OM .357 Blackhawk FT frame

[Joey]

I got the letter of auth. from Ruger today. Manufactured as BKH3 and shipped in March '59, to AM. Wholesale HDW in Long Beach, Cali. As some one mentioned in a post above, no details what it was shipped with, type of grips, erh, etc. I didn't expect them to as no other letters I have gotten include such details.

The gun is currently at the 'smith's, Got the barrel mounted and timed. Had a bit of trouble with the firing pin. Only recoil plate I could find was a pre-notched or drilled used. In drilling for the pin, the bit caught on the notch and broke. He has it out, ordering a new firing pin, launched into outer space when he removed it! Still in orbit....

I have had the dizzies for the past few days, haven't been able to go to the 'smith's.

I was worried about finding an original rear Micro sight, Thanks to wounded knee floyd, I have one. I also have a spare I got from G2 along with the barrel. I ordered another today, along with a steel erh assembly. Don't ask me why. My GP married right before the depression, food and everything else was scarce. They hoarded home canned vegetables and fruit until they passed, so I come by it naturally, depression or not! That's my story and I'm sticking to it...............

Has anyone heard from wounded knee lately? I sent him some emails and PM's a few weeks ago, never heard back. Hope he's ok.

 

[Joey]

I went to the 'smith's yesterday, we worked on putting the ft together, Ran into some problems with the trigger. I had read that om flat tops went thru 3 trigger changer, the last one in '58. This ft was manu. in Feb. '59, so I thought I was in the clear by having the last, fatter/thicker design. So much for thinking! Got the trigger in, it contacted the gf due to it's being the fatter style. I came home, took the trigger out of my '62 ft, it was of the thinner profile. I installed the trigger we had tried in the frame, and it dropped in place and works just fine. This is the jeweled trigger that I showed in a previous post. Hopefully this trigger will work in the frame, and we can get it back together. I will then have to find a proper trigger for it, so I can put the jeweled trigger back where it belongs.

 

[Joey]

The .357 project is finished!! Brought it home today, works and looks great! I decided not to send it to be blued. Touched it up with oxpho. Thanks for all your help, parts and support. Now I need to get it to the range…

 

[JMD101]

Exactly HOW did you manage to purchase a serialized main frame on eBay?

He stated gunbroker.com

 

[BULL'S-EYE]

He stated gunbroker.com

Read post #4.

 

[JMD101]

Read post #4.

You are correct sir! I missed that.

 

[Joey]

I sent some pictures to the guy I bought the frame from on GB, told him I had his dad's gun back together. His return em said "Nice". It is still hard for me to fathom............

 

[Joey]

My .357 flat top and SS flat gate back to par and range ready.

 

[contender]

Looking quite nice there! I enjoy seeing such things rescued & restored.

 

[Joey]

Looking quite nice there! I enjoy seeing such things rescued & restored.

I enjoy doing them! The .357 was a challenge................

 

[Wounded Knee Floyd]

Hey Joey I’ve been in and out of the hospital six times this year so I’ve kinda been out of touch with a lot of people. Glad you got the flat top back together.

 

[Joey]

Hey Joey I’ve been in and out of the hospital six times this year so I’ve kinda been out of touch with a lot of people. Glad you got the flat top back together.

Hey, Wounded Knee! Great to hear from you!! I knew you were going thru some rough times, just glad to you are doing better.

Thanks much, man. I am happy with it. Thanks to the help from folks on this forum, it is back to its original configuration Couldn't have done it without them! I spent about 3 hours last night carefully filing down the recoil plate. It stuck out about 20k from the frame, not allowing a loaded cylinder to rotate. Jerry Kuhnhausen's Ruger revolvers handbook has a section on installing the fp assy, this apparently is common when installing a new recoil plate. Had to be flush with the frame to operate properly. The OM was built tight! Has a bit of end shake which I put in by filing down the cylinder lug, but almost non- existent. Locks up tight. I was planning on taking it to the range today, but the weather is not cooperating.

Thanks for getting back to me, Floyd. Take care, man.

Joey

 

[BULL'S-EYE]

I sent some pictures to the guy I bought the frame from on GB, told him I had his dad's gun back together. His return em said "Nice". It is still hard for me to fathom............

I once knew a guy who would eagerly part out ANY perfectly good firearm, if he thought he could make an extra $20 on it by doing so.
Never could wrap my brain around that kind of mindset either.

 

[Joey]

Exactly what this guy said, he made more by selling them for parts. And he wished he had a bunch more he could part out!!! If my 'smith could get hold of him...................

 

[contender]

Sadly,, greed takes the place of common sense, and good taste. Yes,, often parts are worth a fair amount, over a complete gun. But to purposely take a fully functional & desirable item, and scrap it for profit,, well, not a person I'd enjoy spending time around.

However,, when a person is capable of buying guns that were cut up by a court order, or whatever stupid law made them do so,, and then salvaging the good parts,, KUDOS for them.

 

[Joey]

Sadly,, greed takes the place of common sense, and good taste. Yes,, often parts are worth a fair amount, over a complete gun. But to purposely take a fully functional & desirable item, and scrap it for profit,, well, not a person I'd enjoy spending time around.

However,, when a person is capable of buying guns that were cut up by a court order, or whatever stupid law made them do so,, and then salvaging the good parts,, KUDOS for them.

That is where the cylinder and many of the small parts came from, a "salvage" kit. I would hate to be the guy cutting up all that great hardware!

 

[Joey]

Took it to the range today, trying to teach it to talk again!! Shot great for a ground up re-build! I was pleased with it. My shooting pard shot it, did better than me with it. Said he liked it. I sold him a NM BH .357 4 5/8 last year to finance an OM. I think I have created another OM shooter!

 

[Butterfield]

Great job Joey! That is a cool thing you did. The OM has a New Life.