Converting a 3 Screw .357 to .44 Special

[Niederlander]

This project, as usual, is slightly more involved that I thought it would be.  I got a 4 5/8 Super Blackhawk barrel and hoped it would more or less screw right in.  Turns out there's a collar on the Super Blackhawk barrel that needs to be turned off to get it to bear against the frame, and then of course the shoulder had to be cut back to get the barrel to index properly.  That only cost about .08 of barrel, so it wasn't really a problem.  (Of course, that means the ejector rod housing will need to be shortened, as well.)  I installed the barrel tonight and discovered we need to machine a slight flat along the bottom of the barrel for about an inch and a half to make room for the base pin.  I'll pull the barrel tomorrow and take it back to my machinist friend Monday to have that done.  So far it's been a fun project, and I'll have a REALLY cool gun when I'm done!

[Mustang Gregg]

Sounds like a cool one!!

MG

[Niederlander]

I've always thought it would be really cool, but reboring a cylinder always put it out of my reach.  The .44 Special cylinders Ruger makes now helped tremendously!  The problem is, now I wouldn't mind having on in .357, as well!  Love those Old Models!

[Mustang Gregg]

A crewchief Pard of mine used to get one of the machinists in Omaha to make Ruger cylinders out of stainless stock in the big calibers for Super Blackhawks.  He did the .475 mag & .454 Limbaugh.  They were 5-shot, though.

I'll send him an email and get the info on the machine shop.

Mustang

[4597]

This project, as usual, is slightly more involved that I thought it would be.  I got a 4 5/8 Super Blackhawk barrel and hoped it would more or less screw right in.  Turns out there's a collar on the Super Blackhawk barrel that needs to be turned off to get it to bear against the frame, and then of course the shoulder had to be cut back to get the barrel to index properly.  That only cost about .08 of barrel, so it wasn't really a problem.  (Of course, that means the ejector rod housing will need to be shortened, as well.)  I installed the barrel tonight and discovered we need to machine a slight flat along the bottom of the barrel for about an inch and a half to make room for the base pin.  I'll pull the barrel tomorrow and take it back to my machinist friend Monday to have that done.  So far it's been a fun project, and I'll have a REALLY cool gun when I'm done!

  Your trying to install a barrel off a N.M. onto an O.M. It can and has been done lot's of times. You should not have to move the hole for the ERH.