Blackhawk barrel swap question

[Three50seven]

I have a 1978 Blackhawk in .357 that has had some action work done and I have also stripped and polished the grip frame and ERH. It shoots like a dream, and the trigger is spectacular. The only problem is, it has a 6.5" bbl, and I would much rather have a 4 5/8". So my question is this; what would be easier/more economical, have the barrel cut to 4 5/8" and recrowned? Or buy a 4 5/8" barrel here on the forum and have someone smarter than I install it?

 

[bcgunworks]

Both would cost about the same

 

[schloss]

I remember a few posts where people were cutting and crowning barrels in their home shops. I've got a 5-1/2 I'm thinking of doing it with.

If you're into that kind of thing.

 

[Hondo44]

Neither is that difficult of a do-it-yourself task.

Cutting the barrel is easiest and you don't have to re-blue the barrel if you screw on the front sight like the single six sights.

Changing a barrel is not hard but you may have to farm out fitting the barrel and ejector rod housing if you don't have a lathe. And you have a good barrel to sell to offset the cost of buying a short barrel.

 

[medicdave]

If you have a barrel that's shooting well and is already in spec, I'd just bob it. If you think you'll do more than one, I'd get the tools and have at it and install a screw on sight base. If you don't think you'll ever do it again might make more sense to farm it out as your looking at a few hundred bucks in tools to do it right. You can bubba it for much less.

This is one we did at home with the proper tools and it came out very nice, shooting better than before the chop.



With cold blue. If we weren't removing the billboard as well this one would have been done.

 

[Pete]

Check your 6.5 inch barrel first before cutting it.I had a .357 Blackhawk 6.5 inch that shot great groups.The barrel just past the forcing cone was .357 for about 1.5 inches and 2 inches near the muzzle was .357 but in between the barrel measured .361! I did not realize this until after I had cut the barrel and then found out by trying to shoot groups and then slugging the barrel.The revolver would shoot 2 inch groups at 15 yards now that the barrel was cut and that was the best groups.Most groups were closer to 4 inches .I would try to find a 4 5/8 inch barrel and someone with a lathe(if you don't have one) and re-barrel your revolver.