Originally Posted by
Rapier
The 357 Mag would be a better choice as it is more versatile, shoot the 38 Spl and 357 Mag both. Just re-barrel, because the chamber cut ruined the authenticity to start with.
You can cut a cup in the bolt face, with a flat end mill bit, and reduce the firing pin diameter for protrusion at the pin nose, stopping the forward travel of the firing pin on the rear of the bolt as normal, not usin the busing as the pin forward travel stop The fired case thrust is to the rear of the bushing, so using black Locktight at 6k shear strength is totally sufficient to hold the faced off bushing in pace, when the busing is bottomed out in the cup. All the bushing does is center the reduced nose of the firing pin. A simple description of how I do my high pressure pin and bolt modification, like for the 357 Super Mag/225 WM conversions.
A few I have redone, leaving a 6" straight .900 in th chamber area to mount 541 scope bases too and the forend too. The forends are glass bedded and the two forend escutcheons are made from cartridge bases cut, drilled and glass bedded. I replace the coil springs with new, cut to proper length.