M25-5 44 magnum conversion HELP

[IBEWBULL]

Hope you can assist.

question:
1. Who would you recommend to do the work

2. How long will it take to do

3. Would I be better off restoring it to 45 Colt and selling the 44 parts off ?
Or just sell it.
I was hoping it would be a simple solution to check alignment and set cylinder gap. Now I wonder if I goofed. Trading my
L.N.I.B. GP100 4 inch SS



Hope you can assist.

I picked up a 25-5 with a 44 cylinder and barrel.
Lock up and timing look good.
The issue is the cylinder barrel gap is canted.
The bottom is tight and rubbing.

I don't know anyone I trust to do the job here in Wisconsin.
I am sure cylinder slide shop could do it eventually.
I just finished chemo and don't want a 2 year wait since. Well since limited by healttime may be health issues. Who knows?

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Any help or direction would be appreciated.
Thank you in advance,
Steve AKA Bull in Wisconsin

 

[BBBBill]

If you've got the barrel properly indexed (front sight vertical) and snugged up to the proper torque, the rubbing problem would be corrected by using a barrel facing cutter and forcing cone cutter (turned by a handle attached to a through bore shaft). Brownells sells them and it's possible that one of the reamer rental shops might have them to rent.
Now to the cylinder. Did you just stick it on the same yoke that the 45 cylinder was on or use a yoke that came with the new cylinder? Do you have access to a yoke alignment tool? Have you checked for proper carry up and throw by? Does the stop enter the notch to lock the cylinder? Do you have access to a barrel/cylinder alignment rod for that caliber?

 

[IBEWBULL]

The gun is as I received it.
Lock up and timing seem good as well as setting of the barrel yoke and cylinder.
The cylinder is of the old recessed ones. The barrel is not pinned.
I have no access to tools yet or a local smith.
It has never been fired since whoever did the work.
One person suggested facing off the gap with a file.
I do want it done correctly.
So am in no rush.

 

[BBBBill]

PDF of the instructions.

http://www.brownells.com/userdocs/learn/Inst-152.pdf

The top right picture on page 2 shows the barrel facing cutter in use.


4-D has them for rent. http://4-dproducts.com/
Here's their video of the kit being used to face the barrel for setting the barrel cylinder to gap.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDEuNohwEns

Here's a video of the kit being used to cut a forcing cone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtIBv6VIQGE

 

[Nathan Detroit]

The first question that comes to mind is if the 25-5 frame has been subjected to the same heat treatment as the .44 Mag frames. If not, shooting the .44 Mag ammo may pound things out of alignment. It may not hold up to repeated shooting of full power ammo as well as a dedicated .44 Mag.

You might be better off restoring it to .45 Colt and selling the .44 Mag parts off. You can still get a lot of performance out of the .45 Colt and it will be more fun to shoot in the long haul.

 

[IBEWBULL]

I do not think the heat treatment is tlhe same.

44 specials and 1000 FPS mag would be used.
I Have 6 inch 29s for hotter loads.
I will be taking it to a smith this week to look at.
In the 70s a lot of N frames were made into 44s.
This is more recent.

 

[BBBBill]

I don't know where we got off track in the last 20 years or more with this idea that the revolvers are heat treated any differently for different calibers. Perhaps in the early days of the 357 there was a difference, but I seriously doubt that S&W differentiates between calibers at the heat treat stage. It would add production costs by inserting another step.

 

[Boxhead]

I would give Jim Stroh a call and discuss the matter with him. I would try and keep it a 44 and this point and Jim will steer you right and correct whatever is wrong. He is a straight shooter.

 

[IBEWBULL]

M25-5 44 magnum gone

Someone else wanted the 44 and it is now his.

Thank you for all the input and help.