I finally picked up some scrap steel to practice rust bluing. It is a pleasure to watch you work and has inspired me to learn some new things.
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Mr. Belly Gun
- Thread starter Sharps40
- Start date
New parts for the ejector system. Starting with steel and we'll see how it go's.
Story ejector rod, bullseye style. I'll probably drill it out to a ring ejector. But for now, a tight fit in the slightly undersized steel ruger ejector rod housing (incidentally, the EHR housing is for the 3 3/4" barrel so, not too much to remove to make it fit a 3.5" barrel should I decide to use it instead of the older aluminum housing.)
First, it needs its sharp edges broken on the round shaft and the spud that leads to the bullseye button. That and some slight reduction in diameter on the head as it won't even fit into the new steel ruger EHR housing.
Next job will be either replacing the original 3 screw spring and/or polishing out the inside of the EHR housing. Its rough as a cob and this is as far as the spring will insert. There will be no function using this EHR housing unless and until it is cleaned up inside and fitted for smooth action.
The original 3 screw ruger rear sight (no squashed chicken emblem) is rebuilt with new springs, new cross pin, new and longer elevation screw and a taller Hunter rear sight leaf. The leaf comes sans white, so, its painted in before assembly. Why use the original 3 screw sight base? No squashed chicken emblem, no hump on the bottom of the base, the hole is cross drilled higher in the base so that its top is nearly flush with the flattopped top strap. Neater look. We'll have to get to the range to see if this new taller rear leaf is too tall. With luck, it'll be about right. Worst case, it needs light trimming to regulate the rear sights midpoint with factory loads.
Story ejector rod, bullseye style. I'll probably drill it out to a ring ejector. But for now, a tight fit in the slightly undersized steel ruger ejector rod housing (incidentally, the EHR housing is for the 3 3/4" barrel so, not too much to remove to make it fit a 3.5" barrel should I decide to use it instead of the older aluminum housing.)
First, it needs its sharp edges broken on the round shaft and the spud that leads to the bullseye button. That and some slight reduction in diameter on the head as it won't even fit into the new steel ruger EHR housing.
Next job will be either replacing the original 3 screw spring and/or polishing out the inside of the EHR housing. Its rough as a cob and this is as far as the spring will insert. There will be no function using this EHR housing unless and until it is cleaned up inside and fitted for smooth action.
The original 3 screw ruger rear sight (no squashed chicken emblem) is rebuilt with new springs, new cross pin, new and longer elevation screw and a taller Hunter rear sight leaf. The leaf comes sans white, so, its painted in before assembly. Why use the original 3 screw sight base? No squashed chicken emblem, no hump on the bottom of the base, the hole is cross drilled higher in the base so that its top is nearly flush with the flattopped top strap. Neater look. We'll have to get to the range to see if this new taller rear leaf is too tall. With luck, it'll be about right. Worst case, it needs light trimming to regulate the rear sights midpoint with factory loads.
Comparing the fitted aluminum Ejector housing to the new steel short (vaquero 3 3/4" barrel) ejector housing. Some work to do on the new steel part to bring it to a fit on the Belly Gun. Not sure if I'll file by hand or make up a cutter from a grade 5 bolt to set back the face of the sleeve that go's into the frame swell.
Bullseye ejector is converted to a ring ejector by center drilling. Front face is heavily countersunk. The pad of the finger or glove fits snuggly into the recess making for very positive purchase on the ejection stroke. Looks good too.
A close fitting drill down the bore of the ejector housing removes all the burrs and bumps.....though only a bit smoother inside, now the ejector rod and original 3 screw return spring slide easily back and forth w/o binding. The rod will need shortening. The housing needs a bit of sanding inside in addition to shortening at the rear and finally, probably have to rust blue them both.
Bullseye ejector is converted to a ring ejector by center drilling. Front face is heavily countersunk. The pad of the finger or glove fits snuggly into the recess making for very positive purchase on the ejection stroke. Looks good too.
A close fitting drill down the bore of the ejector housing removes all the burrs and bumps.....though only a bit smoother inside, now the ejector rod and original 3 screw return spring slide easily back and forth w/o binding. The rod will need shortening. The housing needs a bit of sanding inside in addition to shortening at the rear and finally, probably have to rust blue them both.
Wow - this is fantastic!
Well, the steel ruger ejector housing was rather more work than I like but it looks like a successful experiment in fitting up a steel ejector housing with a ring button and a simple slot to allow caming the button out of the way to fully withdraw the cylinder pin.
For starters, I finished polishing up the inside of the housing.....a bit of worn 120 on a stick and spin it with a drill. A moments work......later all the hours and hours piled up!
Good enough inside, it'll get a final bit of polish after all the other work is done on the ejector housing.
A new tennon is cut and shaped at the back end, all hand filing with safe sided files so that the screw hole in the ejector rod lines up with the threaded hole in the front of the barrel. The ejector rod is shortened to clear the cylinder. And finally, a slot was filed and ground in to the race way of the housing so the Ring button can cam up and out of the way for disassembly of the revolver and full removal of the cylinder pin for cleaning.....all with out having to ever remove the ejector rod housing screw from the barrel. It works. It was 4 hours work. Next time I'll just spend the $50 for a Cimarron cammed ejector housing for the 3.5" barrel. Fully functional, but steel is much harder to file in by hand than the aluminum ejector rod housing, the aluminum one only took an hour to do!
View of the fully functional assembly from the business end.
And profiles of the fully assembled gun. Final polish and blue of these last few parts next week and off to the range.....oh yeah, everything fits the De Santis crossdraw leather holster. Nothing is too big, the ejector button does not cam backwards on holstering nor does it prevent holstering even though its a giant button. I am looking forward to hitting the range soon.
For starters, I finished polishing up the inside of the housing.....a bit of worn 120 on a stick and spin it with a drill. A moments work......later all the hours and hours piled up!
Good enough inside, it'll get a final bit of polish after all the other work is done on the ejector housing.
A new tennon is cut and shaped at the back end, all hand filing with safe sided files so that the screw hole in the ejector rod lines up with the threaded hole in the front of the barrel. The ejector rod is shortened to clear the cylinder. And finally, a slot was filed and ground in to the race way of the housing so the Ring button can cam up and out of the way for disassembly of the revolver and full removal of the cylinder pin for cleaning.....all with out having to ever remove the ejector rod housing screw from the barrel. It works. It was 4 hours work. Next time I'll just spend the $50 for a Cimarron cammed ejector housing for the 3.5" barrel. Fully functional, but steel is much harder to file in by hand than the aluminum ejector rod housing, the aluminum one only took an hour to do!
View of the fully functional assembly from the business end.
And profiles of the fully assembled gun. Final polish and blue of these last few parts next week and off to the range.....oh yeah, everything fits the De Santis crossdraw leather holster. Nothing is too big, the ejector button does not cam backwards on holstering nor does it prevent holstering even though its a giant button. I am looking forward to hitting the range soon.
Fortunately my career has advanced well beyond the point where I have to put up with stupid ****e. So on arriving at the airport, noting my flight to KY was backed up 5 hours and backing up another 3 real soon and noting the single agent at the window to reflight a line of passengers some 200+ people long, I phoned in, cancelled my flight, rental car and hotel reservations and drove home.
Now I'll get this project done a bit early and no stupid ****e.
The EH&R polished and in the damp box for the first rusting.
Now I'll get this project done a bit early and no stupid ****e.
The EH&R polished and in the damp box for the first rusting.
That gun is looking great. I think the ERH will look good too, you could've kept it polished to match the frame and it would look good too. Blued or SS either one works.
I don't blame ya for not wanting to do guns for people you personally don't know....there are too many things that can go awry. Unfortunately in today's society you really have to protect yourself to the fullest. I do enjoy your threads though! I've learned a lot just seeing your stuff.
I don't blame ya for not wanting to do guns for people you personally don't know....there are too many things that can go awry. Unfortunately in today's society you really have to protect yourself to the fullest. I do enjoy your threads though! I've learned a lot just seeing your stuff.
