Modern Custom Revolver

When it comes to revolver fit, the tolerance and accuracy found in modern guns are the best ever. I won’t argue that some classic revolvers are examples of the gunmakers’ art to be admired. Just the same, for hard use there are modern revolvers that need not take a second place to anything that leaves Smith & Wesson’s doors. Stainless steel construction, improved grips in both material and design, target grade flat sided barrels, seven shot cylinders in the L Frame, and superb actions are among the advantages.

There are also drawbacks. We addressed issues with the Smith & Wesson action key lock sometimes called the "Hillary Hole" previously. Removing this lock is deemed prudent for those using heavy loads and intending to engage in pursuits leading to a high round count. Not that a great many of these locks fail—in fact, the number is very small—but you and I don’t wish to be the fellow who drowns in a creek of average three feet depth.

Statistics are fine and give confidence the gun will not fail but possibilities are endless. I like to remove known possibilities of failure even if they’re unlikely. In this custom build I have removed two trouble-prone concerns. Another drawback that has existed for many years is the relative fragility of adjustable sights on revolvers. I say relative as there are examples Far Just the same, there is room for improvement.

in use that have not given a problem since 1937. They offer the shooter the ability to properly sight the revolver in for the given load, be it a 148 grain 38 Special wadcutter at 700 feet per second, a 125 grain Magnum at 1400 fps, or a 180 grain cast flat point at 1200 fps. That is a wide range of bullet weight and velocity and this means a widely diverging point of impact. These micro click sights take a lot of use but not so much abuse.

I have lost count of the number of police revolvers I have seen with the rear sight cleaned neatly away. Sometimes the assembly is ruined, sometimes just the blade. Since these revolvers were worn on the point of hip on a uniform belt they often meet door jambs in buildings and door posts in vehicles. This is why fixed sight revolvers were preferred for police use. While the sight picture isn’t as good and there is little room for adjustment, the fixed sight revolver is a more rugged design.

For this custom build I began with an L Frame Smith & Wesson revolver. The 686 Plus is a formidable piece in most ways. The unfluted cylinder has seven chambers and the revolver features a flat sided target grade barrel. The rear sights are fully adjustable with the front sight semi dovetailed and adjustable as well as replaceable. The action is as smooth as any modern handgun. The checkered grips are nicely done. I wished to end up with a rugged go-anywhere, do-anything revolver.

I have replaced, retired, or traded several "outdoors revolvers" in 38 Special, 45 Colt and 357 Magnum. I prefer a revolver on the hip when hiking and traveling in territory that may harbor dangerous animals, although I suspect they look upon us with the same suspicion we do a burglar or trespasser. Just the same, I think I am on moral ground in preventing them taking a bite of myself or my grandchildren. Feral dogs and dangerous, mistreated domestic dogs area troubling concern.

The 357 Magnum is a good answer for these threats. The revolver would also be suitable for daily carry and home defense. This means a medium size revolver with a modest barrel length. It is not a hunting revolver but it is a very accurate handgun. Since defense use is part of the profile the revolver had to be double action. The Smith & Wesson Pro series features a cylinder cut for moon clips.

The seven-shot clips, available from TK Custom (TKcustom.com, makes for very fast speed reloads that are easily carried but the pistol also functions fine without the moon clips and can also be reloaded with conventional speed loaders. Once the revolver was obtained it was test fired with a variety of ammunition. As expected the custom shop gun functioned well.

As previously outlined in these pages in modifying a Smith & Wesson 625, I removed the action lock and replaced it with a titanium Lock Delete from Original Precision (OriginalPrecision.com, Perhaps a stainless steel version would have

been better but I like the look and the install went smoothly. On to the sights. While the sight picture was fine and the easy adjustment good as-is, I didn’t wish to press a 357 Magnum revolver into hard use with target sights. I began a search for sturdy fixed sights and found them at D&L Sports (DLsports.com, D&L Sports is well known for 1911 and revolver work as well as other firearms. They offers two sizes of S&W revolver fixed sights for J, K, L, and N Frame revolvers.

These sights are snag free and melded to avoid snags as well as offering an excellent sight picture. They also offer pin-on front sights for those S&W revolvers supplied with this system. The revolver illustrated is an L Frame from the S&W Custom Shop and these modern guns make the addition of high It is removable and doing so makes the revolver more reliable. visibility fixed sights much easier.

Under the adjustable sight body of these handguns are three holes already drilled in the frame or upper receiver commonly referred to as the topstrap using common 6-48 taps. While the Torx screws supplied by D&L Sports were perfect for my revolver, they warn that topstrap thickness differs between revolvers and that you may have to shorten the supplied screws. No problem there for most applications. First order of the day is removing the S&W adjustable rear sight on the top strap using a 30-2 screwdriver bit.

The sight will easily press out. Most shooters do not realize there is a track in the topstrap the rear of the sight slides into. A square bottom secures the sight and the adjustment/elevation screw rides in this base. If it isn’t properly lined up when you push this sight into its track, move the sight adjustment screw until it is square with the track. Don’t pull up but press the sight to the rear for removal. The sight is held by a single screw.

The D&L sight is carefully slid into place and should be a snug fit in the tang track. The stabilizing lug on the bottom of the D&L sight should slide into the semi circle recess at the rear of the top strap. If it doesn’t slide in easily enough, carefully stabilize the sight with your thumb and lightly tap the sight into place with a rubber hammer until it is seated. Lightly oil the recess before this procedure.

D&L tells us that if the dimensions do not mesh then the sight may be slightly oversize and is easily dressed down. I hope all installments go as smoothly as the one illustrated. I locked the sights down with the supplied screws, tightening each in turn until they were locked in rather than tightening just one completely first. It always seems things seat better this way. The proper bit is the 3-32 used in my Real Avid kit.

Check the revolver topstrap and be certain the screws are flush rather than protruding; the cylinder can be scratched with overly long screws. D&L offers tips on how to shorten the screws but I did not experience this difficulty. D&L recommends blue Loctite be applied to the screws holding the sight when installation and adjustments are complete.

It is possible to adjust the rear sight with machine work and the front sight may be moved as well. Elevation adjustment may be done on the rear sight and you may use standard adjustment procedure with these sights. I did not order a D&L front sight but may well make the leap and order one in the near future as it isn’t difficult to change it.

D&L also notes that the S&W Carry Comp Model 19 has an undersized tang groove at least in some models, stating 0.001 is required to be removed from the sight tang to square things up. This would be simple enough but I have no first hand experience with this as my sight installation was trouble free.

After removing the lock and replacing it with the Lock Delete insert and then fitting fixed sights, I felt that the revolver was well suited to hard American Gunsmith Mailing List Policy Like many other publishers, we make portions of our customer list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services we believe you may enjoy.

If you do not wish to receive these offers, and/or information, please let us know by contacting us at: American Gunsmith Opt-Out Program Norwalk, CT 06854 Please include your current mailing label. Far use. The action was left as issued. I am not going to touch a stone or file to metal injection molded parts and neither should you. This is a rugged hard use revolver.

Two parts, the action lock and the adjustable rear sight, have been removed in order to increase the revolver’s viability for hard use in the wild and also for defense use. The fixed sight design is also far less likely to snag during a presentation from concealed carry. I find the revolver as modified a cut above the factory-issued version. AG