I got a chance to see one of these handguns in two tone. But not the typical stainless or brass and black. Factory hot tank black and good old fashioned Plumb Brown. What a fine combination. It has me thinkin hard on Plumb Bown for this one!
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A New Model Old Model Blackhawk
- Thread starter Sharps40
- Start date
Back from Chi-Kag-o where I stuffed myself on Chi-Kag-o Dogs with Sport Peppers at Portillos and Deep Dish Pizza at Giordanos for 4 days and now I gotta work it off.
So, finish up the ERH attachment by fitting a 6x48 screw in the freshly drilled barrel and making a pinch nut from some good old lasalle fatigue proof steel. Takes a nice thread and machines really well. I prefer the stud and pinch nut arrangement. If anything strips out in the future, it ain't likely to be the tender threads in the barrel, but if that ever does happen, I can open the hole in the barrel to 8x40 and make up a new stud and pinch nut. 6x48 is plenty strong. Ain't had one break yet on 45 Colt or 357 Magnum.
Also took time to final square up the muzzle and deepen the crown (11 degrees) with piloted hand tools.
Final check assembly. I'll shorten the pinch nut a touch later, after the screwdriver slot is final filed and the screw head polished. Then it'll be flush on the ERH housing. And I noted, with the barrel at 3 3/4" long, just enough room between the muzzle and the 50th Markings to dovetail the barrel for a nice bead sight too. So, will have to look that over and compare to the ramp as I do some final shaping on it and make the decision later. (I also need to compare these two options to a Williams short ramp, just to be sure.)
So, finish up the ERH attachment by fitting a 6x48 screw in the freshly drilled barrel and making a pinch nut from some good old lasalle fatigue proof steel. Takes a nice thread and machines really well. I prefer the stud and pinch nut arrangement. If anything strips out in the future, it ain't likely to be the tender threads in the barrel, but if that ever does happen, I can open the hole in the barrel to 8x40 and make up a new stud and pinch nut. 6x48 is plenty strong. Ain't had one break yet on 45 Colt or 357 Magnum.
Also took time to final square up the muzzle and deepen the crown (11 degrees) with piloted hand tools.
Final check assembly. I'll shorten the pinch nut a touch later, after the screwdriver slot is final filed and the screw head polished. Then it'll be flush on the ERH housing. And I noted, with the barrel at 3 3/4" long, just enough room between the muzzle and the 50th Markings to dovetail the barrel for a nice bead sight too. So, will have to look that over and compare to the ramp as I do some final shaping on it and make the decision later. (I also need to compare these two options to a Williams short ramp, just to be sure.)
Time for a try sight.....a sight about the right height (say .530 to .570 for short barreled 357 blackhawks) for function testing and the base of the sight carved undersized (less than .375) so that final fitting of the right sight can be done later.
357 barrels on these are meaty. I've shown the use of the dovetailing jig and saw/files many times. Many is the complaint fielded that the jig cuts a dovetail that's too small. Its supposed to. It allows for exact fitting of the final sight in the dovetail. And the right sight is fitted so that it enters the dovetail about 1/3 to 1/2 way then gets real snug.....a final push is needed to seat it so it won't shoot loose. (Final fitting of the dovetail is done to the undersides of the barrel dovetail cuts, jig removed, with a safe sided triangular file....safe side down, only doing the under cut to make the dovetail that last 5 to 10 thousands larger for a snug fit. You shouldn't have to cut the sight, cut the dovetail. Besides, the saw leaves rounded edges in the undercut caming the sight up....the safe side file gets the last little bit in the corners making them the right angle so the sight sits as low in the dovetail as possible.) No safe sided triangular file = ye'll be unhappy with the fit and probably tempted to booger up the sight to fit a slightly undersized and rounded edged dovetail.
Finally, a dovetail allows use of ramps (via a gib lock for a screw) or beads and blades and with beads and blades will allow for front sight windage adjustments. But, I never ran across a Blackhawk that shot off center even with the factory sight.....at least not after getting grips that allowed the centerline of the barrel to extend in the same plane as the centerline of the forearm bone.
Also, the barrel, at its final length is treated to a round over to remove the sharp edge where it was shortened. A simple tool from brownells, spun slow in a hand drill makes short work and the round over is ended so that its edge just meets the face of the ERH.
So, off to the range soon to verify sight height and then back to the bench to play with ramps, blades and beads till I make up my mind.
Oh yeah, the ramp don't cover the entire 50th marking and with it stickin out the tail, looks a lil funny......besides, I'm coming to like that marking and may well leave it so, it could be I need to show it all and not just the last letter!
357 barrels on these are meaty. I've shown the use of the dovetailing jig and saw/files many times. Many is the complaint fielded that the jig cuts a dovetail that's too small. Its supposed to. It allows for exact fitting of the final sight in the dovetail. And the right sight is fitted so that it enters the dovetail about 1/3 to 1/2 way then gets real snug.....a final push is needed to seat it so it won't shoot loose. (Final fitting of the dovetail is done to the undersides of the barrel dovetail cuts, jig removed, with a safe sided triangular file....safe side down, only doing the under cut to make the dovetail that last 5 to 10 thousands larger for a snug fit. You shouldn't have to cut the sight, cut the dovetail. Besides, the saw leaves rounded edges in the undercut caming the sight up....the safe side file gets the last little bit in the corners making them the right angle so the sight sits as low in the dovetail as possible.) No safe sided triangular file = ye'll be unhappy with the fit and probably tempted to booger up the sight to fit a slightly undersized and rounded edged dovetail.
Finally, a dovetail allows use of ramps (via a gib lock for a screw) or beads and blades and with beads and blades will allow for front sight windage adjustments. But, I never ran across a Blackhawk that shot off center even with the factory sight.....at least not after getting grips that allowed the centerline of the barrel to extend in the same plane as the centerline of the forearm bone.
Also, the barrel, at its final length is treated to a round over to remove the sharp edge where it was shortened. A simple tool from brownells, spun slow in a hand drill makes short work and the round over is ended so that its edge just meets the face of the ERH.
So, off to the range soon to verify sight height and then back to the bench to play with ramps, blades and beads till I make up my mind.
Oh yeah, the ramp don't cover the entire 50th marking and with it stickin out the tail, looks a lil funny......besides, I'm coming to like that marking and may well leave it so, it could be I need to show it all and not just the last letter!
This is an awesome gun! Thanks for sharing!Time for a try sight.....a sight about the right height (say .530 to .570 for short barreled 357 blackhawks) for function testing and the base of the sight carved undersized (less than .375) so that final fitting of the right sight can be done later.
357 barrels on these are meaty. I've shown the use of the dovetailing jig and saw/files many times. Many is the complaint fielded that the jig cuts a dovetail that's too small. Its supposed to. It allows for exact fitting of the final sight in the dovetail. And the right sight is fitted so that it enters the dovetail about 1/3 to 1/2 way then gets real snug.....a final push is needed to seat it so it won't shoot loose. (Final fitting of the dovetail is done to the undersides of the barrel dovetail cuts, jig removed, with a safe sided triangular file....safe side down, only doing the under cut to make the dovetail that last 5 to 10 thousands larger for a snug fit. You shouldn't have to cut the sight, cut the dovetail. Besides, the saw leaves rounded edges in the undercut caming the sight up....the safe side file gets the last little bit in the corners making them the right angle so the sight sits as low in the dovetail as possible.) No safe sided triangular file = ye'll be unhappy with the fit and probably tempted to booger up the sight to fit a slightly undersized and rounded edged dovetail.
Finally, a dovetail allows use of ramps (via a gib lock for a screw) or beads and blades and with beads and blades will allow for front sight windage adjustments. But, I never ran across a Blackhawk that shot off center even with the factory sight.....at least not after getting grips that allowed the centerline of the barrel to extend in the same plane as the centerline of the forearm bone.
Also, the barrel, at its final length is treated to a round over to remove the sharp edge where it was shortened. A simple tool from brownells, spun slow in a hand drill makes short work and the round over is ended so that its edge just meets the face of the ERH.
So, off to the range soon to verify sight height and then back to the bench to play with ramps, blades and beads till I make up my mind.
Oh yeah, the ramp don't cover the entire 50th marking and with it stickin out the tail, looks a lil funny......besides, I'm coming to like that marking and may well leave it so, it could be I need to show it all and not just the last letter!
Thanks. I'm startin to like it a bit. Specially with 2 cylinders and 9mm bein cheeper ta shoot than 22 LR! Bisley hammer and some sculpting of the frame and topstrap. Perhaps some work on the Cylinder pin and I think it'll be done.....
The tall Marbles sights are squares......I like the front edge rounded so a lick on the belt sander and a few more swipes with the safe sided triangular file in the dovetail for the slightly larger new sight and it presses snugly home. The undersized and weirdly carved try sight goes back in the spares box for the next project.
Unlike the long ramp that doesn't quite cover the 50th markings, a bead sight in the dovetail leaves this marking unmolested. I like this look better than the ramp. I think this is the way it'll stay.
Getting pretty good at getting em straight up and down too. (Had a few crooked ones over the years!)
Unlike the long ramp that doesn't quite cover the 50th markings, a bead sight in the dovetail leaves this marking unmolested. I like this look better than the ramp. I think this is the way it'll stay.
Getting pretty good at getting em straight up and down too. (Had a few crooked ones over the years!)
The stainless steel Bisley hammer to go with the stainless steel Bisley trigger.
First the hammer has its butt area reduced and contoured to match the original hammer and therefore fit the grip frame. Then given a high polish and the exposed sides jeweled on the drill press. Once installed and checked for pull weight, after a bit of takeup there is a clean 3 lb 7 oz release with no grit.
Here is how it looks installed on this shooters iron.
And here, the second step of the hammer nose is releved with several hundred strokes of a medium stone. Files won't cut these hammers. This eliminates transfer bar pinch and subsequent breakage of the transfer bar. I continue stoning and fitting and checking for an even strike on the transfer bar until ..... When the hammer has fallen, I push it into the frame....releasing the trigger the trigger snaps forward under trigger spring power (no matter how hard I push on the hammer) allowing the transfer bar to drop down with ever so slight a drag. The final fitting will be in polish of the second step and the transfer bar eliminating that last tiny bit of drag. At that point the depth of the second step is such that the transfer fully and completely impinges the firing pin but it not caught and squashed by the hammer. No click in the trigger return, the frame and transfer bar bear the blow equally and no broken transfer bar down the road.
First the hammer has its butt area reduced and contoured to match the original hammer and therefore fit the grip frame. Then given a high polish and the exposed sides jeweled on the drill press. Once installed and checked for pull weight, after a bit of takeup there is a clean 3 lb 7 oz release with no grit.
Here is how it looks installed on this shooters iron.
And here, the second step of the hammer nose is releved with several hundred strokes of a medium stone. Files won't cut these hammers. This eliminates transfer bar pinch and subsequent breakage of the transfer bar. I continue stoning and fitting and checking for an even strike on the transfer bar until ..... When the hammer has fallen, I push it into the frame....releasing the trigger the trigger snaps forward under trigger spring power (no matter how hard I push on the hammer) allowing the transfer bar to drop down with ever so slight a drag. The final fitting will be in polish of the second step and the transfer bar eliminating that last tiny bit of drag. At that point the depth of the second step is such that the transfer fully and completely impinges the firing pin but it not caught and squashed by the hammer. No click in the trigger return, the frame and transfer bar bear the blow equally and no broken transfer bar down the road.
30 minutes here, 1 hour there. It adds up and its done sooner than ya think. Or longer!
A few minutes work with an dremil and cut off wheel to rough in a wider slot in the ERH so that the button can cam out of the way. Allows dismounting the cylinder with out having to remove the ERH each time for cleaning. Less wear and tear on the retention stud and pinch nut. Works good. Just some final straightening and polishing to do. Not visible and best of all, free instead of $60 for a cam cut ejector housing from Cimarron.
A few minutes work with an dremil and cut off wheel to rough in a wider slot in the ERH so that the button can cam out of the way. Allows dismounting the cylinder with out having to remove the ERH each time for cleaning. Less wear and tear on the retention stud and pinch nut. Works good. Just some final straightening and polishing to do. Not visible and best of all, free instead of $60 for a cam cut ejector housing from Cimarron.
The bulk of the hard work is done. A bit of finish work to do on the newly filed in scallops back of the recoil shield. Probably will chamfer the forward edge of the 38/357 cylinder, final smoothing of the ejector rod housing and then it'll be time to, I think, rust brown the barrel and frame and rust blue all the attaching parts.
With a good clean out, the new trigger assembly breaks at 3 lbs after the obligatory take up. But take up and break is smooth and the factory trigger return spring is one of the smaller diameter black ones, essentially, a factory reduced power spring so both legs are hooked up in the grip frame.
With a good clean out, the new trigger assembly breaks at 3 lbs after the obligatory take up. But take up and break is smooth and the factory trigger return spring is one of the smaller diameter black ones, essentially, a factory reduced power spring so both legs are hooked up in the grip frame.
