Some Gunsmith could make a killing (HINT!!)

[Timber Wolf]

Converting GP100 revolvers to .40 S&W moon-clipped. With the price of a S&W 610 (not to mention a 646, etc.) reaching the stratosphere, one would think that a fellow set up to crank out .40 S&W GP100s could sell all he wanted at a fair price, all day long and though the weekend if he wanted to work that much. Heck, I would take one each in 4” & 6”. And yes, if it was bored all the way to 10mm I could live with that too but would really only want the 4” in 10mm (for defense) and the 6” in .40 (for competition/target use). So what about it? Anybody want to do some for say a few hundred bucks a pop with a cleaned up trigger and a few moon clips thrown in? And yes I know guys are doing these, what I am talking about is somebody setting up so-nuff production to get the per-unit price down. Hmmm production line you say, like maybe how RUGER could do them? :wink:

 

[dixie884]

Making 50 or so at a time would make them a lot cheaper................

 

[s4s4u]

I could see the 10, but don't care for the shorty. I'd be first in line for a GeeP in 44 special.

 

[Hooch]

Ditto on the 44 special........... would love to have one

 

[Hammerdown77]

44 would have to be a 5 shot.

10mm would also probably have to be, due to the pressure and need for thicker cylinder walls.

I think they'd sell a goodly amount in the .40 short and weak. (used to be) Good ammo availability at every store (can't be said for 44 and certainly not 10mm), most shooters have at least one .40 semi-auto. For reloaders there's free range brass (if you are willing to bend over and pick it up) and you can probably stretch the capabilities of the cartridge in a revolver platform (not having to worry about unsupported case heads, and bullet shape/weight with regards to being able to feed in a semi-auto).

Actually, I take that back about the 10mm being a 5 shot....

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=179447

 

[Sugar River]

If Dave Clements, with all the resources at his disposal (edm etc.), can't do it for less than $625, sans trigger job, I think the idea of someone else doing it for 3 bills is a pipe dream.
But a nice dream none the less.

 

[WIL TERRY]

I would make a minor wager a pistolsmith could NOT sell a dozen a year, but he'd be outta business before the end of that year.

 

[tulsamal]

Why?? If you want a moon clipped revolver, keep it as a .357.

I can't really agree with that just due to the cartridge length.

I've got a S&W 625 Mountain Gun. Factory chambered in .45 Colt, then gunsmithed to also use .45 ACP in clips. I also can use .45 Colt in moon clips. Just playing around with the gun and clips, I could see how the shorter cartridge works better. There is a certain amount of play in a clip. The tips of the bullets can wriggle around just a bit. In different directions from each other. With the .45 ACP, you can toss those suckers in there like Jerry and they nearly always go right in. But when I try that with .45 Colt, it usually doesn't work without a little jiggling. One bullet ends up pointing in a just slightly different direction than the rest and it catches on the edge and stops everything.

For moon clips... shorter is better.

Gregg

 

[mattsbox99]

Dave is as busy as a bee making them already. IMO $625 is a real bargain for his talent.


Gregg is right, shorter is better with moon clips. There are a lot of ICORE and USPSA shooters loading 38 short colt brass for their moon clipped .357s.

 

[Brasso]

It would be easier to just leave it a .357, but there are advantages to a 10mm or even a .40. The .357 is just so durn loud. The .40 and 10mm are much easier on the ears as well as easier to load.

A factory made .40 GP100 would be really cool even if they couldn't do a 10mm.

 

[Brasso]

When I said easier to load I was referring to how easy it is to stick'em in the cylinder. You're right about the .357 being about as easy to re-load as it gets.

 

[CraigC]

Any gunsmith worth his salt can perform this conversion. Hell, I could do one. All you need to do is pull the barrel, send it to a reborer like LaBounty and rechamber the cylinder. If there was a big market for such a thing, we'd be seeing a lot more of them but I guarantee you that all our wonderful revolversmiths are backlogged with 90% single action work. Not converting GP's to .40S&W or 10mm.

 

[Stoots]

44 would have to be a 5 shot.

10mm would also probably have to be, due to the pressure and need for thicker cylinder walls.

I think they'd sell a goodly amount in the .40 short and weak. (used to be) Good ammo availability at every store (can't be said for 44 and certainly not 10mm), most shooters have at least one .40 semi-auto. For reloaders there's free range brass (if you are willing to bend over and pick it up) and you can probably stretch the capabilities of the cartridge in a revolver platform (not having to worry about unsupported case heads, and bullet shape/weight with regards to being able to feed in a semi-auto).

Actually, I take that back about the 10mm being a 5 shot....

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=179447

That's a beautiful gun!

 

[mindustrial]

I don't think a group order would help.

Otherwise, I'll take a 4" .40 please with moonclips.

 

[Logan]

Charter and Taurus both have 40 S&W snubbies out right now, at reasonable prices. (At least compared to what you pay for a Smith.) I think they are a great idea and may pick one up eventually. But, the gun-buying public does not seem to share our opinion, as the demand for them does not seem that overwhelming. I think a Ruger LCR in 40 might change that, since the gun itself is so popular. (And while you're at it, put an exposed hammer on that LCR; I'd like to shoot it SA, too.)

 

[woodsy]

Why?? If you want a moon clipped revolver, keep it as a .357. The .357 has a much wider power range than the .40 S&W can ever have, can go as low in power and much higher in power. Don

+1 from me!
What a ridiculous idea to have a .40 when .357 doesn't need moon clips, and has a MUCH greater window of handloads!

 

[s4s4u]

(And while you're at it, put an exposed hammer on that LCR; I'd like to shoot it SA, too.)

It would take a few more parts than just a hammer to accomplish this, but I agree.