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Your dream "Frankengun"


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I am sure that many of us wish for a certain type of firearm that was similar too, but never actually made, the things made by the gun makers of old.   The only way you could ever obtain such a gun would be to create it out of mixing and matching parts of different guns together, and possibly some custom made parts.

 

The most famous "real life" example of a Frankengun that actually exists, or at least it did at one time, was a Colt SAA with oversized Navy grips, and an 8" cut down Marlin octagon barrel in .45 Colt.  I think those are the correct specs, but you get the idea.   This was the inspiration for the "Big Iron" in the Marty Robbins song, and if I recall correctly, the current owner made a post about it once on the wire here.   

 

So in other words, with enough imagination, parts and a competent gunsmith, almost anything could be created.   With that in mind, what would you, if you had means to make it happen, like to create?

 

For me, I'd take a Winchester 71  (can't bring myself to do it to an 86) replace the barrel with one from a Winchester 95 in .30-40 Krag and extend the magazine to barrel length.  Assuming of course that the Krag cartridge would fit through the action when loaded with bullets for the .30-30.

 

For a pistol, well, something like the aforementioned Big Iron would be wicked cool, but that's cheating as it was someone else's idea.    But I'd be very happy to get a revolver, or two, chambered for the .50 Spencer cartridge.  Probably have to start with something chambered for one of the 50 caliber super magnums and get a custom cylinder for it.

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I think the most famous Frankengun would be John Wayne's colt, starting life in 1901 as a 44-40 bisley and being converted to a 45 colt with standard grips but oversized trigger guard.

 

For me, I would love to have a 51 RM, but somehow converted to shoot 44's or 45's. I love that mean looking loading gate, the navy grips, and that octagon barrel, but I would want it in a bigger bore.

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6 minutes ago, El Hombre Sin Nombre said:

I think the most famous Frankengun would be John Wayne's colt, starting life in 1901 as a 44-40 bisley and being converted to a 45 colt with standard grips but oversized trigger guard.

 

For me, I would love to have a 51 RM, but somehow converted to shoot 44's or 45's. I love that mean looking loading gate, the navy grips, and that octagon barrel, but I would want it in a bigger bore.

 

51 RM?

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Just now, Marshal Hangtree said:

 

I'd love to have an open top in .44-40.

 

Pretty sure Springfield Slim does. Get some .44 open tops and you can bore the cylinders out (mine probably aren't for sale).

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Just now, Tyrel Cody said:

 

Pretty sure Springfield Slim does. Get some .44 open tops and you can bore the cylinders out (mine probably aren't for sale).

He does indeed. I have seen them. Very nice guns

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1 hour ago, El Hombre Sin Nombre said:

...For me, I would love to have a 51 RM, but somehow converted to shoot 44's or 45's. I love that mean looking loading gate, the navy grips, and that octagon barrel, but I would want it in a bigger bore.

 

Buy a Pietta frankengun to start with, a '51 in .44 Cal, and throw a gated Kirst cylinder and ejector on it.  It will look a lot like a R-M but the firing pin isn't on the hammer.

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H.K. that is pretty dang cool! Like a pocket sized Gattling Gun! 

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39 minutes ago, Smokey Dave said:

H.K. that is pretty dang cool! Like a pocket sized Gattling Gun! 

 

Heh, I guess so.

 

Funny story as to it's creation.   A few years ago, a cap and ball version of this hit the market.  I was talking about it at the range one day, and in the course of the discussion, I commented on how I'd like to have a cartridge conversion version of it.

 

Well, I said that in the presence of the great Happy Trails.   Next time I saw him at the range, he had created this little thingee, and said it was for sale.  I hesitated, but then I bought it.   According to PaleWolf, this would be a main match revolver, not a pocket pistol.

 

 

 

 

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Did someone say "frankengun"?!?!?!?!?!

 

Here's my collection of what I would have built back in the day...

 

Top: my snubbie Walker with a 45 Colt conversion and original 9" barrel. Under that my snubbie .36 colt 51 "Navy" with fluted cylinder and standard barrel. To the left, my snubbie "belly gun" 58 Remington with custom birdshead grip and 45 Colt conversion cylinder. Far right my Cobra derringer with .22lr, .22mag, .25acp and a 32acp barrel I modified to chamber 32 s&w. Under that is what I actually call "the frankengun". I built it from spare parts I've accumulated over the years. It's an h&r top break with a 38s&w barrel and cylinder fitted to it and a 32s&w long cylinder and barrel fitted to it. It also has some s&w j frame grips fitted to it. Take out one screw and I can quickly change calibers. It's my side match gun. And lastly, my pair of stainless 5.5" Uberti 58 Remingtons with gated Kirst 45 Colt conversions and Mason style ejectors. Fitted to them are front sights for a hawken rifle I reshaped and fitted. They also have Wolff mainsprings for a SAA installed. Those are my main match guns and my pride and joy.

 

Next guns I build for main match guns will be octagon barrel 5.5" 75 outlaws... In 45 Colt, of course...

IMG_20190710_210521.jpg

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Oh and I forgot my "Bruce, you can't do that, it needs to go to a gunsmith" gun...

 

My Baikal izh-43e 28" screw in choke barrels and the Bounty Hunter II 20" barrels I fitted to it myself. I just couldn't bring myself to cutting the long threaded barrels, so I bought a set of 20" barrels off eBay for $100. Yes it was a ton of work to get them to fit and open and close right and a lot of trial and error, but it was a fun project and it was worth it! 

IMG_20190710_213254.jpg

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13 hours ago, El Hombre Sin Nombre said:

...

For me, I would love to have a 51 RM, but somehow converted to shoot 44's or 45's. I love that mean looking loading gate, the navy grips, and that octagon barrel, but I would want it in a bigger bore.

 

Here's an AFF RM '51 in .44 Colt
(NFS)

 

 

AFF 1851 RM .44 Colt 2.jpg

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I want matching 1895 Winchester Mares leg pistols in 30-06.

 

Also would like a freedoms arms revolver in 454 with a 18" buntline barrel.

 

For shotgun I want that literal hand cannon thing that Jim Bowie used in John Wayne's version of the Alamo.

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10 hours ago, Chuck Steak said:

I want an 1860 Henry and a pair of Colt 1851 revolvers - all chambered to shoot 9x19

That should be feasible. I don't know if anyone makes a .38 Special Henry, but  you should be able to block up the lifter and replace the barrel. I don't think the rim is involved in controlling feeding? 1851s would just need proper Kirst cylinders. I don't know about the cost, but this fine gentleman was able to craft .44-40 cylinders for Ruger Vaqueros so I could use .429 instead of .427 bullets and quit sizing every darned one of them. I bet he could cut 9mm Kirst cylinders for 1851s. 

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20 hours ago, Badlands Bud #15821 said:

That should be feasible. I don't know if anyone makes a .38 Special Henry, but  you should be able to block up the lifter and replace the barrel. I don't think the rim is involved in controlling feeding?

 

Nobody makes the 1860 Henry chambered for 38 Special. Only 45 Colt and 44-40. And Uberti made a few at one time chambered for 44 Special. The reason is with the barrel and magazine machined from a solid bar of steel, a Henry rifle is much heavier than a rifle with a separate tubular barrel slung under the barrel. My Uberti 1860 Henry weighs a whole pound more than my Uberti 1873. Both are chambered for 44-40 and both have 24" barrels. A Henry chambered for 38 Special would be even heavier, since the smaller hole would leave behind more metal. That's why nobody makes a Henry chambered for 38 Special.

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How's this for a Frankengun?

 

This is an original (not modern reproduction) 1858 Remington that has been modified to shoot 32-20 cartridges.

 

Remington%201858%20Conversion%2032-20%20

 

 

 

 

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I'm not sure where the cylinder came from, the dimensions do not match a C&B cylinder.

 

Cylinder%2001_zpsgamuuaja.jpg

 

 

 

 

The chambers have been sleeved.

 

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A cartouche is still showing on one of the grips.

 

Cartouche%2002_zpsoieupg0z.jpg

 

 

 

 

A firing pin was added to the hammer.

 

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The backstrap was welded up and a small rear sight added.

 

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The barrel appears to be a cut down rifle barrel, perhaps a Winchester barrel, judging by the front sight.

 

Remington%201858%20Conversion%2032-20%20

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6 minutes ago, Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 said:

How's this for a Frankengun?

 

This is an original (not modern reproduction) 1858 Remington that has been modified to shoot 32-20 cartridges.

 

Remington%201858%20Conversion%2032-20%20

 

It's quite beautiful.   If you ever wanna sell it, please think of me.   :)  I'd start loading .32-20 black powder for this gun.

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And speaking of .32-20's...

 

1910958938_32-207-12Colt.thumb.JPG.111147370c3f506414154f71e6a56846.JPG

 

According to its factory lever, it left the factory in 1881 as a .44-40.   It is currently a .32-20.   Colt has no record of the change, but one gunsmith I showed it too, said it has the loo of something done in the 1920's.   I have no idea.  Not super Frankenish, but it's clearly not in its original configuration.

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Here's another one.

 

A Smith and Wesson No. 2 Old Army sleeved to fire 22 Long Rifle ammunition.

 

No%202%20Old%20Army%2022%20RF_zpsg6y2owk

 

 

 

 

No%202%20Old%20Army%2022%20RF%2003_zpswn

 

Old%20Army%2022%20Conversion%20chambers%

 

 

 

 

Note how the 'ejector rod' under the barrel on the modified No. 2 was cut down to pop out the spent 22 brass. Here is what the 'ejector rod' on a normal 32 RF No. 2 looks like.

 

No%202%20Old%20Army%2032%20RF_zpstvyooh4

 

 

 

I don't have a photo of the hammer face, but a little bit of metal was welded on to form a firing pin to strike the smaller 22 Long Rifle rims.

 

Yes, I have fired it, but not with standard 22 Long Rifle ammo. I'm afraid the latch up would be too weak for that. I fired it with a few rounds of very low powered 22 Longs. Just a few shots to make sure it works, no more than that.

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Oh, I just can't resist.

 

How about a Colt Richards Conversion. Not Richards Mason, the Richards Conversion preceded the Richards Mason Conversion.

 

Richards%20Conversion%20with%2044%20Colt

 

Richards%20Conversion%20Disassembled_zps

 

 

 

 

A Frakengun if there ever was one. Cylinders were cut down from 1860 Army cylinders. A Pietta 1860 Army cylinder on the left, the Richards Conversion cylinder on the right.

 

Richards%20Conversion%20Cylinder%20and%2

 

 

 

 

The 44 C&B cylinder was bored through to make chambers for a new cartridge called 44 Colt.

 

Cylinder%20Detail_zpsciq7mr1o.jpg

 

 

 

 

A Conversion Ring was screwed to the frame to make up for the space where the nipples were, and a loading gate was added.

 

Loading%20Gate_zpsveoabefw.jpg

 

 

 

 

An ejector rod assembly was made up and screwed into the hole where the loading lever was originally mounted.

 

Richards%20Conversion%20Ejector%20Assemb

 

 

 

 

A frame mounted firing pin was added, and a rear sight raised up on the conversion ring.

 

Frame%20Mounted%20Firing%20Pin_zpsi7ncnv

 

 

 

The Richards Mason conversion came along a little bit later. It got rid of the crazy kludge of an ejector rod and got rid of the frame mounted firing pin.

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Driftwood, that Richards Conversion is a dream gun. I'd love to have one. I'd even be happy with a modern replica. Thanks for posting that one.

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