44 Special Project

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Lee Martin

Hunter
Joined
Dec 18, 2002
Messages
2,313
Location
Arlington, Virginia
A lot of folks have asked me to document/photograph a Ruger conversion. Decided to finally do it with a 44 Special project I'm about to start. Here's the base gun:

OM3572.jpg


OM3571.jpg


It's your basic OM 357 from 1963. The plan is to de-anodize the gripframe and ejector housing, fit a 4 5/8" stainless barrel, and machine a cylinder out of 17-4 stainless. The frame, side screws, and loading gate will then get Mahovsky's Metalife (hard-chrome which looks like brushed stainless). I should be able to match the barrel and cylinder to the frame.

I'll periodically post pictures to this thread as it progresses (to include the machining & heat treating)

BTW, I was going to just hard chrome a Lipseys but thought this would be more fun.
 

pvtschultz

Blackhawk
Joined
Oct 11, 2005
Messages
553
Location
West Allis, WI, USA
Great thread idea Lee! I've got but one question for ya though. You say that you are a hobbiest gunsmith. Then what the heck do you do with all these fine revolvers that I see on this forum?

I just had to ask!
 

ChuckS1

Bearcat
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
87
Location
Stafford, VA, USA
It's a shame to do that to such a nice gun. Sell it to me and buy a beat up one to refinish. :mrgreen:

And living in Arlington, I bet you do have to shoot them a lot...
 

Lee Martin

Hunter
Joined
Dec 18, 2002
Messages
2,313
Location
Arlington, Virginia
I finally got around to blanking out the cylinder for my OM 44 Special. Here are some of the steps involved;

I start with blank 2" round 17-4 stainless:

44Special3.jpg
 
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