Henry Rifle Forums

A crappy windy 37 F today so great time for my 1872 Colt OT .44 project. Wanted to make up a 3 inch barrel for a cool little belly popper and the
extra barrel came in this morning. So out to the shop for a little lathe work. Have to make up a fixture to hold barrel for the crowning and small brass sight if I choose to add that. What do you think... add front post sight or no sight?
New barrel required a bit of deburr and fitting and will pick up a new wedge to fit in place as the original is too tight for this barrel. I could file the .010 out of the barrel slot but it has to be done perfectly flat and straight for wedge to fit correctly. Maybe easier to just skim some of another wedge.
Blue up end of barrel and be done.

Nice job! No need for a sight on a belly gun. Point and shoot.

Paul

Headhog wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 14, 2023 6:02 pm

Nice job! No need for a sight on a belly gun. Point and shoot.

Paul

Yep that's my thinking too.

That is lovely

Finished up the barrel with crowning and bluing. Now just need to get another barrel key and fit it. Hopefully Taylors & Co. will have one since the other place I found the barrel will be closed all next week.

Much praise for Taylors and Co. for shipping out the barrel wedge quick. I ordered it Thursday and it was shipped out by USPS 1st Class Mail Friday morning. It got here this morning at Noon! Getting the fit right is a real trick and treat. Had to add shim in the cylinder arbor hole so it would bottom out when barrel base bottoms on frame. Without that the barrel will cock up binding cylinder rotation. Too late today for a range trip and rain on Sunday so there is Monday to see how this short barrel project with shoot!

If anyone needs an extra wedge for these type revolvers Taylors has about 40 of them with other folks being out of stock.

Heading to the range today to try this thing out and will bring along my 1873 Uberti/Winchester .44 carbine. A nice combo!