up to .475 and the various .50 calibers if need be. We have .327 Single-Six underway that will utilize a rebored K22 barrel.

Fitting up a S&W barrel to a Ruger single action is a fairly simple and straight-forward undertaking. First order of business is to machine of the underlug and then file and polish to round that section of the barrel. Now is also a good time to remove the lettering. Next, the S&W barrel shank threads are too small so the a Ruger-size shank and threads must be turned at the appropriate point to yield the required length. The 8 3/8 in. barrels will yield up to 7 1/2 in. lengths in most cases; the 6 in. tubes will get you 4 5/8 and 5 in. finished barrels. All that remains now is the usual fitment of ejector tube, crown and finishing. In standard calibers such as the .44 Magnum, often as not, the existing front sight height will regulate properly. If not, simply pinning in a taller blade will do. The only wrinkle that occasionally raises it head is the receiver face. If the top strap is heavily beveled, the top strap nose has to be welded up and recontoured to prevent a step between the rib shoulder and breech face.

Not all double-action barrel conversions are limited to single-actions. One of the most handsome and unique is the installation of a Colt Anaconda barrel on a Redhawk. Installation procedure is much as it is with single-actions except that we leave the under-lug and re-machine the ejector slot to accommodate the Redhawk's ejector. Welding up the receiver nose isn't necessary though the rib must be sloped to meet the receiver face. Since the barrel shoulder has to break at a rib post for proper strength and appearance, 6 in. barrels will yield 4 1/4 in. finished barrels; 8 in. 6 1/4 in.

These installations represent a considerable savings over custom-fabricated barrels. Most installations run around $500--$600 plus the barrel though, where welding is involved, the cost is up a bit since we also have to draw back the receiver in the heat-treat furnace after welding and then do a the file and polish work. At this writing, Brownells has a few 6 inch. Anaconda barrels and 8 3/8 in. S&W M29 and 629 barrels. Most other calibers and lengths are catch as catch can. While this is not a cataloged item, we are happy to produce these on a regular basis, assuming we can come up with appropriate barrels.
 

FANCY .475 RUGER VAQUERO
January 2008

This was a relatively ordinary gun until the finishers go hold of it. Starting life as some sort of Ruger Vaquero, we applied a .475 Linebaugh conversion with a few refinements to the metalwork in the form of a scalloped receiver/loading gate, fluted cylinder and an octagonal barrel with in integral front sight base. Nice enough but it is easy to see how a little bit of additional embelishment can produce a gun that is especially lovely. Paul Persinger made the exquisitly fitted and shaped ivory grips. Dan Love executed the simple, yet tasteful engraving with a few modest touches of gold showing through. Turnbull's colored the hammer and nitre blued the screws and pins. The peacock blue bits show very nicely against Charles Danner's rust blue. Nothing loud, nothing flashy but particularly handsome.

Click for larger image

 

SEDGLEY LIFT-OUT CYLINDER
.45 COLT RUGER VAQUERO

R. F. Sedgley was one of the most prolific American gunmakers and exerted a great deal of influent on the trade, particularly between the World Wars. Best known for his Springfield and Mauser sporting rifles, he also dabbled in handguns. Many of the famous revolver conceived and owned by Elmer Keith, including the famous No. 5 gun, reflect Sedgley's handiwork and insight.

Among the least know of his designs are the lift-out cylinder single-action. Known examples are all based on Colt SAA guns suitably modified to contain what is essentially a double-action cylinder with an extractor and extractor rod for simultaneous ejection. The rod is pulled forward freeing the bolts so that the cylinder can be removed through to loading gate. Clever and cool if not markedly faster in the loading and unloading.

Bowen Classic Arms has built several of these guns over the years, all based on Ruger Vaqueros. Several have had extra cylinders. This particular specimen is rather more interesting than usual by virtue of its browned damascus barrel. The Power Custom two-piece grip frame has been round-butted and is fitted with a set of one-piece fancy French walnut grips from Roy Fishpaw. Other features include tuning, coloring, Bisley-spur hammer, scalloped receiver/loading gate and a dovetail Colt-style front sight. We're hoping to start this year on a version of this gun built on a USFA SAA model as were most of the originals.

Sedgley's life-out cylinder revolvers represent an interesting if not terribly useful development and are now largely regarded as rare and wonderful curiosities to serious revolver aficionados.

Click for larger image

Click for larger image

Click for larger image

 

'Perfected' Ruger SP101
October 2007

Admittedly, the .357 Magnum cartridge is not a great favorite at Bowen Classic Arms as it always seems not to be the right caliber for the job. It makes a very poor .32-20 or .44 Magnum and lives in a no-man's land where it has but one useful application. As a self-defense gun. While the .357 Magnum my not be the greatest sporting revolver caliber in the land, it has compiled an enviable record as a service round that makes it hard to ignore.

After several inquiries about J-frame style high-visibility sight installations, we figured it would be well to investigate the possibilities. As it turns out, the fixed-sight SP-101 accommodates our J-frame sights almost as well as the wee Smith & Wessons. Accordingly, we've added a new entry to the Ruger Double-Action Revolvers section of our website catalog to accommodate what our marketing department has cleverly dubbed the 'Perfected' Ruger SP-101, catalog number RDSP01. As is our practice, we have packaged several useful modifications which include:

• action/trigger tune

• J-frame hi-visibility sights with square-notch/white-outline rear and white-line ramp front blades

• sight regulation with your choice of ammo

• black powder cylinder chamfer

The SP-101 may not be the smallest or lightest .357 Magnum revolver but, sharing the Redhawk's basic mechanical design, it is surely one of the hardiest and suited to a stead diet of hi-performance ammunition. While the Smith & Wesson 360PDs maybe the ultimate in compact, light-weight hi-performance revolvers, it is infamous for its foul disposition with full-power magnum ammo. While we haven't tinkered extensively yet with the SP-101, its stout, 100% stainless steel construction gives it enough heft to absorb heavy recoil better. Carefully tailored loads with 180 gr. bullets would make the SP101 a pretty serious back-up gun, even for field use. No substitute for a real gun, it never-the-less would beat a sharp stick and be more manageable for the average shooter. No matter what, it is still tough to extort this much power from a gun this small.

K-frame S&W with J-frame Hi-Visibility Sights
April 2007

When we designed our J-frame hi-visibility sights, we made a few unshaped blanks to try on other guns just for fun. Our first thought was to fit them to Ruger Vaqueros where results were not entirely satisfactory with respect to appearances--the rear sight simply did not integrate well into the single-action topstrap. The next victims for experimentation were K and N-frame S&W Fixed-sight guns. Here, the story is quite different and results in a handsome, refined installation that not only gives a useful sight picture but doesn't much disturn the low, clean lines of the S&W fixed-sight top strap. Mark Dye, our resident S&W expert, fiddled around some with the sight contours and arrived at this espectially handsome version. Used in conjunction with a white-line front sight blade, we've got a first-class sight set-up for virtually any S&W revolver. This particular candidate is an M547 in 9MM with its cool extactor system that doesn't require clips. For reasons we can't fathom, it is extraordinarily accurate with Federal Hydra-Shok ammo.

Another Engraved Smith & Wesson N-frame
April 2007*

Not much to be said about this gun except it is a sexy as a three-dollar firecracker. Starting life as an ordinary .38/.44 Heavy-Duty model, this gun was converted to .45 Colt. Dan Love did the wonderful engraving; Paul Persinger pleads guilty to the steer-head grips. Dan and Paul have an unseemly amount of talent between them. In combination, their work is stunning.

*Photos courtesy of owner

Damascus-barrel Single-Action Army
April 2007

Damascus steel is one of the loveliest and most beautiful materials found in gunmaking. Not nearly as strong as fluid steels, damascus barrels largely disappeared with the advent of smokeless powder. While never used on single-action revolvers, damascus barrels have been used on more modern firearms than one might imagine. The best example is the M1897 Winchester pump shotgun. Damascus barrels were available as an extra-cost option for several years, right on into the twentieth century. These guns are extremely rare since nobody wanted to pay extra for obsolete technology. Colt produced a number of smooth-bore Single-Action Army revolvers for aerial trick-shooting which begs the question why some weren't made of with damascus barrels since many shotgun barrels of the day were of damascus steel. Colt didn't make but that's no reason not to have one now. Bowen Classic Arms has made several over the years both with 'Paradox' rifle chokes and fully rifle .45 Colt barrels. These are made with modern fluid-steel liners entirely strong enough to function even without the thin, out damascus sleeve.

This particular gun started life as United States Firearms Single-Action Army model in .45 Colt. The composite damascus barrel sports an overlay of English gun tube material browned in the traditional 'salt and pepper' colors of vintage Parkers which makes for an unusual and especially handsome finish. The front sight is our traditional Colt-style dovetail base with pinned blade. Turnbull Restorations did the coloring. The checked ivory grips were produced by Paul Persinger with a monogram of the owner's initials. One of the niceer single-actions we've done in a while.

Ruger New Model Flat Top Bisleys
February 2007

The two most exciting Ruger revolvers introduced in years are the 50th Anniversary Flat Tops in .357 and .44 Magnum. Naturally, they are very closely related to their Blackhawk and Bisley cousins; parts are largely interchangeable. Converting the Flat Tops to Bisley configuration was an obvious notion and one that renders a handsome and handy single-action revolver. For whatever the reasons, the Bisley grip frames mate to the Flat Top receivers better than the standard Blackhawks. Even the safety locks integrate well into the Bisley grip frame with just a few simple milling machine cuts.

The two revolvers show started life as .357 Magnums but are now .44 Specials. The color cased gun is fitted with a 5 1/2 in. barrel, the blue gun a 7 1/2 in. barrel. The Bisley parts conversion is applicable to the new Flat Tops and is now a standard catalog item per cat. no. B410 in the 'Options' section of the Ruger Single-action Revolvers portion of our on-line catalog. All of our caliber conversions, whether the RS05, RS06 or the big-bore RS07 are suited to the New Model Flat Top revolvers. Since many of the RS05 Simple Caliber Conversions will require longer barrels, feel free to contact us for a quotation on your project.

Fancy Smith & Wesson M58
December 2006

Seems like we do not turn out many engraved S&Ws but, thanks to the lovely engraving by Dan Love, this one makes us wonder why. This gun started life as an ordinary M58 and then was overhauled to resemble a Heavy Duty model. The receiver topstrap was recontoured to resemble the vintage fixed-sight guns and an original 5-inch HD barrel added and rebored in .41 Magnum caliber. Other touches include tuning, recoloring the hammer and trigger, a black powder cylinder chamfer and a taller front sight blade, serrated and pinned to the existing sight base.

While not wall-to-wall, Dan's engraving is beautifully executed in a style befitting factory S&Ws. There is just enough gold work to give the engraving a bit of fire.

The grips are vintage factory N-frame S&W parts.

 

Ruger Combat Vaquero
October 2006

An experiment to build a semi-serious self-defense single-action revolver in the mold of the Croft single-action Colts of the '20s and '30s but from a modern gun and current technology. Not much has changed, really, except, perhaps, the addition of modern sights. Many of the other touches--the Bisley-spur hammer and scalloped recoil shield/loading gate--are right out of the last century and just as pertinent on today's single-actions as ever.

The most important update is the addition of a set of our J-frame style high-visibility front and rear sights. These are of the square-notch/white-outline rear and white-line front persuasion. Vintage revolvers are lovely to contemplate but miserable to shoot precisely because of the sights. Glare is a serious problem. On some SAA-style revolvers, the top line of the rear sight notch is below the visible top strap which, in poor light or glare conditions can leave one guessing which elevation to use. Front sights are famously shined to a high gloss which can render them nearly invisible in bright sunlight. The new sights eliminate these problems.

Based on a stainless steel Ruger New Vaquero, this gun also sports a 4-inch barrel, an oversize locking base-pin for absolute dependability, tuning and a black powder cylinder chamfer. The gun is sighted for .45 ACP ball ammo and includes an auxiliary cylinder in .45 Colt for the sake of the good ole days. Lanyard rings may be viewed as an anachronism but are still the best way to keep up with your gun so one is installed.

Whether this exercise results in a useful revolver we'll leave to others to decide. In a more powerful caliber one could argue that it would make a good back-up gun for someone in bear country though the same results would obtain with an adjustable-sight gun for far less trouble and expensive. While an interesting experiment, it did not warrant inclusion in the regular catalog.

 

.32-20 Ruger Single-Six
October 2006

Loaded in a modern revolver with high-performance ammunition, the lowly .32-20 may be best of all the small-bore revolver cartridges. It will shoot 110--115 gr. bullets at least as fast as a .357 Magnum and, since the .32 caliber bullets of this weight have a better sectional density, trajectory is flatter, velocities at longer ranges higher. Recoil is negligible even though muzzle blast can be annoying. It's hard to imagine a nicer small-game and plinking round. It does have one drawback however. The over-all cartridge length ordinarily limits it to medium-frame revolvers such as the Colt SAA, the K-frame S&W or the .357 Ruger Blackhawks. Well enough but a smaller package would be nice.

An obvious candidate at first blush is the Ruger Single-Six. Unfortunately, the .32-20 is far too long to fit the receiver and existing cylinders without some modifications. The cylinder window in these little guns is simply too short to accommodate an adequate cylinder. Fortunately, there is enough material in the receiver to open up the window at the front for a proper cylinder. The .32-20 is also just a bit too large to work in the standard 6-shot part so the window must also be opened up to accommodate a 5-shot cylinder of larger diameter. A lot of work but the results are worth it for a real .32-20 nut.

The little gun shown here started life as a stainless steel .32 Magnum Vaquero and has been extensively modified to handle the .32-20. The oversize 5-shot cylinder is line-bored to the receiver. The barrel is fabricated from a piece of stainless Douglas .308 caliber stock and features an integral front sights base to which is fitted a drift-adjustable dovetail sight blade in the white-line ramp style for improved visibility. The top-strap is machined for a BCA J-frame square-notch/white-outline rear sight, giving the gun a first-class set of sights. The Bisley-style hammer with checkered spur makes for faster handling. The lanyard ring lets you apply a lanyard so you can hang onto it. Tuning, sighting and a set of Roy Fishpaw dall sheep horn grips round out the list of modifications.

Stoked with high-performance ammo, this gun will shoot gas-checked cast bullets at 1400 fps into quarter-size groups are 25 yards. Hard to imagine a better trail/companion gun. Regrettably, it took considerably more time to build this gun than a .500 Linebaugh Bisley so it is unlikely that this conversion will make it into the regular catalog.

 

Fancy Colt SAA Light-Weight
with Keith No. 5 base pin and lock
September 2006

This Colt Light-weight style gun in .45 Colt is a bit out of the ordinary for several reasons. The metalwork is hand-polished and lightly detailed. Most importantly, we've fabricated and fitted a Keith No. 5 style baes pin and lever lock. Roy Fishpaw did the one-piece french walnut grips and Dan Love did the engraving. Turnbull Restoration colored the receiver, gate and hammer, carbona blued the major parts and nitre blued the base pin, trigger and screws. A lovely classic custom.

.

The Real Super Redhawk
April 2006
 

The Ruger Super Redhawk is neither the handiest nor most graceful revolver around due to the enormous receiver distinguished by the extension around the barrel and the integral scope cuts on the top strap. The Super does, however, have a couple of very real advantages over the standard Redhawk. The Super action is improved with a two-spring lock work arrangement which gives better ignition and ease of tuning. Better double-action hammer and trigger geometry gives a more even double-action cycle. Lastly, the Super receiver has a spike-style grip frame which is available factory-fitted with a couple of different rubber grips which many shooters find more bearable under heavy recoil. With no straps, a custom grip maker can make grips with improved reach, different angle relative to the bore and a host of other subtle adjustments not possible on the standard Redhawk conventional grip frame.

Efforts to produce a more conventional-looking revolver from a Super receiver have generally been stymied in the past by the unsightly integral scope-base cut in the topstrap which ordinarily would require welding to fill which adds a good deal to the time and expense of the project. This is all changed with the advent of the new Super Redhawk 'Alaskan' model with it plain topstrap. We have devised the tooling and procedures to remove the original barrel and shorten/recontour the receiver snout to accommodate standard Redhawk barrels which results in a giant GP-100. Now, we have a receiver suited to virtually any modification available for the standard Redhawk. We can build in calibers from .44 Magnum to .500 Redhawk in barrels from 4 to 7 1/2 inches (5 1/2 in. length maximum in .475 and .50 cals.). The only fly in the ointment is the barrel situation. Standard Redhawk barrels are unavailable from the factory so we have to depend on an uncertain supply of take-off and scrounged parts. Accordingly, interested parties need to be on the look-out for barrels. We are also interested in purchasing extra barrels you might find and would appreciate hearing about these.

There are many possible 'GP-44' variations so prices will necessarily have to be quoted for each job. As a general rule, the most basic conversion, utilizing the existing cylinder but less barrel price, will cost $750.00 and include these modifications:

• All receiver modifications

• Barrel installation (barrels will be priced based on availability and value)

• Trigger/action tune

• Extra-length firing pin conversion

• Rough Country rear sight; appropriate front sight blade in either white-line ramp blade or Express Sight Systems tritium dot
  (where applicable) blade.

Providing a barrel will complete the necessary modifications and will generally cost around $100 or thereabout. The usual sight regulation per cat. no. R250 will be added. Options will include shortened barrels, 5-shot conversions, lanyard rings, cylinder chamfers and similar features and need be quoted on an individual basis. Feel free to get in touch with any questions.

Click on Images for larger view