Finally! A Cowboy Double Action!

[HighValleyRanch]

Well, sorta.....
This is the closest I could come. Seen all the threads where someone is asking if there is a Cowboy style DA and all the comments are either Colt Lightening fragile DA or Hi Standard or H&R .22.

So I racked my brains and thought what modern DA revolver looks somewhat like a Single action. The Ruger Security Six came to mind, because of the round single action like recoil shield, and the grip top is similar to the Colt DA or thunderer type top flat top. I know that Bill Ruger was influenced by the classical lines, so I thought that I would take it a bit further with my Security six. Yes, I agree that a Speed six or service six would be better without the adjustable sights, and more "cowboy" like. And if I ever find one, I can just swap out the parts. But this is all I got at the moment, and under the influence of Mr. Jim March, a one gun do it all, this is my best attempt at modding my Security Six to an old western flavor, yet keep all the attibutes I like about modern DA revolvers.

Of course the easiest part was to carve out some Steerhead traditional grips out of mock ivory.....curly maple. Then I decided to mimick the Thunderer more with its birdshead grips by rounding off the back of the grips on the square frame and use that unused portion to drill a lanyard hole. Great for when I am riding out in the back country!
Note: I would have ground the grip frame to a birdshead configuration, but could not get around the fact that the bottom contains the serial number which cannot be destroyed. Any suggestions on this?

I swapped out the trigger guard for a stainless one, because many single actions have the contrasting brass or silver trigger guards. Just swapped out the trigger parts onto a new housing, and if I don't like it, I can easily swap back. The original Security six already had this in mind by using a silver trigger and hammer for contrast. I rounded off the trigger for more comfortable hold.

Finally, I modified the hammer to a Bisley spur as in my other thread. This really changes the look of the Six to what I wanted. Now the gun is easy to cock single action, while retaining the use of DA. I really love how it came out.

Future considerations might be some cowboy scroll engraving, Bowens rough country express rear sights and a brass pin front sight.

But here it is:

[Shotgun693]

It reminds me of some guns I seen and handled that were used before WWII.

[aarondhgraham]

I have always thought the Ruger Security series,,,
Had a bit of a cowboy look to them.

You proved my thoughts very nicely.

Now drop that puppy in a floral carved Tom Threepersons holster,,,
You'll have the perfect transitional cowboy look.

Aarond

[James K]

FWIW, my reaction is decidedly negative. The Security Six is a good gun, but trying to make it look like a single action Colt is like trying to make me into a movie starlet. Won't work and would look like heck if I tried it.

Jim

[Cheapshooter]

Not really impressed with the design. Borrowing from the milsurp world, the word "Bubba" comes to mind!
But hey, if it trips your trigger that's really all that counts. Not my impression of it.

[RichB69]

One of a kind and very coool. Great work.


Rich

[black mamba]

I dig it, especially the Bisley hammer. Nice job!

Now you just need to have the frame color case hardened.

[HighValleyRanch]

Now you just need to have the frame color case hardened

Thanks! Someone else suggested that as well.

[Fleet]

If you did that with a Speed Six or Police Service Six so there weren't any adjustable sights, you just might have something!

[Ozzieman]

Hard not to like any Ruger that’s well worn and fancied up.
Answered Question for you, The Bisley Spur,,, you purchased another hammer and modified it or did the mod yourself.
I have a new Blackhawk in 44 special, great gun but the hammer sucks. WAY to narrow and sharp on the edges. I have been looking for something to replace it and yours looks interesting.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Good work!

I found your other thread and saw how you did the mod. Looks like it turned out nice. Did you do any reheat hardening after welding the spur on?

[HighValleyRanch]

I have a new Blackhawk in 44 special, great gun but the hammer sucks.

Found it! Mr. March is the man to answer this question, but a while back there was a post about putting the bisley hammer onto the blackhawks and vaquero's. It was actually this thread that inspired me to do the hammer mod with the bisley spur, albeit it was more complicated than just fitting a bisley hammer.
Here is the thread:
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=469601

Did you do any reheat hardening after welding the spur on?

I found the hammer to be much softer than anticipated, and that it was not hardened in the particular places that I had to work. I assume that the head that hits the transfer bar, and the sear are the hardened parts. We never got the hammer that hot. The welds were very quick and and we let the hammer cool between each pass. The top one was a fraction of a second tack, and my friend with the wire welder was really awesome. Initial grinding was done slowly without any heating, and the final cleanup was all hand filed.

Given the areas in the previous post on fitting the bisley hammer to the vaquero, or blackhawk, it should be no problem on filing or grinding.
I used a hammer from Powers Customs.

Hope that helps.

But time will tell, and if there are any signs of peening, then I will have to harden it back up.

[James K]

I expressed a negative opinion, but I don't think the term "bubbaized" applies. The work is very well done, and there is nothing crude or amateurish about it. But I still think it looks silly.

Jim

[JD Powell]

I don't even like the old SAA revolvers, but I like what you've done with this Ruger. The lanyard hole idea was a great way to go to a birds head grip without mucking up the SN. Bisley hammer was a good choice also. More people need to realize that factory products are NOT sacred and deserve as much modification as necessary to make them work for you.

[seeker_two]

Very nice....reminds me of some of the Enfield & Adams revolvers from that era.....

[L_Killkenny]

I like it, good work and far from a bubba job. Not sure it's a gun that I would want but that's not the point is it? You did a bang up job and your skills/imagination far exceed mine. I look at my handguns to try to dress em up and just come up shooting blanks. Heck, I can't even decide on new grips for mine most of the time. For your stated goal it looks 100% spot on too me. The originality is tops too without going over board.

LK

[spacecoast]

I'm not a fan of Ruger revolver designs, but that is very cool. Great work.

[HighValleyRanch]

I'm not a fan of Ruger revolver designs, but that is very cool. Great work.

Spacecoast,
Can't wait to take this "old" rig to the next bullseye match and watch them scratch their heads!
It cocks so nice now single action that it might make a really nice bullseye gun, even in it's current trappings. The carved grips give a super handhold so that I can cock single action without losing any grip.
Dry firing some timed and rapid this is a very doable bullseye rig.
Wonder if they will let me shoot this in the Harry Reeves match?

Thanks everyone.
My wife says that I just can't leave stuff well alone. She is right, as I am always looking at things and modifying them.
This was a fun project and the nice part is that I can just change everything exactly back to stock. (Square butt grips would cover up the lanyard hole.)

[B. Lahey]

I think it looks pretty slick.

[spacecoast]

Can't wait to take this "old" rig to the next bullseye match and watch them scratch their heads!
It cocks so nice now single action that it might make a really nice bullseye gun, even in it's current trappings. The carved grips give a super handhold so that I can cock single action without losing any grip.
Dry firing some timed and rapid this is a very doable bullseye rig.
Wonder if they will let me shoot this in the Harry Reeves match?

HVR - I'm sure you would dominate our "fun gun" match!

[Kimbertron]

very nice! looks like it was supposed to come that way!

[Jim March]

The hammer shape is a little bit like the pre-WW2 S&W hammers, such as found on a Registered Magnum:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...opoe5.jpg/sr=1

...'cept bigger .

[TexAg]

Love it! Very cool!

[thibaultfelix40]

I found an El Paso Saddle Threepersons Floral carved hster at a gunshow. I dropped my service six in for a perfect fit. Now you really got me thinking. Great work.

[5thShock]

It looks like you've gotten into an alternate realty in the High Valley of your mind, another timeline branching off from the Old West to a New West. Thanks for showing us this lovely artifact from a better place.

[smee78]

I like it, good work you did there on the hammer.