I've been weeding out my collection, selling off or trading guns that I don't shoot. I had an excellent 4-5/8" ASM 1873 in .45 Colt, and while I enjoy it somehow it never seemed to wind up in the range bag when I went shooting. I decided I either needed to get rid of it or do something interesting with it. Being me I picked the latter option.
I've always like 3-1/2" guns, but found the shortened ejectors on such guns to be irksome. I got to wondering if I couldn't do better. After some study I figured out a work-around. I shortened the ejector at both ends, drilled it and ran a blind stud through the housing into the barrel. This allows the ejector (suitable shortened) nearly the full travel of the stock unit. How close? The throw is about 1mm shorter than stock. You can see in the photos that the ejector paddle is very near the muzzle.
Just for giggles I also modified a steel grip-frame into a birdshead and made suitable grips, and shortened and lowered the hammer to be more in keeping with the gun's 'hide-out' motif. I'm quite happy with the results- and now this gun gets shot every time I take the .45s out!