Found on GB early .45 4,4/8s barrel just down the road.Had a buy now $475.00. Great I hit the Button,I go to register it and check it out, looks good, unconverted no turn line I'm blinded with joy. Barrel's dirty but no big deal. I register it wait 10days picked it up today get it home run a brush through it wait something is weird I look again no can't be. I get the mic out oh this is unbelievable! The barrel is bulged just before front sight. So now I'm looking for ideas.Custom or NOS barrel maybe, I'm leaning toward full custom when I can.
My 1st. three screw Whoops!
- Thread starter P45T
- Start date
Unless you think the $475 plus shipping, transfer fees, tax etc. was a whale of a deal, kick it back to the seller.
With most pistol cartridge reloading now being done on Dillions I'm seeing a pattern. The only pistol in the store with a dirty barrel often is fouled to hide another case of Dillion barrel.
With most pistol cartridge reloading now being done on Dillions I'm seeing a pattern. The only pistol in the store with a dirty barrel often is fouled to hide another case of Dillion barrel.
Chuck 100 yd
Hunter
Bummer!!! That fairly good deal went south quick.
contender
Ruger Guru
Welcome to the Forum!
A true factory 3 screw 45 Colt in the short barrel is a desirable gun. I'd try & find an original barrel for it & have the bulged one replaced.
They are worth in the $600 range in good condition and if as shipped from the factory.
A true factory 3 screw 45 Colt in the short barrel is a desirable gun. I'd try & find an original barrel for it & have the bulged one replaced.
They are worth in the $600 range in good condition and if as shipped from the factory.
Thanks, Contender. The factory barrel seemed a good way to go but how hard is it to find a good 40yr. old barrel. Are the new model barrels thread the same? This gun didn't come with a box or Ruger papers so I just thought of it as a shooter, putting a newer barrel wouldn't be ruining it or would it?
Hondo44
Hawkeye
If you can't get your money back on that deal or don't intend to, just it whack it off. Is there enough good barrel to get 3 3/4" out of it? If so you'd have the only OM 45 Sheriffs Model on your block. It's just too easy not to.
It there's not quite 3 3/4" of good bore but close to it, just put a deep crown on it or have it back bored a little.
Order up a factory steel ERH for the 3 3/4" Vaquero Sheriff in blue, and a single six front sight screw. You won't have to remove the barrel if you have 3 3/4" of good bore. You won't even have to re-blue it using a screw on sight. Just touch up the muzzle after crowning it.
Heat the piece of barrel to get the sight off and drill a countersunk hole in it for the sight screw. Drill and tap two holes, 6x40 for the sight and 8x36 for the ERH and one smaller hole for the little peg under the sight. Snip the rod and spring and put it together.
It there's not quite 3 3/4" of good bore but close to it, just put a deep crown on it or have it back bored a little.
Order up a factory steel ERH for the 3 3/4" Vaquero Sheriff in blue, and a single six front sight screw. You won't have to remove the barrel if you have 3 3/4" of good bore. You won't even have to re-blue it using a screw on sight. Just touch up the muzzle after crowning it.
Heat the piece of barrel to get the sight off and drill a countersunk hole in it for the sight screw. Drill and tap two holes, 6x40 for the sight and 8x36 for the ERH and one smaller hole for the little peg under the sight. Snip the rod and spring and put it together.
Hondo44
Hawkeye
P45T said:
A new model barrel has the same threads but also has the wrong roll stamp unless you find an early one, almost as hard as finding an Old model barrel. But everything can be found on this forum or on Gunbroker under parts kits or Ruger barrels.
Hondo44
Hawkeye
When re-loading with a Dillon or any other progressive press and it runs out of powder or any one of several things get out of synch, one can have a case or two or more with no powder. These tend to launch bullets that don't make it out of the barrel. The next properly loaded cartridge launched bullet behind the bullet still in the barrel,,,,well you get the idea.
Dillon is a fine company and shouldn't be blamed for something that is the fault of the operator. Their machines are designed so that any shell can be removed from any station easily, so if the operator is paying attention to what is going on, there will be no problem. I have loaded on a 550B since the early 90's, and have never had a problem. Statments such as "Dillon Barrel" might start rumors on the internet that just are not right.
jgt
Buckeye
Custom gunbuilders are rebuilding three screw guns into customs all the time they should have take-off barrels they would be happy to sell. I would shoot it in the mean time to see how it shoots. You can't tell the difference when shooting some of them.
contender
Ruger Guru
As noted, you can find take off barrels with the correct markings if you do a little searching. Once you chop it, or whatever, you are customizing it, and that takes another one out of the numbers of the "as factory" ones. They are already desirable & valuable. I looked in my notes, (as I have 14 OM 45's) and looked at what I paid for them. While I was able to snag a few from folks who didn't have a clue as to their true value, many of mine cost me over $600. The OM 45 Colt Blackhawk was only built for 3 years before the NM's came out. Total production was about 23,000 approximately. Since 1973 a fair number have been "lost" due to different things. From crimes to where a judge ordered them destroyed, to customizers who wanted something different, to exports that are now hard to re-import. Next, add in the variations such as the two different barrel lengths, the different models that were shipped as convertibles, the actual numbers of good ones in factory condition cause availability to be limited. Next, they are a desirable caliber so many folks want them.
Convertibles are scarce & pricy. As are the brass grip framed ones.
A $10 letter from Ruger will give you the basic model information to let you know how it was shipped. (BKH-44, BKH-44X if it was shipped with the shorter barrel. BKH-44B if it was a short barrel shipped with a brass grip frame.) A brass grip framed gun from the factory is worth over $1000 easily if in good condition. I own two of those & felt lucky to get them for $1000 each.
Boxes & papers for one are a bit pricy as well. A good condition box for a short barrel can fetch $150 or more.
I fully agree that the term "Dillon barrel" is insulting. Dillon does nothing wrong & makes a fine product. It's the monkeys operating such a machine without paying attention to their reloading, or the true knowledge of how to reload. Blame the operator, not the object. (Just like we need to blame the criminal not the gun for crimes.) But this post is more about what to do with a gun that has damage. NOTHING in the OP said a thing about Dillon & reloading. I personally know a guy who has a couple of Dillon presses, and shoots a LOT. He blew up a Glock. He immediately blamed himself for his reloading practices as he knew he didn't follow all the proper steps during a reloading session. NOT Dillon. And k22fan didn't read the post clearly. The OP went to the local store to buy it, even though it was listed on GB & purchased through it. At least that's the way I understood the post.
Convertibles are scarce & pricy. As are the brass grip framed ones.
A $10 letter from Ruger will give you the basic model information to let you know how it was shipped. (BKH-44, BKH-44X if it was shipped with the shorter barrel. BKH-44B if it was a short barrel shipped with a brass grip frame.) A brass grip framed gun from the factory is worth over $1000 easily if in good condition. I own two of those & felt lucky to get them for $1000 each.
Boxes & papers for one are a bit pricy as well. A good condition box for a short barrel can fetch $150 or more.
I fully agree that the term "Dillon barrel" is insulting. Dillon does nothing wrong & makes a fine product. It's the monkeys operating such a machine without paying attention to their reloading, or the true knowledge of how to reload. Blame the operator, not the object. (Just like we need to blame the criminal not the gun for crimes.) But this post is more about what to do with a gun that has damage. NOTHING in the OP said a thing about Dillon & reloading. I personally know a guy who has a couple of Dillon presses, and shoots a LOT. He blew up a Glock. He immediately blamed himself for his reloading practices as he knew he didn't follow all the proper steps during a reloading session. NOT Dillon. And k22fan didn't read the post clearly. The OP went to the local store to buy it, even though it was listed on GB & purchased through it. At least that's the way I understood the post.
CraigC
Hawkeye
Personally, I wouldn't go to the expense of finding a barrel, shipping the gun to a gunsmith, only to have a factory barrel installed. Shipping will cost you $100 both ways and probably at least another hundred to buy and fit a barrel that 'may' need refinishing to match yours. Now your "deal" is a $600 gun you have over $700 in and it's still just a plain Ruger. If I were shipping it to a gunsmith, it would get a brand new PacNor or Douglas barrel, a custom front sight (Stroh!), an action job, steel ejector housing, beveled cylinder, bright blue finish and probably a polished XR3 grip frame. Probably have it fitted with an ACP cylinder too.
schloss
Single-Sixer
I thought Ruger would install the transfer bar safety when you sent it to them, but would send back all the original parts when returning it to the owner? Once again, I don't have a OM, just remember what I read in all the magazine ads.
Hondo44
Hawkeye
Yes that's correct. Some reports of not getting the old parts back have surfaced. If Ruger deems any of the original parts unsafe, they will not return them. So removing the parts before sending back to Ruger is a common practice.
contender
Ruger Guru
P45T,, since you didn't put your state in your info, I'm not sure where you are. But,, any good gunsmith with the proper tools can replace a barrel easily enough. Shipping it away may not have to happen. Next, if you find a reputable FFL to ship a gun using the USPS,, shipping will cost less than $20 one way. So, even if you shipped it to a shop that does custom Ruger work, shipping should be less than $40 round trip, and just having them swap a barrel out isn't expensive.
Thanks for all the feedback guys. Hondo, I thought about a sheriffs model too, 3 1/4in. of good barrel.I don't have equipment or skills to attempt myself. Contender, I live in Southern California, everything is expensive, a quote to shorten another Blackhawk barrel a year ago was $350.00. But after reading your post trying to keep it original seems the right thing to do. I'm not in a hurry. I've got 16 other 45colt Blackhawks an Vaqueros to shoot.
As to Dillon they're the BEST, excellent product, excellent service, they stand behind their products. Reloading mistakes are only made by the guy pulling the handle if you can't accept that, you shouldn't play with firearms.
As to Dillon they're the BEST, excellent product, excellent service, they stand behind their products. Reloading mistakes are only made by the guy pulling the handle if you can't accept that, you shouldn't play with firearms.
contender
Ruger Guru
Ok, you are in SoCal. My condolences (due to high prices & an anti-gun environment.)
If it would cost $350 to shorten the barrel, I'd definitely opt to swap out a barrel. In general, a correct OM barrel will run you somewhere between $100 & $150 from what I've seen. A bit of slow, careful shopping may bring you a better deal.
Next, if you don't have a local gunsmith who isn't out to gouge you AND has the proper tools to do the job right, I'd consider shipping the gun to a good smith. Again, shop around for a dealer who uses USPS for shipping & receiving handguns. With a bit of patience, and careful shopping, you can restore that injured OM to it's original glory w/o breaking the bank.
And since you have 16 other 45 Colts to play with,, you won't feel the need for urgency. (I guess I'm gonna have to step it up & buy a few more to catch up with ya!)
Good comment about Dillon too!
If it would cost $350 to shorten the barrel, I'd definitely opt to swap out a barrel. In general, a correct OM barrel will run you somewhere between $100 & $150 from what I've seen. A bit of slow, careful shopping may bring you a better deal.
Next, if you don't have a local gunsmith who isn't out to gouge you AND has the proper tools to do the job right, I'd consider shipping the gun to a good smith. Again, shop around for a dealer who uses USPS for shipping & receiving handguns. With a bit of patience, and careful shopping, you can restore that injured OM to it's original glory w/o breaking the bank.
And since you have 16 other 45 Colts to play with,, you won't feel the need for urgency. (I guess I'm gonna have to step it up & buy a few more to catch up with ya!)
Good comment about Dillon too!
flatgate
Hawkeye
DDubya said:
Duh, jeez, let me think here. Ruger installs their "transfer bar lockwork". Ruger includes your original lockwork in the box with the "converted gun."
It ain't rocket science to figure out what the next step would be. How about reinstalling the original lockwork?
8)
Just my humble opinion. Your mileage may vary.........
flatgate
Driftwood Johnson
Blackhawk
Howdy
So how bad is the bulge?
Without going into whether or not you got ripped off, sometimes a bulged barrel is not as bad as you think.
I bought a lovely old S&W M&P a few years ago that was made sometime before 1910. I shot it a bunch before I discovered a slight bulge in the barrel, about an inch up from the frame. Sometime in the last 90 years somebody lodged a bullet in it and followed it with another one. But I had been shooting it for quite a while before I even discovered the bulge. Of course, it is a very minor bulge, not noticeable from the inside. I spotted it in the bore one day when I was cleaning the gun. No, I do not think it is dangerous, at least not in this case. I only shoot light loads in the gun, so I am not straining anything.
I have a Smith Model 65 with a horrendous scratch in the bore about an inch from the muzzle. You might think it would shoot badly, but it shoots fine. Bullets pass right past the scratch and do not have a problem.
Another solution, without changing barrels, if the bulge is fairly near the muzzle, is to have a gunsmith bore out the rifling from the muzzle to just past the bulge. I know one guy who did this. What you wind up with is basically a barrel that has a long free bore at the end. As long as the free bore is large enough, the bullet will go right through it without upsetting at all. My pal shoots his revolver with the extra long free bore at the front with no problems at all.
Just a couple of thoughts.
Regarding the comments about bulged barrels and progressive reloaders, I too think that is completely out of line. To get a bulged barrel, not only did the shooter have to mess up when he loaded the ammo, he also did not notice that one round sounded a lot different that the others, a sure sign to stop shooting and see what is up.
So how bad is the bulge?
Without going into whether or not you got ripped off, sometimes a bulged barrel is not as bad as you think.
I bought a lovely old S&W M&P a few years ago that was made sometime before 1910. I shot it a bunch before I discovered a slight bulge in the barrel, about an inch up from the frame. Sometime in the last 90 years somebody lodged a bullet in it and followed it with another one. But I had been shooting it for quite a while before I even discovered the bulge. Of course, it is a very minor bulge, not noticeable from the inside. I spotted it in the bore one day when I was cleaning the gun. No, I do not think it is dangerous, at least not in this case. I only shoot light loads in the gun, so I am not straining anything.
I have a Smith Model 65 with a horrendous scratch in the bore about an inch from the muzzle. You might think it would shoot badly, but it shoots fine. Bullets pass right past the scratch and do not have a problem.
Another solution, without changing barrels, if the bulge is fairly near the muzzle, is to have a gunsmith bore out the rifling from the muzzle to just past the bulge. I know one guy who did this. What you wind up with is basically a barrel that has a long free bore at the end. As long as the free bore is large enough, the bullet will go right through it without upsetting at all. My pal shoots his revolver with the extra long free bore at the front with no problems at all.
Just a couple of thoughts.
Regarding the comments about bulged barrels and progressive reloaders, I too think that is completely out of line. To get a bulged barrel, not only did the shooter have to mess up when he loaded the ammo, he also did not notice that one round sounded a lot different that the others, a sure sign to stop shooting and see what is up.
