Blackhawk Restyle

[Sharps40]

120 year old Rocky Mountain Rifle sight almost 90% coverted to pistol sight. No more shaping the sight now....no more shaping the base either. Its time to extend some lines and see if the solder will let go and the sight base can be pulled and relocated somewhat rearward behind the new barrel cut off point. Once off, and before the base is soldered back on, I can do some final shaping and trimming, specially that duck tail out back.

Get a sight pusher and you'll stop breaking sight blades and bustin the sight base off those marlin lever actions. Hammers are for bigger parts of the gun.

A little double vision.

Not bad....now time for flame wrenches, sandpaper, acid, solder, drills and pins....all needed to move the base. Hope it comes off....and hope it goes back on. Lotta work there.

Oh yeah, the sight is from an 1894 Stevens Favorite, 22 LR.

 

[Sharps40]

Now the base steps up to the sight and the base appears narrower....and the sight base steps up to the blade. The sight dovetail does not appear to be so tall and blocky and the sight looks slimmer and not so like it was mushed together outta dough as it was at first....nor does it look like a car part or some other industrial chunk ala Ruger original sight. I think it'll be fine.

 

[Sharps40]

Got busy tonight, was gonna finish the rockymountain sight to see how it looked and wound up changing directions completely. Found a nifty lyman sight in the box that I just loved the old school shape on. Too short but I decided to try it out since the Rocky Mountain just wasn't doing it for me once I found the Lyman sight in the box..... So.....with the lyman having the traditional shape and available in many sizes including white and gold dots.....

I measured the barrel where I wanted to place the new front sight. With some shims to cut a slightly shallower dovetail I could leave nearly half the wall thickness in place, over 90 thousands. Should be plenty strong...the screw hole midway back the barrel is just over .1" deep. So....I shimmed up the top of the barrel 8 thousands or so and installed the dovetail cutter and proceeded to cut and file a neat dovetail placing the rear sight about 3/8" back from where the new muzzle would be....

Got the jig level and in the same plane as the top strap....

Filed in the dovetail, and used the jig to establish a fairly square cut off point for the stub of the muzzle. Barrel is about 5 1/10" long now....I may tweak it back to an even five in the future or perhaps 3 3/4" to 4 1/2"...... I havn't decided so moving forward in small steps and thinking about the changes as I go.

An old try sight in the junk box, this one about the right height, .440" but ugly as a post. Try sights are deliberately ground down so they slip in and out of the dovetail....lets me look over the sights and make sure all is true and the sight really is upright at 12 oclock....it is.....levels don't lie...but it takes a few trys to get the jig referenced to the topstrap.

A piloted cutter to square up the barrel true with the bore. I'll use this to shorten to closer to 5" if I decide to stay that length. We'll see when the grip comes, not sure how it will look pared with a 5" barrel.

Smooth and well cut...it does not need polish as it does not snag a q-tip....

The 11 degree cutter makes the temporary crown....till I decide how long to leave the tube......then I'll square it and crown it again one final time.

The recessed crown and the somewhat short lyman sight in place for ta see how it looks.

 

[Sharps40]

I think I'm going to like this better, just have to get one .440" tall above the barrel. Good practice sculpting the front sight base and sight. I'll save em for something else....might look better back on a rifle. So not wasted effort since it lead me to something I like better...now if I could just decide on bbl length....5" for hunting, shorter might look better. Will have to wait for the grip to see.

Yeah, a better look. Oh well, the other sight was fun but kinda busy up front now that I see this one.

 

[Sharps40]

Woops, Sorry, That there is a Marbles front sight, not a Lyman....Lymans aint grooved inna front.

 

[RamRoddoc]

Yep, much cleaner profile. Good choice and still a classic look.

 

[Sharps40]

Lookie what came in the mail....so sexy, Colt Lightning Double Action Style Grip......Wow I love it....its even startin to scream 3" barrel with no ejector!!!!!! Pure belly gun and with the transfer bar conversion 6 shots carried safe!!!!

Oh baby baby so excited and this is exactly how far I got.....seems This baby, though it fits the XR3-Red frame guns needs to have the Vaquro or New Model trigger return spring, the one that fits the grip and bends down behind the trigger.....or I gotta drill the new frame for a coil and plunger like the old model has......So....I put it back together, packed up the grip and sent an email to NC Ordinance to see what I need to do!

Man, can't wait for an answer, that grip is hotter than BeerTittyWoman!

 

[Sharps40]

Yep under the grips is the pin for the dog legs on the Vaquero/New Model return spring,,,,there is also a hole for the trigger return spring retention pin.....oh baby, I think I know what the answer is....I think it'll fit!!!!!

 

[7pt62THOR]

Lookie what came in the mail....so sexy, Colt Lightning Double Action Style Grip......Wow I love it....its even startin to scream 3" barrel with no ejector!!!!!! Pure belly gun and with the transfer bar conversion 6 shots carried safe!!!!

Oh baby baby so excited and this is exactly how far I got.....seems This baby, though it fits the XR3-Red frame guns needs to have the Vaquro or New Model trigger return spring, the one that fits the grip and bends down behind the trigger.....or I gotta drill the new frame for a coil and plunger like the old model has......So....I put it back together, packed up the grip and sent an email to NC Ordinance to see what I need to do!

Man, can't wait for an answer, that grip is hotter than BeerTittyWoman!

That grip is dadgum hot, but hotter than BeerTittyWoman??

 

[Sharps40]

I can't post her pic cause its family friendly....slim fine blond, bikini bottom with mini kegs attached, clear tubing running to and curling around perksters with lovely pasties made of taps.....BeerTittyWoman....combining mans two favorite items and provider of cooling refreshment in a smoking hot package.