Extending a revolver barrel ?

Improving and repairing firearms. Rifle bedding, barrel work, stock replacement and other ways to improve your firearms.

Extending a revolver barrel ?

Post by Florey55 » 07 Feb 2022, 8:03 am

Question for all you gunsmiths out there - both professional and amateur.

I suspect I know the answer, but I'm going to ask anyway.
Introduction =

I very recently acquired a lovely 1917 manufactured Colt Officer's target revolver in .32 Police (aka .32 S&W L) - pictured below.
It came with a letter from the Colt Archives confirming date made, and where it was first shipped etc.

Image

Problem =

The Colt letter states that this was made with the standard 7.5 inch barrel, but the gun's barrel measures 5 inches. So, in the past 105 years, it appears that the barrel was shortened to 5 inches.

Image

My Question =

Is it possible, or feasible, for a skilled gunsmith to attach a 2.5 inch barrel segment to the 5 inch barrel so the extension work is undetectable?

Or to make a new barrel identical to the original, including rifling, twist rate and even the font used to stamp the revolver's model and caliber details on the side of the barrel.

It turns out that this is quite a rare revolver, with only 20 known to be made in .32 for this model and series.

I really like the gun, have no intention of selling or misleading anyone, but would like it to look original.

This is what it's supposed to look like.

Image
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Re: Extending a revolver barrel ?

Post by rc42 » 07 Feb 2022, 8:30 am

Never heard of this being done but it sounds like a direct talk with a number of local gunsmiths would be the best way forward.
I have a suspicion the fabrication of a new barrel would be easier than welding on an extension, plus it keeps the process reversible.

If extending, the outside probably wouldn't be too difficult to make look reasonable but would devalue the pistol and the weld would always be a weak point and there are some huge pressures inside barrels. I suspect the difficulty would be in cutting the new rifling to match the existing.

A new barrel could probably be fabricated by turning down a rifle blank on a lathe, then you can go to any length you want to.
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Re: Extending a revolver barrel ?

Post by straightshooter » 07 Feb 2022, 8:57 am

It might be doable but there will always be some evidence as to what has been done and there may be questions as to whether the finished product will be safe or durable owing to just how thin some metal barrel parts may be. At least the original factory engraving will be intact.
This is what might be feasible.
Remove barrel and tig weld on the required barrel extension.
Tig weld to fill any other holes.
Machine the barrel to match the barrel profile.
Line bore the barrel to accept a suitable liner if available or turn down a section of barrel to act as a liner.
Refit the front sight, reblue and fit up.
I doubt that any professional gunsmith would even consider doing the job.
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Re: Extending a revolver barrel ?

Post by bladeracer » 07 Feb 2022, 9:07 am

Possibly the barrel was replaced with a shorter one?

Personally, I wouldn't touch it. Being shortened is a significant part of its history. It might've been done as soon as it was acquired so may have spent its entire life in this configuration. Just because it was manufactured with a longer barrel is no reason to be changing it now.

It's far too rare to be messing with it just for appearances.

But if you really want to enjoy shooting it "as issued" I would make a new barrel from scratch and swap them over. But not if there is any risk of damaging it during the swap.

The barrel can be extended by machining a piece from scratch. You might be able to use a common broach but might have to make a broach to rifle it to match groove width, number and rate. Thread the muzzle and the extension, screw them together. cut the extension to index the rifling with the original. Then cut to length, crown, and install the sight blade. Depending on rifling direction you may have to pin or weld it. This is not a high-pressure cartridge by any measure. You would likely have to remove the barrel to do this, which does have some risk of damaging it.

I would consider the pistol to no longer have any collector value though.
Last edited by bladeracer on 07 Feb 2022, 9:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Extending a revolver barrel ?

Post by No1_49er » 07 Feb 2022, 9:09 am

[quote="Florey55"]Question for all you gunsmiths out there - both professional and amateur.
I suspect I know the answer, but I'm going to ask anyway.
Introduction =
I very recently acquired a lovely 1917 manufactured Colt Officer's target revolver in .32 Police (aka .32 S&W L)
It came with a letter from the Colt Archives confirming date made, and where it was first shipped etc.
Problem =
The Colt letter states that this was made with the standard 7.5 inch barrel, but the gun's barrel measures 5 inches. So, in the past 105 years, it appears that the barrel was shortened to 5 inches.
My Question =
Is it possible, or feasible, for a skilled gunsmith to attach a 2.5 inch barrel segment to the 5 inch barrel so the extension work is undetectable?
Or to make a new barrel identical to the original, including rifling, twist rate and even the font used to stamp the revolver's model and caliber details on the side of the barrel.
It turns out that this is quite a rare revolver, with only 20 known to be made in .32 for this model and series.
I really like the gun, have no intention of selling or misleading anyone, but would like it to look original.

It WAS "quite a rare revolver", but because a previous owner has reduced the barrel to 5", the provenance has effectively been trashed.
I'd be inclined to leave well alone. Bluing on a new barrel will never match what is there currently.
An "extension"? How would you match the rifling? A bloop tube with no rifling? Would be quite obvious from the junction of metalwork and bluing.
You can make it look however you want, but you'd better be prepared to throw away the Colt letter of (original) provenance.
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Re: Extending a revolver barrel ?

Post by No1Mk3 » 07 Feb 2022, 8:47 pm

G'day Florey55,
Forget about extending the current barrel, whilst I could attach an extension in such a way as to be invisible externally, it would involve refinishing the entire barrel, and in order to make the pistol matching would need the frame done also. This would not include the bore which would remain 5" and the extension back bored a few thou over size, the lack of rifling would be visible from the muzzle and i doubt it would shoot very well. If you really want the 7 1/2" barrel, have one made and fitted, this is really quite easy for any competent gunsmith familiar with revolvers, but put the original away to be re-fitted if ever you sell the gun as it cannot be said to have provenance in any form other than what it was when you recieved it. Best result, enjoy your lovely 5" .32 Colt, Cheers.
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Re: Extending a revolver barrel ?

Post by womble » 08 Feb 2022, 4:04 am

Thread and muzzle brake then ?

J/k
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Re: Extending a revolver barrel ?

Post by Bugman » 08 Feb 2022, 7:28 am

Me thinks it better to get one made, as stated before.
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Re: Extending a revolver barrel ?

Post by Florey55 » 08 Feb 2022, 12:03 pm

I think the best option would be to have a new barrel made - as a few of you have correctly suggested.

However, I think it would be nigh on impossible to match the Colt factory rifling and twist, and also the size & font of the Colt stamps on the side of the barrel, so I'll think about it....( and more likely do nothing ! )
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Re: Extending a revolver barrel ?

Post by bladeracer » 08 Feb 2022, 1:15 pm

Florey55 wrote:I think the best option would be to have a new barrel made - as a few of you have correctly suggested.

However, I think it would be nigh on impossible to match the Colt factory rifling and twist, and also the size & font of the Colt stamps on the side of the barrel, so I'll think about it....( and more likely do nothing ! )


It sounds like you want to replicate the original barrel, but I can't see any point to that, unless you intend to refinish the frame and cylinder to match.

Do a cast of the rifling, then make a broach to match.
Screw the new length onto the original barrel. Measure how far out the index is, machine off enough to align the new rifling with the original rifling. Not a difficult job. No different to indexing a muzzle device.

If you wanted to match the stamping you will have to make a set of dies to match that also.
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Re: Extending a revolver barrel ?

Post by Bottleshock » 08 Feb 2022, 5:32 pm

Seems to me that if there really were only 20 of these made in this series then what you have is a very rare item and I wouldn't be doing anything to it until you get the full story of how/why it ended up with a shorter barrel. If only 20 were made then it was never a commercial item and must have been for trials or prototyping?

My opinion, leave it the hell alone! :-)
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Re: Extending a revolver barrel ?

Post by Florey55 » 10 Feb 2022, 8:17 am

"My opinion, leave it the hell alone! :-)"

I think this is really good advice
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Re: Extending a revolver barrel ?

Post by bigpete » 10 Feb 2022, 8:33 am

Florey55 wrote:"My opinion, leave it the hell alone! :-)"

I think this is really good advice


Will 3rd that sentiment
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