Author Topic: A pair of .38 S&W conversions  (Read 3595 times)

Offline Tinker Pearce

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A pair of .38 S&W conversions
« on: May 24, 2018, 01:24:33 AM »
The other  year I made a .38 S&W conversion cylinder. This year I mounted it in an 1860 Army, then remounted it in an 1851/.44 brass-frame, then I remounted it in the Army frame and put a bird's head grip on it. This left me with a brass frame 1851/.44. As it happened I had recently gotten more .38 barrel liner so it just seemed natural to make another conversion on the brass-frame gun. I finished it up tonight- except for the front sight. Still need to mount that...


The loading-lever is purely cosmetic; I just liked the look.  I'd actually wanted to make a 5-1/2" barrel but I wound up a couple inches short on liner so 3-1/2" was the best that I could do.

Offline Baltimore Ed

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Re: A pair of .38 S&W conversions
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2018, 06:01:47 AM »
Pretty sharp!
"Give'em hell, Pike"
 There is no horse so dead that you cannot continue to beat it.

Offline Johnson Barr

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Re: A pair of .38 S&W conversions
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2018, 06:24:44 AM »
Where  did you find the .363" I.D. rifled liner material?
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Re: A pair of .38 S&W conversions
« Reply #3 on: Today at 10:20:46 AM »

Offline Tinker Pearce

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Re: A pair of .38 S&W conversions
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2018, 09:01:45 AM »
Where  did you find the .363" I.D. rifled liner material?

I didn't. This is sold as '.357/9mm' barrel liner and it slugs at .357/.358. My bullet of choice for .38 S&W is a .361" 150gr LSWC that is quite soft, so it has no problem swaging down to barrel diameter so far.  These are a favorite bullet of mine because all three of my S&W top-breaks slug at .361" and my LGS sells these bullets quite cheap- they apparently hit the mother-lode of them in an estate purchase.

Offline Coffinmaker

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Re: A pair of .38 S&W conversions
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2018, 11:24:52 AM »

Atz a really neat conversion and Snubbie Tinker.  These days when I put together a Snubbie, I do it with Navy pattern barrels because I like the look of the little loading lever stub (useless) and the better balance with the stub. 

It also looks like your started with a reproduction "Dance" (round) Navy barrel.  Also curious, what method did you use to keep the little loading stub rigid ?? 

A most excellent Snubbie/Conversion  ;D

Offline Tinker Pearce

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Re: A pair of .38 S&W conversions
« Reply #5 on: May 24, 2018, 07:16:08 PM »
Atz a really neat conversion and Snubbie Tinker.  These days when I put together a Snubbie, I do it with Navy pattern barrels because I like the look of the little loading lever stub (useless) and the better balance with the stub. 

It also looks like your started with a reproduction "Dance" (round) Navy barrel.  Also curious, what method did you use to keep the little loading stub rigid ?? 

A most excellent Snubbie/Conversion  ;D

Thanks! If you look carefully there is a brass pin in the rammer- that pin butts against the frame and keeps the rammer (and thus the lever) from moving.

Offline Coffinmaker

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Re: A pair of .38 S&W conversions
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2018, 10:42:15 PM »

Ah So Deska!!  That is a nice simple elegant solution.  He Likes it .. He Likes it.

Offline Johnson Barr

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Re: A pair of .38 S&W conversions
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2018, 12:52:02 PM »
The '.38 S&W' caught me eye. Sometime back I picked up a R&D .38 Special conversion cylinder on Gun Broker for a hundred bucks for my conversion project. I reamed the chambers for .38 S&W cases and opened up the chamber throats to .375". The doner pistol
came from Cabel's bargain cave; .36 caliber Pietta 1861 Sheriff's model with fake ivories. Another $150 deal. My 'as cast' .363" RNL bullets do well enough at NCOWS distances, but as of late I'm experimenting with .375" Colt heeled bullets loaded in .38 S&W cases. No range time as of yet. Maybe this weekend. 
"Peace is that glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading"  -Thomas Jefferson

Offline Tinker Pearce

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Re: A pair of .38 S&W conversions
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2018, 09:15:19 AM »
My 'as cast' .363" RNL bullets do well enough at NCOWS distances, but as of late I'm experimenting with .375" Colt heeled bullets loaded in .38 S&W cases. No range time as of yet. Maybe this weekend. 

Very cool- I have been contemplating doing this exact thing (because I always need another project!)  How are you crimping your heel-base loads?

Offline Johnson Barr

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Re: A pair of .38 S&W conversions
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2018, 11:25:56 AM »
That's the hold up right now. I have one of Bernie's Old West .38 Colt heeled bullet crimper dies but the brass shell holder is machined for .38 Colt case rims. Working on having Bernie machine a .38 S&W shell holder that will work with his heeled base crimper. I'll let you know how it works out.
"Peace is that glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading"  -Thomas Jefferson

 

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