S&W conversion

[commandpostman69]

Hello all, first time posting. I have an old S&W Model 28-2 Highway Patrolman that a previous owner “modified” into a hunting revolver. Since it’s already been modified from it’s original intent I am going to make a hunting revolver.

I am a huge .41 magnum fan & I used to shoot a Ruger Blackhawk in it during my younger days. I use a 6” TRP in 10mm for hunting now.

I have found a Model 57 8-3/8” barrel & a matching cylinder. My plan is to replace the original barrel/cylinder w/ a NOS in .41 mag. I know the parts will swap out but I also know cylinder gap/timing pawl may have to be adjusted.

Thoughts?

 

[Obturation]

I'll admit that I like the idea of building the revolver you want, I'm just kind of skeptical as to the ease of just swapping components on a gun like that and what you'll have when you're done.
Interested though, keep us updated .

Oh yeah, welcome to the highroad.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Great first post, good luck!

 

[wcwhitey]

I was going to say the same thing. I am not sure what’s involved in a total caliber swap. I also don’t know what the cost would be and if it would not just be much easier to find what you wanted. Nice revolver and great first post.

 

[Pat Riot]

Welcome!
It sounds like a great project. I am sorry I can’t help much with your project.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

Welcome!

If you want to redo that revolver to make it what you want it to be then proceed.
However, I think you would be able to buy a 41m revolver for less, maybe much less, than the parts and work will cost you.

I think I would sell the one you have to fund a different gun.

 

[horsemen61]

Sounds fun best of luck

 

[Reinz]

Welcome to the forum cpm69.

Good luck with your project.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Just looking for a M41 on Gunbroker, and a bunch of .41 Mags showed up.
Lots of things can go sideways in your conversion; timing being one, and some doubts about the cylinder window/barrel set...and I simply don't know if there is a difference in frame strength between the .41 and the .357.
Swap around for what you want, and have redress if it doesn't work.
Moon

 

[WestKentucky]

I have a VERY similar plan for a model 10 except it’s going to eventually end up with a 32 long cylinder and barrel. I may just go all out and do a ppc type barrel on it when I do the work. My biggest drawback is finding a cylinder to use. I hear that some folks have used 22 cylinders for this but I haven’t found one yet.

 

[commandpostman69]

I’ve got less than $300 invested so far. I can get the barrel for $150 & I’ve seen cylinder assemblies for under $200.

I have worked on my own firearms since I was a kid. I have collected them just as long. I build my own AR’s & save old basket cases like that Model 28-2.

I rebuilt an old model Taurus M-66 (S&W Model 27) revolver not that long ago. It took me damn near 2 years off & on but I fixed that SOB!

The standard N-frame is used in all models/calibers. This covers the .357 & .41 & .44 magnums along with .45 Colt/ACP models. Even Dirty Harrys Model 29 .44 magnum uses the same frame.

 

[Riomouse911]

As long as the frame opening for the larger bore barrel threads and the window opening for the cylinder length is the same as for the .357 version your “initial parts swap” wouldn’t be tough.

It’s the small details that add to the complexity and the cost; like ensuring the barrel is set with the sight at 12 o’clock with the shoulder properly torqued and seated against the frame, setting barrel/cylinder gap with a non original barrel, cylinder timing, pawl and cylinder stop fit to the new cylinder, matching the finish of major parts from three different guns into one, etc.

Just about anything is possible. Is it worth the time, cost and hassle compared to buying a new production or a used .41 Mag Model 57 is the question.

If you do decide to go ahead, keep us updated on your efforts and progress in the gunsmithing section.

Stay safe.

 

[earlthegoat2]

My main concern with this conversion would be the barrel threads. If they are too short to bring the BC gap into spec then a barrel setback would be required. Compound this clocking the sight correctly and some careful work is in order.

 

[earplug]

Your pinned barrel is a easier project to take off then the newer crush fit models. If your new barrel won't work, you can easily replace the old barrel.
I'm betting you will have minimum fitting needed. Perhaps setting back the .41 barrel and a new pin grove.

 

[commandpostman69]

As long as the frame opening for the larger bore barrel threads and the window opening for the cylinder length is the same as for the .357 version your “initial parts swap” wouldn’t be tough.

It’s the small details that add to the complexity and the cost; like ensuring the barrel is set with the sight at 12 o’clock with the shoulder properly torqued and seated against the frame, setting barrel/cylinder gap with a non original barrel, cylinder timing, pawl and cylinder stop fit to the new cylinder, matching the finish of major parts from three different guns into one, etc.

Just about anything is possible. Is it worth the time, cost and hassle compared to buying a new production or a used .41 Mag Model 57 is the question.

If you do decide to go ahead, keep us updated on your efforts and progress in the gunsmithing section.

Stay safe.

I appreciate the advice. Between my buddy & a mutual gunsmith acquaintance I feel pretty confident it’s doable.

Finnish wise what are your thoughts on a ceracoat type finish which runs about $150 locally. I believe S&W Performance Center will do a reblue for under $300. NP3 is an excellent coating as well.

 

[Riomouse911]

If I was going to go through all the work to convert the gun, personally I would go with a hard brushed chrome or chrome Np3 finish to top it off. I did a SIG P-226 slide in the brushed chrome style Np3 finish in 1993 and it lasted for years in a duty holster. Rain, cold, heat, sweat; only a hint of a shiny spot showed where the felt dot over the inside of the snap rubbed it every time I took a step.

Stay safe.

 

[StrawHat]

Don’t listen to the naysayers. Here is a Model 28-2 that I modified in the 80’s. It started as a square butt 357 Magnum and ending as a round butted 45 ACP revolver.

I removed the barrel and shipped it to Dick Nickel to be bored and rifled for the 45.

While the barrel was gone, I fitted a Model 25-2 cylinder. I rounded the grip frame by attaching a pair of K frame round stocks, scribing around the stock and than removing the excess with various files. When the barrel came back, I screwed it in place but the b/c gap was too large, so the barrel was set back one thread to correct that. Now the b/c was to tight so material was removed from the threaded end to give me .006” gap. I also removed and replaced the frame lug so the cylinder was not moving to the rear to much. All the work was done with simple hand tools, files, and such.


Enjoy your project! Make it yours.

Kevin

 

[sparkyv]

Wow, this sounds like a SWEET conversion project. I'm a huge N-frame fan, so I'm looking forward to your progress, commandpostman69.

 

[DR505]

Welcome to The High Road. Like Kevin said this project is doable and looks to be a lot of fun. Model 28's for many years were the base guns for various conversion projects. Keep us posted on the progress.

 

[tallpaul]

I’ve got less than $300 invested so far. I can get the barrel for $150 & I’ve seen cylinder assemblies for under $200.

I have worked on my own firearms since I was a kid. I have collected them just as long. I build my own AR’s & save old basket cases like that Model 28-2.

I rebuilt an old model Taurus M-66 (S&W Model 27) revolver not that long ago. It took me damn near 2 years off & on but I fixed that SOB!

The standard N-frame is used in all models/calibers. This covers the .357 & .41 & .44 magnums along with .45 Colt/ACP models. Even Dirty Harrys Model 29 .44 magnum uses the same frame.

the taurus 66 is more of a k frame... the model 27 is N frame as is the model 28

 

[halfmoonclip]

Strawhat, how did you take off exactly one turn of the barrel thread? Wow! Nice job, and fully understand the affection for .45 ACP revolvers.
Moon

 

[commandpostman69]

Don’t listen to the naysayers. Here is a Model 28-2 that I modified in the 80’s. It started as a square butt 357 Magnum and ending as a round butted 45 ACP revolver.

I removed the barrel and shipped it to Dick Nickel to be bored and rifled for the 45.

While the barrel was gone, I fitted a Model 25-2 cylinder. I rounded the grip frame by attaching a pair of K frame round stocks, scribing around the stock and than removing the excess with various files. When the barrel came back, I screwed it in place but the b/c gap was too large, so the barrel was set back one thread to correct that. Now the b/c was to tight so material was removed from the threaded end to give me .006” gap. I also removed and replaced the frame lug so the cylinder was not moving to the rear to much. All the work was done with simple hand tools, files, and such.

View attachment 1064998 View attachment 1064999
Enjoy your project! Make it yours.

Kevin

Beautiful revolver! This gunsmith still in business?

 

[StrawHat]

Beautiful revolver! This gunsmith still in business?

Thank you.

Is this gunsmith still in business? Yes and no. Yes, I still work on my own firearms. No, I do not work on firearms I do not own. I have little enough time to do my own projects. Not sure I would enjoy working on other’s firearms.

Kevin

 

[StrawHat]

Strawhat, how did you take off exactly one turn of the barrel thread? Wow! Nice job, and fully understand the affection for .45 ACP revolvers.
Moon

Moon,

There are two ways to set the barrel back one thread. Remove that amount of metal from the shoulder of the barrel where it abuts the frame. Usually done with a lathe to ensure a square cut. Or, remove that amount of metal from the frame of the revolver where the barrel shoulder abuts the frame. I do not have a lathe so I attempted to use a file to remove the metal from the shoulder of the barrel. Very patiently taking one swipe at a time all around the barrel. Checking for square with each completed pass. Once each pass was complete and square I would color the bright metal with Dykem or magic marker and go around again. Was it tedious? Yes, but it was the way it needed to be done.

When you do this make sure you use a safe edged file, preferably undercut, so you do not damage the threads of the barrel. I made my file safe by grinding the edges. I probably took two or three hours on just the barrel shoulder, filing, fitting, filling, etc..

Kevin

 

[WC145]

I agree with Kevin, go for it and make the gun what you want it to be. There's a bazillion 28's out there and they've been used for large bore conversions for decades, besides, that one's worn and pitted enough and already been messed with to the point that its only real value may be as a base gun for a rebuild project. The parts for your idea are easy enough to find and pretty reasonably priced if you hunt around on ebay and gunbroker, also try Numrich's.

I have two converted 28-2s, a .41mag that I had Mark Hartshorne put together for me and a .45ACP built by Marc Krebs back in the '80s. The .41mag started out as gun similar to yours in that it was rough and had already been worked on by a bubbasmith. I bought it off a forum late one night when it looked like a much nicer gun than it turned out to be. It couldn't even be fired because the cylinder bound against the barrel so bad, I tossed it in a workbench drawer and chalked it up to experience. One day some time later I was looking for titanium J frame cylinders on Numrich's and they had new titanium 357PD .41mag cyls for $90 so I ordered one. (And I just checked and they still have them, though the price is up to $104 - Cylinder Assembly, .41 Mag, Fluted, 6 Shot, Titanium, Factory Original | (gunpartscorp.com) ) I found a really nice 4" Model 58 barrel on ebay for about the same price and got that. Then called Mark, told him that I wanted 3" .41mag for farm and field carry and sent him the gun, cylinder, and barrel. He cut and recrowned the barrel, machined off the rollmarks, made a front sight for it, fitted it and the cylinder, cleaned the frame up some, and did the frame and barrel in matte blue. The gun turned out great, exactly what I wanted. It's a blast to shoot, balances nice and carries well with the lighter titanium cylinder, and it's not so nice that I worry about wearing it when I'm working on our farm or out in the woods.


This is what it looked like when I got it. It was much worse in the flesh.




The .45ACP 28-2 is called the CROWBAR and was built in the late '80s using a Model 25 barrel and cylinder. It a very cool and fun gun with lots of interesting detail work, it always makes me think of what a gunfighter's revolver might be if autos had never taken over the world. Marc Krebs is best known for his work on 1911s, race guns, and AKs, this is the only "full custom" revolver build he's done. It's a lot of fun to shoot.