Anybody do a steel ring on brass revolvers?

[docone31]

Does anybody know of someone who can machine in a steel shim to shoot strong loads in a brass frame revolver?
I know it can be done and it eliminates the "stretch" of the frame.
The recoil makes the teeth on the cylinder hammer into the frame on each shot. The old fix was to machine out the inner groove and install a steel ring.
Might make a cool revolver.

[RED BEAR]

I would think you could buy a steel frame revolver for the cost of having a brass one machined. Machine work ain't cheap.

[LAGS]

sounds like a good fix for a brass frame that is already hammered and thus almost worthless.
But that would be If you were doing the work yourself.
But like was said in another post, just buy a Steel frame for less money.
Adding a steel insert is not the best Idea to Increase the loads you will be able to shoot out of a brass frame.
It should be just to prevent excessive wear or Battering for loads that the pistol was designed to shoot.

[LAGS]

sounds like a good fix for a brass frame that is already hammered and thus almost worthless.
But that would be If you were doing the work yourself.
But like was said in another post, just buy a Steel frame for less money.
Adding a steel insert is not the best Idea to Increase the loads you will be able to shoot out of a brass frame.
It should be just to prevent excessive wear or Battering for loads that the pistol was designed to shoot.

[arcticap]

Another way is to put a thin steel washer around the outside of the recoil ring instead of on the inside of it.
Then there's no need to machine a steel shim, only some soldering and filing work.
I'll copy & paste the instructions below about using the right solder and which size part to purchase.
But I don't know anyone specific who does the work.
Perhaps you have a friend who can help you with it if you can't do it all yourself.



This was originally posted by a gunsmith named "rifle" on thehighroad.
Notice that he provides the size of the bushing that's needed.
He also wrote that it's important that the nipples don't contact the bushing and cause a chain fire, so the nipples should be shortened.

""Fuzzy but gets the idea across. The thin steel backplate can be seen around the frames recoil ring. So with the recoil shield thin steel backplate installed a person can buy a cheaper Colt and make it last as long as a steel framed as long as it isn't overloaded or the wedge installed incorrectly and the arbor is pulled loose.

A brass framed revolver can be made to last almost indefinitely if used juduciously and not over loaded. By over loaded I mean the same loads that would be an over load for a steel framed revolver. A brass framed revolver can handle the same manufacturer recommended loads as the equivilent revolver in steel framed. The revolver has to have a small modification to it to increase it's longevity.

The modification is to acquire a "thin rimmed bushing" from an auto store or tractor repair store or a good hardware store. The size to get that usually fits with less filing is 7/8ths by 1 3/8ths in 14 gauge. This thin steel bushing can be made to closely fit around the recoil shields "ring of brass" that the cylinder recoils into on it's rearward travel when the gun is fired. That ring the Colts have is to insure the capped nipples don't contact the recoil shield(frame behind the cylinder) and cause chain fire. If that thin ring is bolstered or protected by the bushing then the gun doesn't acquire the peens in the ring that dent(six dents in the ring where the cylinder area between the nipples contact the ring when the gun fires and the cylinder recoils) and give the gun the overly large cylinder gap the brass framed revolvers are known to acquire easily. The thin steel bushing is installed around the frames recoil "ring" to protect it. The steel bushing doesn't deform and thus protects the frames ring from deforming. The bushing has a large hole in it like a large thin washer. It's installed on the recoil shield of the gun around the recoil ring by soldering it in place. The procedure for fitting and soldering the steel bushing "backplate" takes maybe an hour. Just the bushing and a small file and a means to solder( 60/40 acid core solder works really easy and does a good job but low temp silver solder is good too) is all you need. With that thin steel backplate installed(the size mentioned above is actually a couple of .001's thicker than the standard ring on the brass framers(Ubertis and San Marcos) so until the gun breaks in(takes a long time) the brass recoil ring is never contacted by the cylinder recoiling into it since the cylinder recoils into the steel backplate made and soldered on the frame. The only thing to be sure to do if you install the thin steel backplate around the frames recoil ring of brass is to shorten the nipples some. The capped nipples can't contact the new thin steel backplate or they can cause chain fire. There is usually enough hammer nose to reach the shortened nipples. Shorten and reshape the nipples cones by putting them in a drill and filing them. Shortening the nipples can be easily facilitated by simply rebating the shoulder or "seat" more that the nipples seat down onto."

[docone31]

Great food for thought here.
Steel would be cheaper, but I need a small barrel for my .44 Navy. The move lost mine. They actually cost more than a new revolver in brass on Ebay.
Mayhaps the steels will come back, who knows. I like the idea of a washer.

[TheOutlawKid]

I have a friend who shaved down the brass ring on the body that gets indented by the cylinder...he shaved it down about half way then replaced the area he sanded down with a steel washer he thinned down around ths sides to be the exact size of the brass ring. He actually added about .002 of thicknes to that ring and.it helped close down his cylinder gap to .003 which was better than what it was at. He shoots hot loads in that gun and hasnt stretched or messed up in anyway. It was given to him by the previous owner who shot hot loads and dented the brass ring on the body whenever the cylinder slammed back into it. It didnt take much work either. Had it done within a couple hours.

[bedbugbilly]

I'm sure that the machining out and installation of a steel washer may be a "fix" - but don't forget that if you already have a brasser that has been hammered by recoil, the cylinder pin probably/may be loosened as well.

I really don't mean to be critical - but I don't understand those that want to shoot heavy loads in a revolver or rifle that was not intended to have heavy loads? I'f a person what's to shoot "Ruger Only" loads in a cap & ball - or perhaps I should say the cap & ball version of the "Ruger Only" loads - then at least get a steel frame revolver. For all the monkeying around to make a brasser reinforced . . . . you could be shooting a steel frame where you don't have to worry about the cylinder hammering on the recoil shield. Eventhough you are limited by chamber capacity - if you want to shoot magnum loads - find a good ROA or step up to a Walker.

[John Taylor]

I did one years ago with a steel ring. Don't believe it's worth the trouble. And as already stated, the cylinder pin will go next with heavy loads. Problem is that the same cylinders are use in both steel and brass frame guns and the brass frame will not hold up with full loads in a 44.

[arcticap]

New Pietta brass Colt frames cost about $60 or less on eBay with free shipping.
There are also new and used Pietta steel Colt frames priced from $109 to about $139 with free shipping.

All of these frames include the arbor.