Unscrewing a Revolver Barrel

T

TrumpetShooter

New member
Is it possible to unscrew a revolver barrel ever-so slightly in order to adjust the front sight blade? The gun I am talking about is a Taurus Model 65, .357 magnum, double-action revolver, blued, with a 4-inch full underlug barrel.

I recently noticed that my Taurus barrel was screwed in about 2 degrees too far. :barf: (It came that way from the factory). The Taurus service department said they would fix it under warranty, but I would have to pay about $50 for shipping to have it done.

Is this is a matter of backing out the barrel just a hair? Is it an easy fix? Is it something a do-it-yourselfer can do? How much would a smithy charge?

By the way, the cylinder gap is between .004 and .005 now.

This barrel problem doesn't seem to make any difference in sighting at 10 yards. Even at 25 yards my groups appear to be less than a half inch to the right of POA with my most consistent handloads, as well as factory ammo. Also, this problem does not keep me from ringing the 100-yard gong with handloaded .357's. Still, I would rather have the sight blade running exactly perpendicular, if feasible.

FYI, this is my primary carry revolver. I also take it deer hunting 'just in case.'

Any suggestions? Thanks
 
This is one of those things to NEVER try at home, it's a gunsmith ONLY job, and the gunsmith MUST have the correct frame wrench and barrel blocks specifically for that model of Taurus.

VERY few if any local gunsmiths will have specific Taurus tools, even though they may claim to. Too many will try it with the wrong tools and may damage the gun. You may not be able to see the damage, but you'd probably notice that your gun no longer shoots as well, or has "problems".

Some people may tell you to do it yourself by sticking a hammer handle through the frame, but this is a sure and certain way to spring or break the frame.

Not only will this probably damage the gun, but the barrel will not stay put.
These barrels are torqued in place, and unscrewing them even a little will cause them to back out when fired once the torque is backed off.

Your best option is to return the gun to Taurus and let the pros with the right tooling do it.
They'll probably do it for free, and they won't ruin a nice gun.
 
Thanks for the info. I was afraid of that.

I'm not inclined to spend $50 for shipping the gun back to Taurus. I don't exactly trust them to do the job to my satisfaction the first time I send it in. It seems to me if they really knew or cared about what they were doing, they would have done it to start with. What if they don't do the job right? Their policy is that the customer pays shipping to the factory, and Taurus pays the shipping back to the customer. I could be out a whole peck of money before it's over.

I think I'll just keep the Taurus 65 for now and use it for a carry piece, and maybe sell it or trade it some day for a used Smith or Ruger. I know what to look for in a used (or new) revolver now. I've learned a lot from the people on this forum.

Thanks again.
 
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