I recently completed a bit of work on my 45 Bisley I thought I would share. I started with a used stainless Acusport Bisley's that already had been properly throated and tightened up the cylinder side play to absolute minimum by shimming the trigger using a range rod (seen in gold in the background) to assure proper cylinder to bore alignment. The factory base pin was drilled and tapped with the barrel receiving a hole to receive the locking screw. I installed Hamilton Bowen's fine rear sight and Dave Clements front sight blade, cleaned up the action and worked the hammer to .018" notch engagement resulting in a safe crisp 3# pull with an overtravel stop. For cosmetics, I swapped the grips for black laminates to which I added the black "Old Model" medallians to contrast with the SS finish and I removed the legal jargon from the barrel and the Bisley roll mark from the cylider finishing it all off with a Scotch-Brite pad to end up with this:





Perhaps a poor-mans Freedom Arms?? A fun basement project anyway that I am quite pleased with. Now to the range.

Nice job Boxhead!

Mark

Very nice but you said you shimmed the trigger! Didn't you mean the cylinder lock?

I shimmed the pin that retains them both.

NICE........

Good Job, very nice.
Excellent choice on the grips.

How did you remove the roll marking fromthe cylinder?

Clean, tough, elegant. I'm speechless.

Regarding the cylinder. I put a 1/4" bolt through it with brass washers on each end and a nut to hold the cylinder tight to the bolt. I then chucked the extended end of the bolt into my drill and cranked 'er up and began working the rollmark off with a file. It is TOUGH material and took some time and plenty of cleanings of the files. Eventually went to emory cloth of varying grits and then the final with the pad.

I need 6 stitches to repair my dropped jaw!!

I currently have two teens and two toddlers, so time is a luxury I don't currently have. It's hard enough to get my son and I out shooting and hunting. I did find time, and somehow the cash, to buy a Bowen Classic Arms accusport. The gun looks almost identical, except it has the writing, and marked cylinder, as well as a lanyard loop on the frame. I just decided that the joy of a few quality pieces outweighs many factory pieces.

I like the look of your clean barrel and cylinder. We're moving to a bigger house mext month and I hope to set up a nicer shop where I can tinker. Don't know I have the guts to grind my factory cylinder though. Maybe I can scare up a second cylinder for tinkering.

I've seen grey laminate grips for this gun, but I do like your black grips. Nothing "poor" about your gun, it's a beaut!!

How did you get the warning text off the barrel?

Very nice job, enjoy!!

I assume you bought the Bowen gun just listed on his site? Good choice for sure. I removed the barrel "legalese" with a file and emory cloth, same as the cylinder. You can not tell that it has been removed by the shape of the barrel. The grips are from Lett's on clearance. I bought them some time ago but I see they still have them listed for $27.

http://www.lettgrips.com/cgi-bin/miva?Merchant2/merchan...tegory_Code=SPECIALS

And I agree, everyone should have a few high quality or special pieces. I have three sons and they each have at least one special gun besides the rest that will become theirs. Here's my one and only Bowen gun, a 44 Special.

Boxhead, yes I did. I stumbled on to it and couldn't resist. It's my first custom gun. I've always like the feel and handling of Rugers. I like idea of heirlooms, and found another used Bisley Acusport convertible 45 LC/ 45 ACP. What do you think is good price for that? I know I'd end up cutomizing it at some point.

I asked Bowen about removing the rollmarks, and his concern was the bolt notchs might then be too shallow for reliable function.

Nice gun. I like the front sight and have the same on my 475 Linebaugh. Easy push of the blade and it is removed. S&W blades fit as well as others that Jack Weigand sell. I did not remove any material along the bolt notch circumference so the notches remain unchanged. I only removed the rollmark and blended it with the rest. You can not tell at all.

Thanks. Somday I'll have more time to do some of the work myself. Maybe I'll make the blue model, for the most part.

That's what I figured on the cylinder. It looks great.

All nice looking guns. But we all know that these Rugers are shooters also. I picked up a Bisley Accusport and would love to send it off to one of the great ones to have some work done. For now I only had new grips work for it:



In time and when I get my hands on some extra cash, I will send her off.

This is my woods gun in .45 Colt and yes, she is a shooter!!!

That is a sweet looking Bisley. I almost grabbed another stainless Acusport, but I'm thinking I want to try having one "made" from a blue Bisley.

I know what you mean about the price of a Bowen, or other smithed gun. I was selling of some "toys" to get ready for selling our house and I stumbled on to that Bowen Bisley. Something clicked and bang! I had my first 45 Colt. To be a field gun, just as yours. I have several different guns from Ruger, and Bowen is an excellent name as well. Seemed I couldn't go wrong.

I'm at the point where I would rather have a few really nice unique guns to shoot, as opposed too many average guns that I'll never be able to shoot up!! Who knows, maybe that will change as well. Isn't that the fun of shooting!!