J. P. Sauer single action gunsmithing/conversions

MoBart · September 25, 2009, 12:35 PM

Ok guys, this is probably a dumb question. I was going to ask my local gunsmith/friend but haven't seen him when he has a free moment so here goes.

I bought a J. P. Sauer and Sohn L.A. WESTERN SIX-SHOOTER model at the last gun show here in town. I have had one ot two before, cool full sized single actions in .22 are lots of fun to me, and these old hunks of iffy junk are cheap and fun to play with. So with a loose barrel and broken grips I looked around on the web finding parts and came accross lots of centerfire barrles and cylenders. I'm a .357 magnum fan and am curious if I can convert this to shoot .357? Its a steel frame gun, and the cylender window is long enough to support them (pretty basic check I held a .38 special up to the cylender and had lots of room left over, probably 3/4 of an inch)

David the Gnome · September 25, 2009, 01:46 PM

I'd never feel safe shooting 357 Magnums out of a gun built for use with 22's.

Jim March · September 25, 2009, 01:54 PM

I wouldn't and I don't think any reputable gunsmith would.

First issue, just regarding cost, is that you have to have the firing pin relocated. Right now it's off-center for rimfire ammo and won't hit a 357 at the primer.

Second and maybe much bigger is, did the factory do a "lesser" heat-treat on the .22cal gun to save money versus the .357 models? Which isn't easy to figure out. Ruger tends not to, they usually do the same (good) heat-treat and metallurgy on everything. So you see stuff like, a gun that started as a .22 Single Six gets converted later to 32H&RMagnum or even the new 327 with a new cylinder.

But Ruger's policy in that area is VERY unusual. More or less all other makers vary the underlying metallurgy depending on caliber/power needed.

Bill DeShivs · September 25, 2009, 03:32 PM

The JP Sauer centerfire guns were completely different guns than the .22s.

MoBart · September 26, 2009, 10:05 AM

Ok, I thought it was a dumb idea but couldn't figure out why. I never thought about the firing pin needing to be relocated. So, poor me, I have ot find another old junker gun to start a project with.

CraigC · September 26, 2009, 11:10 AM

You would spend way more to do any such work than it would cost to procure one already chambered in .357Mag. I used to see them all the time for well under $300.

sackpeterson · September 26, 2009, 12:14 PM

I considered a centerfire conversion for a Great Western .22 (they are much easier to find than a factory centerfire). The Great Western shares a loose history with the JP Sauer's, insomuch as I think Hy Hunter probably had a Great Western reverse engineered for his Hawes line (built by JP Sauer). The Hawes had a similar hammer and fixed firing pin.

For the GWs the .22 cylinder, while full size, is not hardened like the centerfire cylinder. It can not be bored out for a centerfire conversion. I think its very likely the JP Sauer sixguns are the same.

September 25, 2009, 12:35 PM	#1
MoBart Senior Member Join Date: September 25, 2009 Posts: 267	J. P. Sauer single action gunsmithing/conversions Ok guys, this is probably a dumb question. I was going to ask my local gunsmith/friend but haven't seen him when he has a free moment so here goes. I bought a J. P. Sauer and Sohn L.A. WESTERN SIX-SHOOTER model at the last gun show here in town. I have had one ot two before, cool full sized single actions in .22 are lots of fun to me, and these old hunks of iffy junk are cheap and fun to play with. So with a loose barrel and broken grips I looked around on the web finding parts and came accross lots of centerfire barrles and cylenders. I'm a .357 magnum fan and am curious if I can convert this to shoot .357? Its a steel frame gun, and the cylender window is long enough to support them (pretty basic check I held a .38 special up to the cylender and had lots of room left over, probably 3/4 of an inch)

September 25, 2009, 01:46 PM	#2
David the Gnome Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2007 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 3,092	I'd never feel safe shooting 357 Magnums out of a gun built for use with 22's. __________________ Si vis pacem, para bellum.

September 25, 2009, 01:54 PM	#3
Jim March Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 1999 Location: Pittsburg, CA, USA Posts: 7,417	I wouldn't and I don't think any reputable gunsmith would. First issue, just regarding cost, is that you have to have the firing pin relocated. Right now it's off-center for rimfire ammo and won't hit a 357 at the primer. Second and maybe much bigger is, did the factory do a "lesser" heat-treat on the .22cal gun to save money versus the .357 models? Which isn't easy to figure out. Ruger tends not to, they usually do the same (good) heat-treat and metallurgy on everything. So you see stuff like, a gun that started as a .22 Single Six gets converted later to 32H&RMagnum or even the new 327 with a new cylinder. But Ruger's policy in that area is VERY unusual. More or less all other makers vary the underlying metallurgy depending on caliber/power needed. __________________ Jim March

September 25, 2009, 03:32 PM	#4
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,981	The JP Sauer centerfire guns were completely different guns than the .22s. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

September 26, 2009, 10:05 AM	#5
MoBart Senior Member Join Date: September 25, 2009 Posts: 267	Ok, I thought it was a dumb idea but couldn't figure out why. I never thought about the firing pin needing to be relocated. So, poor me, I have ot find another old junker gun to start a project with.

September 26, 2009, 11:10 AM	#6
CraigC Junior member Join Date: November 28, 2001 Location: West Tennessee Posts: 4,300	You would spend way more to do any such work than it would cost to procure one already chambered in .357Mag. I used to see them all the time for well under $300.

September 26, 2009, 12:14 PM	#7
sackpeterson Junior Member Join Date: February 10, 2009 Posts: 12	I considered a centerfire conversion for a Great Western .22 (they are much easier to find than a factory centerfire). The Great Western shares a loose history with the JP Sauer's, insomuch as I think Hy Hunter probably had a Great Western reverse engineered for his Hawes line (built by JP Sauer). The Hawes had a similar hammer and fixed firing pin. For the GWs the .22 cylinder, while full size, is not hardened like the centerfire cylinder. It can not be bored out for a centerfire conversion. I think its very likely the JP Sauer sixguns are the same.