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View Full Version : A Single Action conversion to .40 S&W


klcarroll
03-26-2011, 01:28 PM
I'm considering a possible "Poject Gun": .......I want to convert a Ruger Blackhawk in .357 to .40 S&W.

Some of the work I can do in my shop, ....but the one operation I definately CAN'T do is the reboring and re-rifling of the barrel.

.....And I am wondering if it is really worth it for me to buy the tooling required to rechamber the cylinder: Unless I'm saving a substantial amount of money, I'd rather let a pro do the rechambering too.

Can anyone recomend a shop that does this sort of work?

Thanks!

Kent
ReloaderFred
03-26-2011, 02:04 PM
Rather than go to the trouble of reboring, etc., I'd watch for a Buckeye conversion Blackhawk in 10mm/.40 S&W. They came with both cylinders and I've even seen one shooter using blackpowder in his.

Hope this helps.

Fred
Piedmont
03-26-2011, 04:09 PM
Rather than go to the trouble of reboring, etc., I'd watch for a Buckeye conversion Blackhawk in 10mm/.40 S&W. They came with both cylinders and I've even seen one shooter using blackpowder in his.

Hope this helps.

Fred

Those were 10mm/.38-40, with no .40 S&W option.
jblee10
03-26-2011, 04:30 PM
How about rebarreling? I've been thinking of a blackhawk with an octagon barrel in 10mm and 40 s&w. But also think it probably makes more sense to get a Blackhawk in 41 mag and just load it to different levels. And because I don't have a 40 auto I'll probalby just go the 41 mag route.
Wayne R. Scott
03-26-2011, 05:21 PM
Those were 10mm/.38-40, with no .40 S&W option.

I am reasonably certain that you can shoot .40 S&W in the 10mm cylinder of the Ruger Buckeye. and yes the other cylinder is indeed .38/40.

Wayne
Aaron
03-26-2011, 05:22 PM
Jack Huntington is making a five shot 40 S&w for me on a Single Six. I am sure he could help.

Aaron
ReloaderFred
03-26-2011, 06:00 PM
My mistake, the other cylinder was .38/40. I know they will shoot .40 S&W, since I saw it done and questioned the shooter about it at the time.

Fred
rbertalotto
03-26-2011, 06:50 PM
Jack Huntington is making a five shot 40 S&w for me on a Single Six. I am sure he could help.

Now THIS sounds nice!

Who is this "Jack" fellow?
rststeve
03-26-2011, 08:31 PM
Is there a cheap surpluse of 40 S&W some where? I would stick with the 41 Mag it will be worth more in the long run IMO.
klcarroll
03-26-2011, 10:49 PM
Is there a cheap surpluse of 40 S&W some where? I would stick with the 41 Mag it will be worth more in the long run IMO.


Yep! .......There sure is!! .......At my house!

I am "The Reloader" in the little group of plinkers I shoot with: .....And I reload .40 S&W for three of them.

I have a Dillion permanently set up for that caliber; .....and I am sitting on about 10,000 rounds of .40 S&W brass!

......So yeah! .....I guess you could say that there are a few rounds available around here that I can lay my hands on inexpensively!

Kent
Piedmont
03-27-2011, 02:01 AM
My mistake, the other cylinder was .38/40. I know they will shoot .40 S&W, since I saw it done and questioned the shooter about it at the time.

Fred

OK, so how does it headspace? There is no extractor as there would be in a semi and there is no moon clip holding it like you could do with a DA revolver. If I'm remembering correctly the .40 and 10mm are the same except for length. If the shoulder in the cylinder is set to headspace on front of a 10mm case, then it won't work with the .40. What am I missing?
rbertalotto
03-27-2011, 08:15 AM
You don't need a rim on a SAA revolver as you have the manual ejection rod.

The cylinder would need to be set up with headspace for either 40S&W or 10mm.

I'm not sure a Ruger Single Six frame could take the punishment of the 10mm, but it might be fine with a 40S&W............
ReloaderFred
03-27-2011, 04:11 PM
Piedmont,

I truly don't know how he did it, only that he did. I was working the unloading table at a match and he was pushing out .40 S&W brass with the ejector, and he was shooting black powder. It didn't make sense to me at the time and I didn't question him further about it.

I do know that he came to the match with a friend who is a gunsmith, so he may have had a cylinder reamed for the .40 S&W case and fitted to the 10mm revolver. I honestly don't know the details.

Hope this helps.

Fred

PS: I do have a S&W 610 revolver and it uses moon clips for both the 10mm and .40 S&W cases, but that's not possible with the single action Blackhawk, so the chambers must have been headspaced specifically for the .40 case.
S.R.Custom
03-27-2011, 05:52 PM
Was it a Vaquero?

The Buckeyes were 38-40/10mm, but I know a guy who's got a Stainless Vaquero Convertible in 38-40 & .40 S&W. (It was a special run for one of the distributors back in the 90s. He bought two, but sold one of them not long ago.)

And they made these, too:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=220763271
MT Gianni
03-27-2011, 05:54 PM
OK, so how does it headspace? There is no extractor as there would be in a semi and there is no moon clip holding it like you could do with a DA revolver. If I'm remembering correctly the .40 and 10mm are the same except for length. If the shoulder in the cylinder is set to headspace on front of a 10mm case, then it won't work with the .40. What am I missing?

Would a 40 S&W case and a long bullet loaded to 10mm length be how it was done?