How Do You Cut Off a Barrel.

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jpickar

Blackhawk
Joined
May 30, 2008
Messages
732
Location
Montana
I have a Ruger Super Redhawk That I want to shorten the barrel on. Do I remove the barrel and rethread it? Or can I cut it off and reface the end and resolder the front sight on? And how do you resolder the front sight? With a propane torch?
Any help is appreciated. John
 

grobin

Blackhawk
Joined
Mar 8, 2016
Messages
846
I agree with the above comment!

If you have the tools and the skill it isn't difficult. Remove the sight and use a chop saw to shorten the barrel (usually not necessary to remove it). Use a disk sander to smooth and crown the barrel (a milling machine works better). If needed mill a slot in the barrel, making sure of alignment (to .003" or better) .

Or you can just take a hack saw and Bubba it. Soldering the sight to the barrel with out an alignment slot will not likely produce desirable results! Just Bubba all the way and cut a notch in the barrel to Use as the front sight!
 

Geoff Timm

Single-Sixer
Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Messages
238
Location
NE Florida
A pro with the right equipment can do it in an hour. Amateurs, not that fast.
Geoff
Who remembers when cutting a Superblackhawk barrel was common.
 

jpickar

Blackhawk
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May 30, 2008
Messages
732
Location
Montana
mohavesam said:
http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=12

I couldn't find anything on the subject in ruger smithing.
I'm still waiting to hear a way to do it. So it only takes an hour. Great, but WHAT is done?
John
 

RODNUT

Bearcat
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Dec 22, 2011
Messages
22
Location
UTAH
Cut mine off at 51/2'', using a hacksaw. Purchased a new sight with screw holes for mounting and a barrel end mill tool with a pilot for 44 mag from Brownnells. Used the end mill to square and finish the barrel and a round head large brass screw with valve grinding compound to crown it. Aligned the sight on the barrel, marked the location of the screw holes and drilled and tapped the barrel to mount the sight.
The SRH is much more usable now and easier to pack around the hills than the 91/2'' it used to be. Still very accurate. Don't know why it took Ruger so long to to build the Toklat, built my Toklat long before they did. As i recall i paid less than 75 bucks for the mill and sight.
 

jules

Single-Sixer
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Jan 22, 2010
Messages
270
Location
Va.
You will never remove a barrel from a SRH. I'm not even sure if Ruger will.
 

jules

Single-Sixer
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Jan 22, 2010
Messages
270
Location
Va.
Rumrunner said:
Chris at Bayside Custom Gunwerks cut my SRH down and refit the front sight. He did a great job on it. Mag-Na-Port also does this work.

I 2nd this. But he won't remove the barrel from the frame.
 

Hondo44

Hawkeye
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Apr 3, 2009
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8,041
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People's Republik of California
Not a SUPER but I did my REDHAWK the "Bubba" way (according to grobin) with hacksaw and files. IT'S NOT THE TOOLS YOU USE, IT'S YOUR SKILL:


I shortened from 5 1/2" to 4 1/2". (removed instruction manual but left Ruger address and Reg mark in circle):

orig.jpg


It wasn't two weeks later that I saw my first Ruger made 4.2" with its plain pinned front sight! So I wasn't disappointed that I cut mine because I re-used original sight with replaceable blades. Plus I prefer the 4 ½" length over the 4.2":

orig.jpg


This view shows seams. Because the sight was longer than the 1" of barrel removed, I couldn't cut out the front sight base deep enough without cutting into the bore of the first ½" of remaining barrel. So had to use a spacer for proper sight height. You won't have that problem if you're starting with a 7 1/2" barrel or shortening to 4".

orig.jpg


Blade removed to show hidden attachment screws; two titanium 2-56 fillister head torx screws:

orig.jpg
 

Hondo44

Hawkeye
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Apr 3, 2009
Messages
8,041
Location
People's Republik of California
Only you know your skills and limitations.

Looks like the SUPER's sight is attached with a screw and a hidden vertical alignment pin. No soldering required and a simple project:

top.jpg


You can crown the muzzle rifling with a sharp 1/2" or 5/8" countersink drill bit and remove any burrs. The outside edge is done by hand with file and fine sand paper using a sanding block. Or you buy crowning tool kit from Brownells if needed.
 

jpickar

Blackhawk
Joined
May 30, 2008
Messages
732
Location
Montana
Thank you for the many replies. The current barrel is 9 1/2" long. I took the front sight off. It is silver soldered on with an aligning pin. Tomorrow I will cut the barrel to length and crown it in my lathe and then silver solder the front sight on and put the barrel back in the frame. The barrel was not hard to remove from the frame at all.
 

NikA

Buckeye
Joined
Nov 2, 2014
Messages
1,810
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Yrisarri, NM- high in the Manzanos
I was considering a similar project and learned that SRH front sights changed from soldered to screwed on around 2013; I'd guess the hole is the sight attachment screw countersink depicted on the current models. There was much complaining at the time of the change since sights were no longer compatible with the regular RH/GP blades, although I believe from a barrel-shortening perspective the new design is probably more convenient.
 

jpickar

Blackhawk
Joined
May 30, 2008
Messages
732
Location
Montana
The whole process took about 4 hours. This SRH did not have a over tightened barrel. Matter of fact when I put it back on I tightened it a bit more because I felt it was a little loose.

I took the barrel off. Removed the front sight. Cut the barrel to length. Chucked it up in the lathe. Made a crowning tool and crowned the barrel. Put the barrel back in the frame and set the sight on it and scribed two lines for reference. Took the barrel off. Prepared the sight and barrel and silver soldered the front sight on. Cleaned and refinished the barrel and sight. Put the barrel back in the frame. Assembled the gun and test fired it. All is good.
I wish I could post pics on this forum. I did have to make special lead inserts for my barrel clamp to fit around the front sight. The barrel length now is 4 3/4" so all that is past the frame is enough to put the front sight on.
John
 
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