Greetings,
I have previously posted a thread about a Winchester 1903 that I converted to .25ACP, mostly to annoy collectors and make most people question my sanity. Now, I have located all of the parts and just started the wait to pick up a S&W 64-7 (10 day gun jail). I am usually a terrible one to remember documenting the stuff I do, so I am starting this thread to shame me into keeping a record. This conversion does not have any twisted underlying purpose, it stems from the complete lack of a full/medium size double action revolver for this under-appreciated cartridge. With the only full size DA revolver being the now discontinued GP-100, I finally decided that the only way to scratch this itch was to build it myself. I do not profess to be the first to do this, but merely, that I am the builder and I am doing it slightly different than others.
Ingredients: S&W 64-7 .38spl. from some law enforcement agency (qty. 1).
S&W 648-? .22WMR cylinder (qty. 2, in case I screw up).
????? 7.65mm/.311 barrel blank 5.5" long (qty. 2, for the same reason as above).
Evil squirrels currently taking up residence between my ears.
Tooling: Graziano 14X60 lathe.
Bridgeport 9X42 mill.
Miller TIG welder.
Various chucking reamers.
.327 Federal cylinder reamer (will rent when required).
Once the gun is in hand, I will be fitting the 648 clinder to the 64-7 frame for the tightest lockup, then I will line bore the chambers to the desired pilot size for the cylinder reamer, depending on wait, I may cut the cylinder chambers if the reamer is available. While waiting for the gun to be picked up, I have a spare model 64 barrel that I will be boring out to larger than thread diameter, which will actually turn it into nothing more than an outer sleeve or shroud. It will then be back bored from the muzzle to a larger diameter for a distance of 1-2". One of the blanks will be turned to the correct diameters needed and threads will be cut to fit the frame. The remainder of the barrel blank will be machined to the profile of the inside of the "sleeve", but the section that will seat in the back bored section will be several thousandths oversize for an interference fit. The blank will be chilled and the "sleeve" heated to allow the parts to go together and then become one once the temeratures equalize. I will probably also use sleeve retainer for a permanent fit. The barrel will then be fitted, indexed, cylinder gap set and forcing cone cut. Depending on my level of enthusiasm, most of this work is pretty quick, but timing the order for the rental chamber reamer, may affect my timeline. Once the work is done. I will weld up the caliber markings and have the barrel engraved with the new caliber. Maybe S&W will have an epiphany and finally reintoduce the Model 16 or create a 616, such as Green Frog has built. I love .32's and I only gunsmith anymore to build the hare-brained ideas that I am too cheap to pay someone else for. I have some pictures of the starting steps on the barrel and I will try to post them tonight.
Mark