Revolver question

[cabezaverde]

The gun is a Rossi model 88, a Smith & Wesson snubby 38 clone.

To make a long story short, it needs a new barrel. I have one for this model that I picked up on Ebay when the used to allow that stuff.

2 questions:

How difficult will the barrel change be?

The gun is stainless, the replacement bareel is blued. Any ideas on how to refinish to make the gun look decent? Will Duracoat cover both and look the same?

Other ideas?

[shooter93]

At times it can be very hard to change a barrel. Some of them are in extremely tight and without the proper holding jigs you can bend the frame quite easily. I'm not familiar with duracoat but I would think something like the Robar coatings could be done to both but I could say for sure.

[lathesmith]

Definitely use a frame wrench for this job, NOT the old "hammer handle thru the cylinder window" disaster. Like Shooter93 said, sometimes these barrels are really tight, and it's real easy to tweak the frame. With the right tools, the job should be fairly easy.
Some kind of spray-on finish should work fine, you might even want to do the barrel and cylinder first and see how you like the look before doing the whole thing. Or, if it's just a bang-around piece anyway just install the barrel as-is and not worry about it.
lathesmith

[mtgrs737]

You could have the barrel hard chromed, or satin nickled and then brushed to match if needed before you install it. Have them mask off the threads first if you think the plating would make it too tight in the threads.

[cabezaverde]

What would a smith charge to install the new barrel?

[deltaenterprizes]

You are putting more money into the gun than it is worth and then you will have an abortion!Sell it and buy another used one or a new one.
How old is it? Rossi has has a lifetime warranty since Taurus bought them about 5 years ago!

[unclebill]

i can understand owning a frame and a barrel and really wanting them to get together.
but this might be one of those spending a dollar to save a dime things.
i hope i am wrong.

[lathesmith]

I guess I'm being a contrarian here by saying that I don't think this job is really a very big deal, one I have done satisfactorily several times. It does, however, require the proper tools. Not necessarily expensive tools, but the right ones and the knowledge to use them correctly. Certainly, doing the old "hammer handle thru the cylinder window" IS the wrong way to go about it, and attempting the job with THAT tool would likely end up a disaster.

So from that standpoint I would agree, farming the job out if one is unsure of the undertaking would likely be money spent wisely.

lathesmith

[cabezaverde]

It is well over 5 years old. So this is no reflection on current Rossi standards, I don't know anything about those.

The gun was given to me by my FIL before he died. The problem with the barrel is that it is bored visibly off center.

I had a shop send it to Rossi and they said it was in factory spec for a "belly gun" - gunsmith's words.

[imashooter2]

Very odd. Has a range rod been put down this barrel to check cylinder alignment?

[cabezaverde]

It actually shoots OK. Doesn't spit or anything, just has an off center bore. and doesn't hit where you are aiming past about 5 yards.

[skeet1]

I would take it to my gunsmith and have the barrel installed and while I was there I would ask him about bluing the stainless frame. I know it can be done with some stainless steels. It wouldn't hurt to ask. It would be cheaper than plating.

Skeet1