Convert model 27 to 44 special ??

[sagamore-one]

I came to own a model 27 Smith with a bulged barrel and am thinking of having it re-bored and rechambered to 44 special. Anyone here have actual experience in this conversion? I would appreciate contact info of someone who can perform the work, and do so with some degree of finesse.
Thanks...........

[square butte]

Hamilton Bowen can do the work - One of the best if not THE BEST. No personal experience but others here have had done so. I'm sure they will chime in. Just do a google search - He'll be right there.

[Artful]

I had a friend do a 28 - made a PPC gun out of it - gunsmith bitched like heck as the cylinder was very tough steel to cut - made for a short cylinder 44 compared to model 29.

[sagamore-one]

That's just what I had in mind..... a short cylinder,44 special target gun.

[tonyjones]

bowenclassicarms.com

[Trey45]

S&W Model 27 converted to 44 Russian.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/SimonLegree/5.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/SimonLegree/2.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y243/SimonLegree/9.jpg

A friends gun, he had a gunsmith in Virginia do the work, the worlds slowest gunsmith I might add. You might try Andy Horvath or Clements if you find the Bowen price too much.

Notice the details on that 27, blackpowder chamfer on the cylinder, pinned barrel, the deep polished blue finish. I wish it was mine.

[Piedmont]

I came to own a model 27 Smith with a bulged barrel and am thinking of having it re-bored and rechambered to 44 special. Anyone here have actual experience in this conversion? I would appreciate contact info of someone who can perform the work, and do so with some degree of finesse.
Thanks...........

You are probably looking at $600 or so. What era of M27 do you have (27 dash what?). What barrel length? How does it shoot? If it shoots and the barrel doesn't look externally like the snake that swallowed an egg, I would enjoy it as-is.

It might be interesting to drive a cast bullet down to that bulge if it doesn't shoot and have a gunsmith see if he could tap it all around and push the steel back down. Just a crazy idea.

If you are going to go ahead with a conversion you could do some really cool things, like make a .41 Special or a PROPERLY DONE .41 Colt, like never left a factory before. Starline makes .41 Colt brass, though it is very expensive and no one makes .41 Special brass now.

A properly made .41 Colt should have a barrel groove dimension of about .385" with correspondingly small cylinder throats. Men would envy you and women would want to be yours if you made this a .41 Colt.

[Artful]

Men would envy you and women would want to be yours if you made this a .41 Colt.


:)

Not the least bit attached to 41 Colt are ya.

[StrawHat]

I reworked a M28 to handle the 45 ACP. The rebore and rifling was done by Dick Nickel (deseased) and the project was a lot of fun.

There is a gunsmith in Ohio that did a lot of conversions from 357 to 44 Special. I do not recall his name or have any contact info but if I come across a reference, I will post it.

Found it,

Andy Horvath

Diagonal Rd. Gun Shop (14131 Diagonal Rd., LaGrange, Ohio 44050).

You might also check with Van Schnieder, he has done some nice work for me.

(419) 626-3034 or gunworkscustom@sbcglobal.net

[358wcf]

You can't go wrong here- Ham did my M27 to 44Spec conversion about 3 years ago-
Surprizingly quick turnaround (about 6 wks), and a fantastic job. Looks just like a factory job from the 1950's- flawless work, especially his action smoothing/trigger job. Pay the price and know you have a masterpiece when its done- you won't be sorry.
Not a year after doing the job, I found (& bought) a new, unfired M24 44Spec from the 1980's-- it is very, very nice, but Bowen's work is BETTER than the factory Smith-

Great work is not cheap-

Chuck
358wcf [smilie=1:[smilie=1:[smilie=1:

[sagamore-one]

Thanks Guys for the input and info. Much appreciated !!
Now the rest of the story........... I got two basket case model 27-2 Smiths from the estate of a gunsmith. Both guns were NON functional and not all there. It took two weeks to get the first one up and running, found that the frame was out of "spec" and was in need of tweeking in the hammes recess area. I need a rear sight to complete this one. It is 5 inch blue and absolutely beautiful. The second is a 6 inch with the bulged tube. You cannot visually detect the bulge from the outside, but you can see it and feel it with a patched rod. It is now shootable and needs a rear sight also. It has spots where rust had begun. This is the doner for the 44 special conversion.
My goal is to have a matching trio of model 27's in 5 inch. I already have a 5 inch niclkel, the recently acquired 5 inch blue, and with any luck, a 5 inch 44 special.
Lofty goal indeed.
Any one have a spare rear sight assembly they would be willing to part with ??

[skeet1]

I had a Model 28 that someone had converted over to a .44 Spl. and it was one of the best revolvers I ever owned. They also nickeled it. I carried it as a deputy sheriff for some time before we went to auto loaders. This gun had a 4 inch .44 spl. barrel they had found somewhere. I only wish that I wasn't so stupid as to have let it go.

Ken

[square butte]

Are the 27/28 cylinders capable of being rebored for .45 acp? Barrel as well? That would also be a great conversion.

[376Steyr]

Check out Jim Stroh of Alpha Precision. I recently had him assemble a .44 Special on a M686 for me and he did great work. I was on his waiting list for 6 months, but his turn-around time was about 3 weeks, probably helped by me supplying all the parts needed, including a barrel that was already re-bored to .44 .
If you have somebody local you trust to remove the barrel for you, you can get if re-bored by Delta Gun Shop. They did my work and I was happy with them.

[EDK]

Jim Stroh would be my choice...I've used his services for over 20 years. He doesn't get all the free advertising that the other guys get, but his work is recognized by his peers as second to none.

NU-LINE GUNS converted a Model 27 to 44 Special for me back in the 70s. I had a factory 6.5 inch barrel and the gun came out perfect. It unfortunately was part of the guns stolen in a burglary in 1978.

A Model 27/28 may not be capable of being converted to 45. My brother had a Model 28 converted to 45 colt and the bolt notches were paper thin, and ended up showing the casings through the deepest part of the notch. Your gunsmith should be able to do some measuring and determine if this is the case. With some Model 29 cylinders available on gunbroker, etc. I'd consider that approach for safety reasons. 45 ACP cylinders are available enough for a simple swap.

If you have an urge for exotic conversions, you need to acquire a copy of Bowen's book, THE CUSTOM REVOLVER.

:Fire::castmine::redneck:

[StrawHat]

Are the 27/28 cylinders capable of being rebored for .45 acp? Barrel as well? That would also be a great conversion.

Some are, some are not. I fitted a new 45 ACP cylinder to the revolver and the barrel was just large enough to be rebored and rifled. For the 44 conversion, the barrels and cylinder should be fine.

[Char-Gar]

You can sell your 27 and buy a 24 for far less than you will have in the 27 plus the conversion work.

[sagamore-one]

Looks like I'll be dealing with Andy Horvath.

I Really appreciate all the input and referrals.
Thanks Guys

[StrawHat]

Looks like I'll be dealing with Andy Horvath.

I Really appreciate all the input and referrals.
Thanks Guys

Good to hear!

Naturally, photos and a range report are mandatory when the work is complete.