Dipping my toes into the "custom" revolver waters.

Crazy Carl

are ya freakin' kidding me?
Life Member
Multi-Factor Enabled
Joined
Dec 16, 2016
Messages
7,690
Location
Bonner Springs, KS
Rating - 100%
7   0   0
More like semi-custom, actually. I've got a stainless 6.5", .41Mag Blackhawk. Beautiful gun, smooth action, great trigger & absolutely miserable to shoot with full power loads.

Found a package deal on a Super Blackhawk Hunter grip frame, hammer & trigger. The Hunter grip frame is a stainless SBH grip frame, but without the squared back trigger guard. The SBH works great for me with cruise missile .357Max loads & will be perfect for warm .41 loads (I've got Bisleys for getting rambunctious) & I much prefer the lower hammer spur, as well.

I'ma send the grip frame out to have some nice walnut or rosewood grip panels fitted. Once they're back, the grip frame will be installed & fitted, hammer installed & a patridge front sight blade installed.

Hoping to find a local smith to do the work, but if I have to send it out, I'ma splurge a bit & see about some minimal coverage/accent type engraving.

Nothing flashy, but will be a damned nice pistola when done.
 
Keep us posted!
 
Minor update, as progress begins.

Here's what I'm startin' with-

new 41.jpg
Sending the SBH grip frame to Chig's Grips, to have these fitted. Satin finish with Ruger medallions.

034-1.jpg


Grip frame will go out next week & he's quoting a 5 week turn around. Hoping to find a gunsmith semi-local to do the work, but expect this project to take a goodly while. 'N that's okay, this gun is no fun to shoot in its stock configuration & it's not like I don't have other .41s to play with in the meantime. Also makes it easier for me to get this gun done with minimum interference from the missus ;)
 
Change 2- she's going to Bobby Tyler for his accuracy package, fitted Belt Mountain base pin, Patridge front sight blade & accent(think A coverage) engraving, along with the grip frame & hammer.

Financial circumstances improved suddenly & the missus told me to pick a 'smith & send it out.
 
Welp, she went out today & should be in Mr. Tyler's capable hands shortly. He described the engraving as an understated, gentleman's working gun vibe, 'n with those grips, I'm thinking this will be a stunner. I buy maybe 1 or 2 guns a year at this point & it seems the missus don't mind me sending one out for some lovin' every now & again.
 
Hey! It’s been over two weeks...we’re impatient and need pichers!
 
Pfff. I expect this project to take at least a few months. I know both guys' businesses are really booming right now. I don't know if Tyler's has an in house engraver, so that's a consideration as well.
 
Yeah, I figgered as much. Doesn’t make me any less impatient.

Stumbled upon the thread today, fully expecting to see pretty pistola pics at the end.
 
Last edited:
Actually very surprised & pleased so far with Tyler's. I'd always gotten the impression that gunsmiths were crotchety & the best way to slow down your work was to keep bugging them for updates. Just sent the gun off Friday & got an email from them yesterday that it had arrived & a text this AM that the grip frame was going out for grips.

I've never heard anything but high praise for their work & based on my interactions with them thus far, I will definitely be giving them more of my business.
 
I might have to explore a Bisley frame for my Blackhawk .41 - all I shoot is full house JHPs and even with a Hogue Rosewood monogrip its not so comfy. I shoot nuclear loads out of my Bisley .45 Colt with thin panels no issue.
 
I have 2 Rugers, a shorty Bird Head and a 5" Blackhawk. I also have an older Beretta SA with a Birdhead and an old beater 1st gen Colt. All 45LC. I'll CC the shorty Ruger or Baretta once in a while in a crossdraw. Love the old Wheelguns. Want to put a smile on your face? Load up some BP rounds and get the smoke, sparks, and stink. Along with that BP thump.
 
Never owned anything but Ruger single actions so far. I'd like to check out SAA types at some point, but it's still a ways down the road. Still need to buy another Max to have a .414 Super Mag built & a birth year S&W 57 to round out my herd of .41s.
 
This beautiful Turkish walnut & my grip frame are on their way back to Bobby Tyler. A bit less flair at the bottom & a little fuller toward the top. Ought to be just right for my mitts with the SBH grip frame. I've been reading more & more positive reviews about his work & am very excited to get 'er back & find out for myself. I recently saw a pic of his 1/4 coverage engraving on a stainless Bearcat- this is gonna be one sexy 6-shooter when done.

SBH turkish walnut.jpg
 
I might have to explore a Bisley frame for my Blackhawk .41 - all I shoot is full house JHPs and even with a Hogue Rosewood monogrip its not so comfy. I shoot nuclear loads out of my Bisley .45 Colt with thin panels no issue.
Try Ronnie Wells grip frames. The frame will fit you instead of you trying to fit the frame with your hand.
 
Try Ronnie Wells grip frames. The frame will fit you instead of you trying to fit the frame with your hand.
Thanks, now I will have to spend money. 😉
 
I've got one of his "Bear Skinner" +4 degree brass Bisleys with leopard wood grips on the way for another project.
 
Do NOT spend any time on singleactions.proboards.com. That place has cost me some serious money.
I guess I'll have to spend more time in the shop reinventing the wheel.

Those gripframes could have saved me a lot of time and headaches and money over the last few years trying to create the gripframes that I wanted.
 
That's why he started doing them. He's a single action nut & likes to make cool stuff & keep cowboy guns alive. Crazy machining background- these are CNC'd to a gnat's ass, requiring minimal fitting & shaping/finish to taste.

NOT cheap by any means, but guaranteed to fit & way less labor to finish than a casting.
 
That's why he started doing them. He's a single action nut & likes to make cool stuff & keep cowboy guns alive. Crazy machining background- these are CNC'd to a gnat's ass, requiring minimal fitting & shaping/finish to taste.

NOT cheap by any means, but guaranteed to fit & way less labor to finish than a casting.
And the verity that he offers is astounding. I've got a single seven that might be getting one of his grip frames. Decisions, decisions 🤔
 
And the verity that he offers is astounding. I've got a single seven that might be getting one of his grip frames. Decisions, decisions 🤔

Old Model, New Model, brass, aluminum, longer, shorter, longer reach, angled, finger grooved, Dragoon trigger guard, rounded, or extra big for gloves, standard trigger or Bisley... I believe he's doing some work on doing triggers & hammers as well.

He's a super cool dude. Very down to earth & genuine.
 
Welcome to the sickness! You are coming along fine. It just takes patience and cash. This .44 is the only semi-custom I have left and she will hang around with me and the dogs. Stocks by Scott Kolar. The Bar-T rig was made by Mike Barranti with permission from Bart Skelton. It was the first one he had done. Single actions can be addicting and you can dump a pile of money into them real quick but you only live once. I kept this one simple but I must admit, I have a thing for octagon barrels so.....F28D4AB5-938D-4B82-BD20-A8BA09D46A90.jpegF9A29FA2-CBFC-4CAB-ACF1-0178447A4948.jpeg
 
I've got one of his "Bear Skinner" +4 degree brass Bisleys with leopard wood grips on the way for another project.
I'm putting a Bradshaw Bisley finger groove large from Ronnie on a 475L with ivory stocks. Also getting a single six hammer with the SBH wide spur. He is also working on a small frame for the ol lady's really small hands that'll end up on a 41mag Blackhawk. Love his work even if it is going to leave me broke!
 
Thank you. This was to be my first custom, but I had barely sent this off when a Clements built .41 Special Blackhawk fell in my lap. I know, first world problems ;)

Great start.

I've been putting it off for years and now I'm getting caught up in the hysteria. I realize supply is short and demand is high and prices are reaching intergalactic levels. With that in mind I am searching for deals and it seems they do pop up from time to time. After the world problems of course...lol
 
Good Lord!...I was just a bit cold from being outside with the mutt. Now I'm wet and cold from all the freak'n drooooool!
That is gorgeous!
 
Thats just the right amount of engraving! Not too much that you don't want to use it, just enough to make it standout!

Beautiful
 
I've got pile of nice guns, including some rare birds like my stainless Ruger .41s, but rather than buying more nice guns, I wanted to start making what I already had even nicer.
 
Back
Top Bottom