Does swapping the barrels on a revolver hurt the integrity of a gun?

D

dubsRedhawk

New member
At some point in the next several years I am going to be inheriting my dad's model 19-3 2.5" Smith that was on his LEO hip for many years. It is priceless to me. With that said, a 2 1/2 isn't all that much fun to shoot, and it hasn't been shot much. I was thinking it would be fun to put a 4" or 6" barrel on it for accuracy, keeping the original. It's a pinned and pre-lock gun. Obviously a gun smith with make this change. I just wouldn't want to do this is there is ANY way the gun couldn't be compromised. Not sure if they are never the same when this is done.

Thanks for any insight!

Dub
 

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The 2 1/2 is the most sought after combination. I'd either keep the gun as is or sell it and buy the gun you want.

It's possible to swap barrels, but it's easy to do it incorrectly. The first challenge will be finding a barrel that matches close enough to the current finish of the gun so it does stick out like a sore thumb. With a pinned barrel I've seen it on a number of guns where someone was trying to remove the pin and marred up the frame. Then comes the fun of trying to get the new barrel to line up exactly so the sights aren't canted.

If you don't like shooting .357's with the 2 1/2 barrel just stick to 38 special. The guns just as accurate with any barrel length, but the longer sight radius makes it easier for you to aim. Shooting the shorter barrel will force you to become a better shooter
 
Reddog has a good point. If that revolver was carried for years, the finish will be well worn and a new barrel will look very odd. I suggest that you call/contact S&W and inquire about having them do the work and (if you want) refinish the gun to original condition, thus assuring that the appearance is uniform and looks factory new.

Jim
 
DO NOT CHANGE A THING ABOUT THAT GUN!!!

Sorry to yell at you, but that revolver is perfect as is. Take reddog81's recommendation and shoot 38spl out of that beauty. Recoil will be next to nothing.
 
I suspect that finding a matching nickel barrel for that gun might be difficult. I wouldn't change it. One more vote for 38 Specials.
 
I don't know about today, but years ago, certain gunsmiths were S&W warranty factory repair stations. We had one in my town, until he retired and closed his shot in the 90s.

As for getting S&W to do the work, call them. But assume that they won't have the barrel for that old, discontinued model. And since they dropped pinned barrels in the 80s, may not even have anyone experienced in the old style work anymore....

I vote for keeping the gun as is, for sentimental & heirloom reasons. Save your pennies (ok dollars) and get a 4 or 6" to play with.

It's likely you could get a used 4 or 6" gun for about what you will wind up spending finding and getting the right barrel for your gun, and paying a QUALIFIED gunsmith to change them out.
 
"...2 1/2 is the most sought after..." Depending on where you are. Get you arrested up here. snicker.
"...a 2 1/2 isn't all that much fun to shoot..." Yeah it is. If pop didn't put Pachmayr grips on it, do that and shoot .38 Special out of it.
However, if you insist, changing the barrel will do nothing to the revolver. Like 44 AMP says, it'll likely cost as much as buying another revolver. No Model 19barrels from Smith as of 2010 at least.
 
I think I have heard enough to just leave it as is. No way in hail I will sell it. Funny thing is it's neither nickle nor stainless. There was a finish put on it back in the 60's and I can't remember what my dad called it. It was like a treatment. I think the stainless ones where a "66" and this is a 19. Definitely not nickel. Any ideas?
 
As you have read, done correctly, swapping the barrel should not hurt the integrity of a gun, but may hurt it's value, or the demand for it.


As for the finish....Hard Chrome?
 
I replaced the 2.5" barrel on a Model 19 with 4". Did nothing but improve the gun. I hope the present holder appreciates it, whoever ended up with it after it was stolen.
 
Jim,

You're a better man than I. I would wish a nasty malfunction on the thief that ended up in the loss of something (eyes, fingers.....etc).
 
IDK, buy that sure looks more like my Model 66 from that same era to me, and the grips aren't original, so if comfort is paramount, the suggestion about Pachmayr or similar rubber grips is sound advice. So is the using 38s. I have a 19-3.

I have a 19-3 RB 2-1/2" gun and it is fun to shoot with my 38 158LSWC loads; not so much with full house 357.
 
The finish is Armoloy- an industrial hard chrome plating process. It's a very good finish.
My opinion is that you leave Dad's gun alone and learn to shoot it just as it is.
.38 special 148 grain wadcutters will make it seem like a .22.
 
Glad you have decided to leave it be for a slew of reasons..top three being it was Dad's trusty sidearm for so long, the 2.5" bbl is very desirable and increases the value of it significantly over 4 and 6" models (not that you will be selling it) and lastly it sure makes a nice carry piece with good horsepower in a small and easy to conceal package. There are J-frame 357's out there that alot of people seem to be enjoying, I have a 4" m19-3 and have no issue running full house loads out of it.. I think I could deal with a 2.5" just the same. ;)
 
The armoloy finish sounds right and thanks for the reminder. As for any recoil, that was not my concern. My daily carry is a Ruger LCR in 357. It's certainly a 19-3 as indicated on the frame by the crane. I love the grips and they need to stay. Barrel is going to stay too and the more I think about it, messing with its originality was not a good thought. He was with the Sheriff's dept from '61 to '87! I just need to buy my 6" 686 back and be done with it!

Thanks for the insight guys.
 
As to swapping out barrels, consider this: I had to have my S&W Model 29 rebarreled. This gun was one of those that was not pinned originally. Once the original barrel is removed, the new barrel will likely require pinning. Smith gave me the new barrel, but I had to have my gunsmith drill and pin it.

Bob Wright
 
I take a different approach. Many shooters have never used a good gunsmith and are afraid to have something like this done. Most couldn't even tell you who they'd use if they really needed one. I am not one of them. I've used talented gunsmiths for all sorts of jobs, from large to small.

If you never intend to sell Dad's old gun there is no reason to even bring up value, which is a tired old justification for keeping guns unmodified. I don't understand this need to never lose a nickel on a firearm. This is silly. Life is short and if you're deathly afraid of losing $200 on a gun after using it for decades, maybe you should take up knitting. If you want it to be a 4" or 6", go for it. Model 19 barrels should be easy to find and the finish should be easy to duplicate. As it so happens, Bob Cogan of Accurate Plating should be able to do the finish work but is also a very good gunsmith and capable of this job.
 
You're a better man than I. I would wish a nasty malfunction on the thief that ended up in the loss of something (eyes, fingers.....etc).
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I wish the actual thief nothing but bad, but the likelihood is that a nice gun like that was soon sold for dope or booze money and has moved into normal channels. Some solid citizen probably has it, not knowing it is mine. I don't know how thoroughly stores run guns against crime reports, probably not much.
 
jackmoser65 said:

I take a different approach. Many shooters have never used a good gunsmith and are afraid to have something like this done. Most couldn't even tell you who they'd use if they really needed one. I am not one of them. I've used talented gunsmiths for all sorts of jobs, from large to small.
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You are mighty right there. When you are on speaking terms with you local 'smith you can get guns shipped far less than without one. Further you get little "freebies" done at times, more often then not while you wait. And if local you save a bundle on shipping costs.

My 'smith is Keith Warner, local man, good credentials, dang good gunsmith.

Bob Wright
 
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