to customize or not

[daniel lawecki]

41 mag 2008 blackhawk never fired should I rework this gun by gary reeder or jack huntington.

[frankenfab]

I would go with Jack.

What do you mean by customize? If you are going to have a new barrel and cylinder installed, I would find a more common donor gun. If you just want it accurized in the same caliber, I would say go for it. That still might entail getting a new cylinder made, though.

[daniel lawecki]

I really dont have a buget trigger job action job new sights maybe octogon barrel reblue new ivory grips i feel i,ll have 500.00 in real ivory if i can find them. The bluing must be high lustre. With the whole gun gone over with 400 grit sandpaper or finer

[frankenfab]

There's a Reeder "Ultimate 45" on Gunbroker right now. That black chromex sure is pretty. I just can't really get used to the "faux" engraving, as I call it. Gary would seem to be a nice guy, from his writings on his web site.

[daniel lawecki]

nice pics

[44man]

Go with Jack.
The question is just what is needed on an already fine gun? Just a trigger job?
I assure you, after a few thou, it will shoot no better.

[EDK]

I really dont have a buget trigger job action job new sights maybe octogon barrel reblue new ivory grips i feel i,ll have 500.00 in real ivory if i can find them. The bluing must be high lustre. With the whole gun gone over with 400 grit sandpaper or finer

Jim Stroh of ALPHA PRECISION was PISTOLSMITH OF THE YEAR and an officer of THE AMERICAN PISTOLSMITHS' GUILD. Go look at his web site.

Do the custom job by steps. Trigger job; BOWEN Target rear sight; ivory from Paul Persinger...got a set delivered the week end before 9-11; left them in the safe until last May!...about $500 plain; carved ivory is a luxury item and priced accordingly.

Question is do you want ONE SUPER CUSTOM or TWO or more refined STOCK guns? Been there; done that; learned my lesson. I bought an Original Size 44 VAQUERO that someone cut to 3.5 inches for $350 out the door. Cute little cannon, but not real usable. It would cost me $400+ for a new barrel, front sight installed, and re-blue. I can buy another gun what the custom work would cost. AND the guy who had the shortie customized probably spent $500+ on custom work and LOST money on the price of the base gun, let alone the gunsmithing.

[bearcove]

Most important is does it shoot good, New unfired leaves that wide open. Dressing up a *** is tossing good money after bad. Some Rugers are great, some land somewhere at the other end of the spectrum.

Before I spent a dime on it I'd go shoot it some. As far as the customizing a trigger job is first.

And for me thats usually the last.

[x101airborne]

EDK.... You want to make 100.00 on that gun? Seriously. Interested.

[EDK]

EDK.... You want to make 100.00 on that gun? Seriously. Interested.

Thank You, No.

It now has a DRAGOON grip frame that my PAUL PERSINGER carved ivories fit well plus an instant trigger job with the SUPER BLACK HAWK hammer and trigger from our other favorite Texan, 2 Dogs aka Fermin. It would also cost me $50 for FED-EX and a 40 mile drive; or $90+ and 10 miles to the UPS hub to ship.

I'm going to play with it a bit longer. David Carradine carried a nickle plated COLT Sheriff's Model as SHANE on TV back in the 60s. It would be worth some style points at a Cowboy Action shoot, but it was magna-ported and that's a no-no for the SASS shooters!

Thanks again for the offer

[runfiverun]

i'll trade straight up for one that needs the work.
it's been "broken in", triggers smooth though.
it rattles a bit here and there.
out of all 7-8-9 don't rememberfershure black hawks it is my favorite one to carry.
recoils less than my 44 specials with full power jaxketed loads,and is real accurate with my full wadcutter mold.
it's a breeze to carry too [in an old hunters specialties holster and a silk tie for a belt]
nevermind on the trade i remembered why it's "broke-in" so well.

[x101airborne]

Dang, I did not catch that it was magna ported. Not interested in an ear splitter. Good luck with your project. I have several 44 boolit molds for everything from 310gc to 230 full wadcutters. If I can help with some boolits, let me know.

[Whitworth]

Definitely HUntington.

[44man]

Dang, I did not catch that it was magna ported. Not interested in an ear splitter. Good luck with your project. I have several 44 boolit molds for everything from 310gc to 230 full wadcutters. If I can help with some boolits, let me know.

HEY, my friend, it is a .41!
I did not read that it was ported, did I miss that?
The thing is that the gun is unfired, new condition. I would find a gun that has been used a lot, cheaper, to get all kinds of work done.

[Aaron]

I will echo others. Definitely Jack. I have had both.

Aaron

[W.R.Buchanan]

DAn: I'd go with Hamilton Bowen. For the work he does he is very reasonably priced. You can get most all of what you want minus the Ivory grips, for $625 ish. He kind of wrote the book on customizing these guns. In fact he actually wrote a book on the subject, it's a good read.

I went to Terry Tussey who is a noted 1911 guy. I only wanted the barrel cut so I had him cut the barrel to 5" install a Weigand front sight, bead blast and reblue. Cost was about $375 total. It had to be reblued due to the sight install with silver solder.

The Wiegand sight is a must do, as it gives you the ability to change to different height sight blades for different loads. I can run different loads from plinkers to full pop and hit the mark just by slipping a different blade into the front sight. It requires no tools and can be done in 10 seconds!

I installed the Bowen rear sight with interchangeable rear blades and did the action job myself which is pretty easy to do. The gun came out nice. I still have to go back and install my Free Spin Pawl and my full length ejector housing which is a 30 minute job .

I have a BH Bisley in .44 Special I'm going to send to him for the front sight install and refinish to match the other gun soon.

Randy

[x101airborne]

Good Catch 44Man. I did type 44! I meant 41. Sorry for the typo.

[daniel lawecki]

You guys are great reading threads and thinking everything thru. This will not be a 1/2 --- job I,m reading and learning. My 10hr days and weekends will pay for this so i<ll spend that money wisely THANKS ALL OF YOU

[TCTex]

Four for J H...

[44man]

Good luck with your gun, you will love it no matter what you do. If you can afford it, go for it.
I just wanted to point out that the gun is very good as is. Everything else you do is cosmetic and might be very important to you.
It is like fine wood on a gun, nothing better then wonderful wood.