VAdoublegunner
Single-Sixer
A local shop had a SP101 in 38 SP on their online used guns list for a few weeks with no takers. This despite the fact that the price was quite reasonable for a used SP. I suspect that giving it only a "Fair" grading at a reputable dealer known to grade accurately was one of the reasons. Actually, knowing that they are pretty tough considering the way I baby mine :wink:, I also wondered what you could do to an SP to get it a Fair grading.
I took a ride to check it out. Boy howdy, it really didn't look that nice.
But I checked it out for function, it was tight, very tight in fact showing little evidence of having been shot much at all, the barrel and cylinder were clean and rust free. The serial number put it as a first year production. Hmmmm ....
My plan was to use it instead of my 3" SP I have been carrying for years when seakayaking. It rides in a dry bag. This one looked like it had been lashed to the deck for that purpose, or dragged behind as a drift anchor, for a good bit longer than mine had been in that service, and since it has been well cared for it looks a *lot* better! A little negotiation (they are really good guys) and I brought it home for a more reasonable price than its already reasonable asking price.
I took off the grips and shot it up with carb cleaner first, letting it soak good for about an hour. Fortunately a lot of stuff that looked like rust, especially under the grips, came off as dried grease, or .... something. I disassembled it to find that it was really clean inside, almost like new. Cool. Degreased all that, did a little of the old toothpaste polishing trick to really smooth up some of the internal parts that need it for a good DA pull, washed, relubed and reassembled and it felt pretty good! Then the barrel and chambers got a good cleaning with CLP. Nice, looked very bright. I worked over the toughest rust spots on the right side with some 600 grit wet/dry, a little rottenstone, and finally a Birchwood Casey lead remover cloth. It restored most of the finish to a decent look, but still a little pitting remains in a couple of spots. The front sight had lost a lot of bluing and been slightly filed down, crudely, so I trued it up and reblued with some cold blue. Finally I washed the grip in a dilute solution of Dawn, then treated it with 303 Protectant to restore its feel and smooth pliability.
A Wolff 12# hammerspring smoothed it up nicely. The DA is just right, the SA crisp without any creep.
I tried it with an FBI 158gr +P equivalent handload and it shot about 2" high at 25 yards into about a 2.5" group. I am pleased. I am working up some light 125gr jhp 38-44S&W handloads to try in it based on Brian Pearce's article on that cartridge. Not that I need them over the excellent 158+P load, but they may be nice to have if a little more emphasis is needed.
The final step, so far, was to add a set of grip panels I bought from 1chig on eBay that were made of teak. Now teak may not be the most attractive of grip woods for grain by many folks, but since it was used extensively in sailing ships and even more modern ones for decks, it seemed the perfect thing for a seakayaking carry gun, especially since it is naturally resistant to water damage. The SP, of course, is pretty much built like a diving knife anyway. I found that if my 3" one did get damp for some reason. I could just rinse it off in warm water, relube after drying, and it has been good to go for several years now.
I don't know about the teak grip panels' finish holding up, but I won't hold it against 1chig if I mess 'em up! It is not really subjected to getting wet for the most part unless things get exciting. Perhaps I can find some teak or cut a chunk out of an old persimmon tree that went down in a storm on a remote, isolated beach on Chesapeake Bay that has special meaning to me and commission another pair just in case.
All in all, I am pleased with how it turned out. Now if I can figure out how to attach a lanyard to it.... [/img]
I took a ride to check it out. Boy howdy, it really didn't look that nice.
But I checked it out for function, it was tight, very tight in fact showing little evidence of having been shot much at all, the barrel and cylinder were clean and rust free. The serial number put it as a first year production. Hmmmm ....
My plan was to use it instead of my 3" SP I have been carrying for years when seakayaking. It rides in a dry bag. This one looked like it had been lashed to the deck for that purpose, or dragged behind as a drift anchor, for a good bit longer than mine had been in that service, and since it has been well cared for it looks a *lot* better! A little negotiation (they are really good guys) and I brought it home for a more reasonable price than its already reasonable asking price.
I took off the grips and shot it up with carb cleaner first, letting it soak good for about an hour. Fortunately a lot of stuff that looked like rust, especially under the grips, came off as dried grease, or .... something. I disassembled it to find that it was really clean inside, almost like new. Cool. Degreased all that, did a little of the old toothpaste polishing trick to really smooth up some of the internal parts that need it for a good DA pull, washed, relubed and reassembled and it felt pretty good! Then the barrel and chambers got a good cleaning with CLP. Nice, looked very bright. I worked over the toughest rust spots on the right side with some 600 grit wet/dry, a little rottenstone, and finally a Birchwood Casey lead remover cloth. It restored most of the finish to a decent look, but still a little pitting remains in a couple of spots. The front sight had lost a lot of bluing and been slightly filed down, crudely, so I trued it up and reblued with some cold blue. Finally I washed the grip in a dilute solution of Dawn, then treated it with 303 Protectant to restore its feel and smooth pliability.
A Wolff 12# hammerspring smoothed it up nicely. The DA is just right, the SA crisp without any creep.
I tried it with an FBI 158gr +P equivalent handload and it shot about 2" high at 25 yards into about a 2.5" group. I am pleased. I am working up some light 125gr jhp 38-44S&W handloads to try in it based on Brian Pearce's article on that cartridge. Not that I need them over the excellent 158+P load, but they may be nice to have if a little more emphasis is needed.
The final step, so far, was to add a set of grip panels I bought from 1chig on eBay that were made of teak. Now teak may not be the most attractive of grip woods for grain by many folks, but since it was used extensively in sailing ships and even more modern ones for decks, it seemed the perfect thing for a seakayaking carry gun, especially since it is naturally resistant to water damage. The SP, of course, is pretty much built like a diving knife anyway. I found that if my 3" one did get damp for some reason. I could just rinse it off in warm water, relube after drying, and it has been good to go for several years now.
I don't know about the teak grip panels' finish holding up, but I won't hold it against 1chig if I mess 'em up! It is not really subjected to getting wet for the most part unless things get exciting. Perhaps I can find some teak or cut a chunk out of an old persimmon tree that went down in a storm on a remote, isolated beach on Chesapeake Bay that has special meaning to me and commission another pair just in case.
All in all, I am pleased with how it turned out. Now if I can figure out how to attach a lanyard to it.... [/img]
