After seeing all of the custom rifle topics I thought I would throw in a custom revolver thread. Here's my new little toy that has just been completed. Started life as an 1958 vintage Ruger Single Six 22.

Why would someone do that to a vintage 3 screw of that era?

Sorry Boxhead, but based soley on the photos, who ever did the fit and finish work on this revolver, didn't do you any favors. What truly sets the custom jobs apart from the rest is the attention to the little details like maintaining sharp, clean, square edges where the major pieces of the revolver come together, as in the trigger guard and grip frame joints. Is that a steel grip frame, or, aluminum?

41 special? Pretty cool. Since it wasn't done in that caliber, that's a pretty neat job.

Who did the work? Looks like it will be a smooth carry... You resue a pretty worn 53 gun and make a nice piece from it?

you fit a blackhawk trigger frame to a single siz?

custom rear sight and a vaquerro hammer?

jeffe

Well Malm, I chose to keep the original aluminum XR-3 grip frame so it fits as well as Ruger allowed. I wanted a lightweight thumper and got it. I could have had a steel Ruger XR-3 Red grip frame fitted as I did on this 44 Special



which was done by the same 'smith (fit pretty well?) but chose not too as I wanted the lighter weight. The fit and finish is only as good as the parts involved and I chose the parts. Guns are toys for me, I am not a collector so every Old Model Ruger I own (which is many) including Flat Top's, SBH's and the rest I tweak so I can help those collectors out there. By the way, do you build custom Ruger's?

Jeffe, here's what it looked like before the conversion, a decent Old Model 22 rimfire,



Here's the start of conversion to centerfire,



The new cylinder roughed out and heat treated,



Cleaning up some pitting,



Converting to centerfire,



Stripped grip frame and grip material,



And ready to regulate,



All done by a fine gent in Houston.

quote:

Originally posted by Boxhead:
Well Malm, I chose to keep the original aluminum XR-3 grip frame so it fits as well as Ruger allowed. I wanted a lightweight thumper and got it. I could have had a steel Ruger XR-3 Red grip frame fitted as I did on this 44 Special



which was done by the same 'smith (fit pretty well?) but chose not too as I wanted the lighter weight. The fit and finish is only as good as the parts involved and I chose the parts. Guns are toys for me, I am not a collector so every Old Model Ruger I own (which is many) including Flat Top's, SBH's and the rest I tweak so I can help those collectors out there. By the way, do you build custom Ruger's?

You should always lead with your best photo! That is one good looking Rugler!

Yes I have been known to build a few custom Rugers. Well, back when I had the time. Now much of my time is involved in keeping them running, and building rifles.

Who did the color case? There used to be a fellow in Cody Wyoming who use to do color case stuff for me. I believe he sold his color case process to Browning Arms. He did incredible work but seems to have vanished.

Good job!

hubba hubba Very nice!

Did your smith turn your single six into a single five????
looks like a slick little thumper.
gunmaker

Way cool!

Great looking gun. I believe I know who did the work. I have a 44 special conversion by him with a 6" barrel. I'll try to post a pic later this week. He's a top notch gunsmith.

I've seen his 38 special conversions from the .22's but didn't know about the 41 special!! Now that's a nice carry gun!! Congrats on a fine gun.

"I chose to keep the original aluminum XR-3 grip frame"
That's what I want if I ever build another one..
Have you run any loads through it? How does it shoot?

My 41 Special (yes 5 shot) was Alan Harton's first. I have fiddled with his 38 Special and 32 Magnum conversions on the same platform as well. The regulated load uses shortened (to 44 Special length) 41 Magnum brass and 6 grs of Unique under a 215 gr cast SWC for 900 fps. Near 45 ACP thump in a very light weight package. It was set up to lock up tight then the cylinder line bored through the "receiver ring". As such, one hole groups at 25 yards have proven the norm.

I have a few pieces that Alan has done for me with the 44 Special shown above being the first. A creation we sketched out together. This coversion started as an adjustable sighted Old Model 357 with a lot of welding and machining done on the top strap to give it the style of the Old Model Single Sixes (like the 41). The case color was done by Doug Turnbull.

Here's a relatively simple 45 Colt conversion on an Old Model 357. All fun stuff and great shooters to boot.