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GUN NOTES |
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LBT Bullet Molds
Available Again L-frame and Octagonal barrels added to the catalog Good News from the Barrel Re-boring Front New Models from Ruger Breaking Developments for Smith & Wesson Revolvers Lanyards and Lanyard Rings Colt Bulletin S&W DX-type Front Sights Old Model Ruger Revolver Source The Kenai and the Kodiak Serial Number Placement on 5-shot Single-Actions Power Custom 2-piece Grip Frames Firing Pins and Reliable Ignition Rough Country Adjustable Rear Sights Keith No. 5 Reproductions The new .480 Ruger |
October 2006 September 2006 August 2005 December 2004 November 2004 September 2004 January 2004 September 2003 September 2003 August 2003 May 2003 January 2003 --unknown-- August 2003 June 2002 March 2001 |
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October 2006
Veral Smith of LBT Molds is
again producing his wonderful molds in his proprietary LBT patterns.
We've usd these molds and their bullets for years and have found both
molds and bullets to be stellar performers.
September 2006 Thanks to some late-breaking developments from a couple of our vendors, we can now offer a couple of more sophisticated barrels in our regular catalog, retrieving them from 'special order' status. Deliveries will still be somewhat extended, especially for the L-frame barrels, due to the fact that the specialized barrel stock required is not always at hand nor is our EDM shop always able to deliver in a timely manner. Never-the-less, these barrel represent wonderful additions to our regular services line-up and reflect another recent innovation in the form of the DX-type front sight system we have adopted. Feel free to get in touch with any questions.
No. RD08 5-shot L-frame
Caliber Conversion For the standard Redhawk, this conversion
features a custom L-frame style abrrel with a groove rib with an
integral front-sight base which is machined to accomodate DX-style,
hand-detachable sight blades. Included is a Bowen Classic Arms
Rough Country rear sight with a white-outline/square-notch
blade. Available in most calibers. Optional muzzle brake (cat. no.
RD08MB) is a chambered style with a restrictor plate, all machined
integral to the barrel. Unobtrusive and effective, the brake is
especially recommended for the .475 and .500 Linebaugh chamberings.
No. B325 (*) Octagonal Barrel Classic barrel style is suited
to most Ruger single-action revolvers. Made for premium-quality
barrel stock in both blue and stainless in 5 1/2 and 7 1/2 inch
lengths Please specify) and is available in .44, .45, .475 and .500
(Linebaugh) calibers. Other calibers may be available by special
order. Features include an external, integral recoil lug (suited
only to steel ejector housings) and an integral front sight base
which accommodates S&W DX hand-detachable front sight blades with a
serrate ramp as standard. A wide variety of blades are available as
options; inquire. Installation also requires cat. no. B250.
August 2005
The new owner's of Cliff LaBounty's reboring equipment have got it up and
running and are producing first-rate rebores. Accordingly, we're pleased to entertain your revolver reboring
projects once again. Jim Dubell, owner of the Delta Gun Shop in
Colville, WA, is a fellow member of the American Custom Gunmakers Guild
and trained on the reboring equipment under Cliff LaBounty. For those of
you interested in reboring projects of your own, Jim can be reached at
(509) 684-5855 or jim@deltagunshop.com . Their website address is
www.deltagunshop.com .
Feel free to get in touch with any questions about your rebore projects.
November 2004
As most of you know by now, Sturm, Ruger and Company has announced several
new models, including a couple of revolvers quite important to serious
revolver aficionados and Bowen Classic Arms Corporation.
Once we have examples of the new guns in hand, we'll be experimenting with
5-shot caliber conversions with a view to producing medium-frame guns to
handle Garrett-type .44 Mag. ammo and +P+ 300 gr. .45 Colt loadings
suited to std. 6-shot Rugers full-size Blackhawks. Preliminary
measurements point to the possibility of a low-pressure .50 caliber,
perhaps the new M1911-based .50 GI or a Special-length version of the
.50 AE. All told, these new single-action offer exciting possibilities
and are long overdue from Ruger.
November 2004
In response to the growing demand at Bowen Classic Arms Corp. for Smith &
Wesson revolver services, we're undertaking the development of a couple
important new parts which will enable us to offer complete, integrated
packages of modifications much like we have for Ruger revolvers over the
years.
September 2004
Bowen Classic Arms, pioneers in 19th Century technology, is pleased to
announce that we now have proper lanyards available for use with lanyard
ring installations. Gun retention is critical at all times but is
especially important around water, horses or if you are just plain like
being prepared and roped to your gun. Our lanyards are British military
style with a short loop for installation and a slider above that to
adjust fit of the lanyard over your shoulder and under your arm. They
are of excellent quality woven cord material in a dark khaki color and
are plenty long enough even when your gun is extended at arm's length.
January 2004
Traditional sources for Colt
single-action revolver parts and hammer/trigger rebuilding vendors are
increasingly unreliable and unable to provide us with timely, dependable
service. In turn, we can no longer offer predictable delivery and the
quality we require in our own work. Accordingly, we can no longer
undertake repairs and restoration projects on Colt revolvers, particularly
vintage guns. Further, getting parts, especially hammers and triggers, for
late-model guns is increasingly difficult, if not impossible. In the short
term, we will continue to offer our basic tuning package but only for
UNALTERED 2nd and 3rd generation guns. Where guns arrived with
modified or damaged parts, we will advise their owners of the problem and
request that the owner procure new replacement parts. If that is not
possible or satisfactory, the gun will be returned at the owner's expense.
We are also dropping from our upcoming catalog the Flat-Top Target
conversions and will not offer these even on a special-order basis because
too many of the specimens submitted have proven to be so poorly fitted and
finished that we cannot offer our best workmanship.
September 2003
At one time or another, every serious revolver shooter has wished for a
different front sight blade. Be nice to exchange a ramp sight for a
glare-resistant partridge blade when testing ammo at the range. What could
be handier that being able to drop in a taller blade for proper sight
regulation with heavy-bullet hunting loads after a training session with
lighter, practice loads. Want to try some big-dot express night sights? No
problem.
The new S&W DX-type front sights from Weigand Combat are available for both single and double-action revolvers Bowen Classic Arms will offer both blades and bodies through our parts department. While our new catalog is not yet available, we expect to upgrade all Redhawk packages to include these new sights. Several single-action models will also wear these great new parts. Sight bases are $34.95 while blades range in price from about $20 to $60 for the tritium dot pattern blades. Feel free to get in touch with any questions. If you contemplate ordering a custom gun in the near future, be sure to discuss these late-breaking sight options. Deployed with our new Rough Country rear sights, the Weigand parts complete the set-up, giving us total flexibility of height, shape and style both front and rear. Hot dog!!!
September 2003
Old Model Ruger single-action revolvers were once plentiful as houseflies.
But now, 25 years out of production and sought more and more by
collectors, these guns are increasingly hard to come by. Which is not good
news if you are seeking a suitable .357 Magnum for a .44 Special or .32-20
caliber conversion. Help is on the way.
August 2003
Over the course of the last few years, demand for powerful, compact
revolvers has increased dramatically. Customer feedback, recent technical
developments and important sight innovations have paved the way for a
couple new models devised specifically for the serious outdoorsman. Both
packages will be listed in the next Bowen Classic Arms catalog and the
American Handgunner is tentatively scheduled to do a piece on these
guns some time on into 2004.
Bowen Classic Arms introduced the 'Alpine' model years ago and it has
proven one of the most popular custom Redhawks ever offered. In just the
last few years, demand for ultra-powerful double-action revolvers has been
on the rise, with the .500 Linebaugh one of the most popular caliber
choices.
Priced from $895 for standard stainless 6-shot Redhawks in .44 Magnum and .45 Colt; 5-shot version about $2150. Please note that these prices do not include the base gun or test-firing for sight regulation.
Light-weight single-action revolvers have long been a staple at Bowen Classic Arms. The Kenai Lt. Wt. Blackhawk is really nothing more that a beefed-up version of our more traditional guns but incorporates modification that bring it into the 21rst Century. Based on the 5 ½ inch stainless Blackhawks in both .44 Magnum and .45 Colt, will sport these features:
Standard 6-shot .44 and .45 caliber Blackhawks are priced at $995. 5-shot guns are available in .45 Colt, .480 Ruger and .50 AE, tentatively priced at about $2195. Please note that these prices do not include the base gun or test-firing for sight regulation. The Kenai and the Kodiak are perfect side arms for serious outdoorsmen and women, hunters, fishermen, birdwatchers, or outdoors professionals. We'll be pleased to accept orders for the new guns at this time and anticipate favorable delivery schedules on 6-shot guns. Feel free to get in touch with any questions.
May 2003
In the course of the last few
years, we have encountered an increasing number of Ruger New Model
receivers with poorly stamped or positioned serial numbers. The number is
located under the cylinder window on the receiver's right side towards the
muzzle end of the cylinder. This is not a defect nor would it be a matter
of any consequence were it not for 5-shot caliber conversions. The
cylinder window has to opened up slightly top and bottom to accommodate the
oversize cylinders. This machine operation may whittle on the serial
number if the number is stamped too close to the window or is stamped
crooked, leaving even one of the numerals in the line of fire. Defacing a
serial number is a no-no.
The main thing is to have enough clearance between the numerals and the window. .030 is a questionable minimum. .040--.050 is better, especially in terms of appearance. At any rate, paying some attention to this one detail will save all of us a lot of headaches and shipping costs. It is not convenience to have to hunt around for guns with good numbers but better safe than sorry. Feel free to call with any questions.
January 2003 Ron Power is now producing 2-piece, Colt-style grip frames for both Old and New Model Ruger Blackhawks. These parts open up some exciting possibilities for Ruger revolvers and simplify grip-frame conversions that have, in the past, involved a great deal of blacksmithing and the adaptation of Colt or Colt clone parts. Available in both chromoly and stainless steel, these grip frames are closely modeled on the Colt SAA parts and can probably be fitted with Colt grips. The machine work, fit and finish is typical Power Custom which is to say first rate. Ordered from the maker, price is $199.95 for moly and $249.95 for stainless. The Bowen Classic Arms catalog does not yet list the installation of these parts but will include them in the ‘Options’ section at the next catalog revision planned for later this year. In the mean time, just ask about the installation and we’ll be happy to quote a price. The cost if installation varies, depending upon the gun and application. For typical installations where only the use of conventional 2-piece grips is contemplated, figure about $450--$500 installed (to include parts, fitting, polishing and bluing of the grip parts and receivers on blue guns), provided that we can procure polished parts from Power Custom. This also includes re-machining the bottom strap to effectively lessen the screw counterbore depth so that we can attractively dome the screw head. For guns where one-piece grips are indicated, add about $175. Ron Power advises that it is possible to install one-piece grips without modification to these grip frames—it just requires that you hold your mouth just right and have three hands. However, in view of the extremely delicate nature of one-piece grips, particularly those made of ivory which have very delicate points and corners that break very easily, we prefer to make a special mainspring bracket which allows the gun to function without the backstrap installed. It is possible with this modification to install one-piece grips with much less risk of damage. The other modification that is necessary for the very best grip fit is grinding the grip frame to assure that both sides are stone cold flat and parallel. Otherwise, installing and removing closely fitted grips is a perilous exercise. Even with perfect grip-frame parts, the rather relaxed grip frame screw hole tolerances in the receivers can still put the grip frame parts out of parallel. These new parts are the best thing to happen to Ruger revolvers in quite some time. They do require a bit of additional time and attention to detail for best results but, on really nice pieces, they are worth their weight in gold. Firing Pins and Reliable IgnitionRevolvers are prone to ignition problems from time to time. In most cases, the problem has obvious sources. Poor-quality handloads, excess cylinder endfloat, excess headspace or low-pressure mainsprings or some unholy combination of the above. Fortunately, most of these maladies have a ready cure. There is at least one other syndrome that occurs that may not be so obvious at first glance or easy to fix once isolated—insufficient firing pin protrusion. No matter how smartly the firing pin strikes a primer, it has to strike it deep enough or else the primer may not light off. Revolvers with hammer-mounted firing pins do not seem so subject to this ailment as guns with frame-mounted firing pins. Ruger revolvers, both the New Model Blackhawks and the Redhawks, often suffer from insufficient firing pin protrusion, sometimes as little as .040. The industry standard is typically .050--.055. A certain amount of protrusion is lost to Ruger’s excellent transfer bar safety system and can sometimes be made up with careful fitting of the hammer. Even so, Redhawks with perfect mechanical specifications may still misfire, especially in the double-action mode where the hammer fall is slightly less. The Bowen Classic Arms solution to the problems is longer firing pins which, so far, has eliminated the difficulty. Longer firing pins will become a standard feature of all BCA 5-shot caliber conversions and, most likely, even the less involved projects. Pins will be available to the gunsmithing trade (inquire at (865) 981-8869 for details). Ruger firing pin installations bear a bit of discussion. Ruger revolver firing pins are retained in the receiver by a bushing (also called a recoil plate) which is, in turn, pressed into the frame and additionally secured by a cross pin. The single-action gun firing pins are relatively simple to remove because the bushing retaining pin is easy to find and usually easy to drive out. The outer end of the pin is flush with the receiver contours and is polished in place which makes it hard to drive out from the frame’s exterior. Luckily, the other end of the pin is easy to attack in the small hole found in the loading trough. The Redhawk is another animal altogether. BOTH ends of the bushing retaining pin are polished flush with the exterior of the receiver and are often very hard to locate and impossible to drive out because of the extreme slope of the pin heads. Extraction is not necessarily difficult but is time-consuming and something of a nuisance. About the only way to remove the pin is to fixture the receiver in a milling machine and mill a flat for a punch on the pin head, taking care not to divot the receiver. This is best done with the barrel removed. Once the pin is driven out, the bushing comes out per usual. The BCA practice for re-installation is to use a dome-headed pin rather than the blended pins so the firing pin can be easily removed if that is ever necessary. The appearance is unobtrusive, somewhat reminiscent of the barrel retaining pin on older S&W revolvers. Until our upcoming catalog goes to press, we’ll price the installations separately. Cost to do the installation on single-actions is about $45, done with one of our usual packages but will be included on 5-shot guns at no extra charge. Stainless Redhawk price will be $85. Add $75 to dip re-blue on chromoly guns. We’ll be happy to retrofit these new parts to custom guns of our making although bear in mind that any unforeseen costs—additional finishing, barrel removal (if indicated) re-shooting for regulation, freight, etc.--will have to be passed along. Removing Ruger firing pins is not without peril—occasionally, bushing are stuck and cause some real headaches. In any event, the firing pin updates will add an extra measure of reliability to Ruger revolvers, especially important to hunters and fishermen who have these guns in harm’s way.
August 2003 The Bowen Classic Arms target-style rear sights are
a vast improvement over the standard Ruger adjustable rear sight but Ruger
revolvers are stony ground for click-adjustable rear sights that are both
tough and well integrated. Target sights are by nature a bit delicate for
the rough, back country environments in which many of these guns are used.
The new Rough Country heavy-duty rear sight is a much tougher and simpler
part and will withstand rugged use far better.
Used in conjunction with the new Weigand Combat S&W DX-type front sight bases with their interchangeable front sights, the new Rough Country afford an incredible degree of flexibility and utility. Bowen Classic Arms custom revolvers that are fitted with new rear sights will feature these as standard equipment in the near future. Price is $89.95.
June 2002
Recent publication of The Custom Revolver and the July 2002 Guns
& Ammo magazine cover feature story has sparked considerable interest
in the Keith No. 5 reproduction built in the Bowen Classic Arms shop.
Confessedly, we did not anticipate building but one or two of these guns.
Neither did we have more than a vague notion of the time and energy that
the project would ultimately entail. While our capacity to engage in such
projects is limited, we would be pleased to produce others.
03-17-01 Some notes on the new .480 Ruger Ruger introduced their new .480 cartridge in the Super Redhawk as the 2001 SHOT Show. Nothing more than a shortened .475 Linebaugh, this cartridge offers performance similar to the .44 loads with 300 gr. bullets and the .50 Action Express. It is not a true magnum in terms of performance but should satisfy the need for a cartridge for hunting deer and boar that has less recoil and muzzle blast than the ultra high-performance cartridges. Loaded with hard-cast bullets which afford a bit more penetration, it should suit in a clutch for bigger critters though it is not the ideal choice. Bowen Classic Arms will chamber the .480 in both the New Model single-actions -- the Blackhawks, Bisleys and various Vaqueros -- and the standard Redhawks. All will be 5-shot guns. We will not, under any circumstances, rechamber the new 6-shot .480 Super Redhawk cylinders for the .475 Linebaugh. This is an exceedingly dangerous idea in our view. Which brings us to a few general observations about the new .480 and .454 Super Redhawks. There are two considerations to bear in mind when contemplating custom work on these guns. In our experience so far, it is nearly impossible to remove the barrels from these guns (at least the .454's). There is considerable evidence of thread galling/welding/melting which could just as easily occur in the receiver as the barrel. So, we are very reluctant at this writing to shorten barrels because they cannot be remove without the potential for receiver/barrel/finish damage. This means that we cannot recylinder the new .480 Super with a 5-shot part to accommodate both the .480 and the Linebaugh cartridge. All of our current .454 and .475 Super Redhawks are built on the .44 Super which has proven a dependable and trouble-free candidate for such work. The other difficulty in working with the new-style Supers is the finish. We do not know quite what it is or how to match it which has considerably dampened our enthusiasm for working on the guns. About the only way to refinish them in the trenches is to bead blast off the battleship gray paint and apply a frosted matte finish. We will probably consider performing our basic 'Standard Issue' pkg. on these guns but only with the understanding that we cannot be responsible for the finish. While damage is extremely unlikely, it would entail a trip to the factory to repair. In any case, we expect to decide on this shortly. Feel free to contact us with any questions.
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