The Undecided Project

In so far as it'll either be brought up to running condition or taken further. But for now that's undecided.

Waiting on a hammer and a new Ruger Stainless cylinder pin. It looks rougher in the photos than it really is. Bore is perfect and like all 1974 manufacture Ruger 45 Colts, it has cylinder bores suited for .454" bullets with a smaller diameter bore.

Here is what I am working with. Finish on steel is 80+% with light freckling on the frame and cylinder. Barrel is better and the finish on the aluminum N series grip frame is well over 90%.

So, I have 6 45 Colt cases. They are about as rare as can be right now. I pulled out the .452" 260g lead round noses and recharged them with a sane amount of Bullseye and a sized LEE REAL muzzleloading bullet. A 256g lead wadcutter sized to .454" diameter.

Alloy is my any mix (3500 lbs of lead battery terminal clamps I bought from DRMO 20 odd years back for $150....been castin with it ever since and no problems with handgun or rifle.) Its not a super hard alloy....but not pure lead either. Softer than wheelweights.

The lube is my homemade brown goop. Suitable for rifle and handgun and muzzleloader slugs its Lee Liquid Alox, Beeswax, Olive oil, paraffin wax, RCBS resizing lube and Vasoline....pretty much what I had in the house when I made up a big batch. Its provided wonderful lead free shooting in handguns and rifles and muzzleloaders with slug up to 1900 fps for many years. I still have a large, 2qt or more tub left to go thru. As Linebaugh says, if its hard as a Crayon, use it for coloring. Sticky is right for bullet lube. I'm a believer....sticky it is.

Three bullets, L to R, as cast, sized .454" and lubed.



Loaded as full wadcutters should be....near to the mouth and a light crimp into the top driving band.





The cases mike .476" diameter with the bullets seated and crimped. .480" is the max spec. Chamber check and they fall in and out.



Plenty of room in the long New Model cylinder for very long and heavy bullets. These will have a jump, just like regular wadcutters in a 38 Special. I am expecting similar results to the 38 Special....good to great accuracy and no leading. But with 6 rounds it'll take more than a few trips to the range to work out the details.

If it shoots....I picked up an old model for new model blackhawk stainless Ron Power 2 piece Colt Grip frame. (Old model RP grip frame has the non removeable mainspring foot) I got the grip frame, regular about $250 for $100 new in box on gunbroker.

Can't decide if to leave it alone or thin it to 1860 dimension or round butt it and curve the front to approximate a birds head. But, am leaning heavily toward going with a full size grip and 4 5/8 to 5" barrel.

Front sight I really wanna use a buffalo or other nickel on a ramp, pin it in place. Although a Sherriff 3.5" with full ejection ain't out of the running. Don't know. We'll see if it shoots worth a piss first.

Didn't get all the parts today and no sights to rezero the 1860 Blackhawk but enough to do some assembly on the Undecided Project and see if there is a direction available after getting to the range.

Figured I'd set up the RP SS grip frame. Driving the trigger return spring out of the NXR3-RED Ruger frame was easy, but it was a very snug drive fit into the steel frame. We won't need to worry bout it fallin out.



I see why RP replaced the Old Model Colt frame for Ruger with a New Model....worst part of the job is compressin that mean mainspring and getting it captured. But here, the trigger guard totally assembled.



Right side of the RP frame is a very close fit to the Ruger frame.



Left side of the RP frame is where all the fitting has to be done, some file work would be needed if this gun is a shooter.



The differences between the Colt grip and the Ruger grip are subtle and mostly up at the top. A forward curve that is smoother and brings the entire grip a bit closer to the trigger. A smaller neck up top and a back strap that is a touch further forward than the Ruger. Overall a slightly more tapered grip and closer to the trigger.





Well, the backside looks pretty good. The barrel is way too long but.....



Fit on the ears is pretty darn good too. Very close around the hammer without dragging.



If this winds up being the set up (i.e. is shoots well enough) then the only decision left is barrel length....4 5/8 or 5+ inches.

Dont know why, but i LOVE the 4 5/8" barrel length. Nice project!

That's pretty much the most common feedback. 4 5/8 seems to be the most popular.

Kind folks have sent a few cases here and there and additional offers for Buffler Nickles for a front sight and even loaded ammo offers is waiting in the wings. Just gotta get this dude running.

But for now, 15 cases on hand and loaded very light, medium and unspecified medium+. We'll see how it goes from low and moving up as the dial calibers, extraction and primers dictate. Using Bullseye and taking up the cavernous space with the long shank of these 255g bullets. First trip to the range will be to put it on paper at 10m while function testing. 15 rounds all on the same bull should tell me a bit about the possibilities.

But at least I got done in the garage a bit early. An unspecified intermittent start failure (+ dead headlights/gages/radio but on a full charged battery) has had me scratchin my head for the source of the short. Near as I can tell from 3 hrs dinkin around with the ohmmeter, the 50 year old ignition switch is bad. Rattled it around and voila, headlights, dash lights, radio and started fine. But, I ordered the switch at Oreillies and its $15, be here tomorrow so....hopefully no more occasional head scratchin while I try to get the ol boy started.

For now, the range line up....

Didn't get to the range with the 1860 Army Blackhawk yet but since the neighbors was all outside this morning plunkin away with their pistols, figgered I'd join em.

We benched the Pimp Cannon (official name for this gun till the barrel shortens up) at 10 meters and starting with the 255g full wadcutter loaded with 5.6g Bullseye, let fly with 5 touching. Its a very light load, cases are sooted for half their length but drop out fine. No indications of high pressure on the primer but light hits.

From there I went to the 4 rounds loaded with same bullet and 6.1g Bullseye......misfire. Light strike as the nose of the incompletely fitted Bisley hammer is a bit too long. A quick application of two layers of electrical tape in the secondary step on the hammer restored full function and all 4 went off without further hitches and all dropped free. Better indentation on the primers but still less than it should be for total reliability. Fitting the hammer nose will cure this light strike problem.

Finally I moved up the the top load. Again the 255g WadCutter (A Lee 45 caliber REAL sized .454" and lubed sticky with a light roll crimp on the top band) and all six rounds were sent down range without a hitch. Even as the top load, these six cases simply fall out of the cylinders, the case exteriors are clean, indicating they seal well and the recoil is mild, just barely enough to roll the muzzle up. Looks like there is room for more load development and velocity testing. Should make a fine deer load at this level or above. Given the old lyman data for the 237g LWC and comparing top loads for the 260g LSWC, this top load should be approaching 900 to 1000 fps. I'll get the gun done and then perhaps work up loads in 1/10g increments and see how it vets out.

Here is the composite 10 meter target, 15 rounds, 3 different charges from the bench. I believe the Pimp Cannon is going to make a worthy project.

Them big holes oughta make a deer bleed out right quick.

Clearance between cylinder and firing pin bushing is a very tight 65 thousands. Polishing the nose of the hammer back (the factory replacement bisley hammers are a bit long in the nose for the Older New Model Blackhawks/need fitting) makes for a fuller squeeze of the transfer bar between the second hammer step and the firing pin. I shaved the nose of the hammer back until I have about 28 thousands of firing pin protrusion. This is enough for now. I'll square up the nose and probably finish out around 30 thousands protrusion. It should give me plenty reliable ignition without pierced primers and without transfer bar pinch.

The smoothed up and somewhat shortened Bisley Hammer nose. (Guess I gotta make grips for the RP grip frame next.) Them old ugly ruger rubber grips can go away far away with the factory NXR3-RED frame.

4 5/8" barrel is selected and I'm gonna experiment with a Barrel Band and Nickle (coin) front sight.

Coin front sight. A neat idea if I can make it work. But, what I'm seeing around the web, and that ain't much....well, its ugly. Half a coin stuck on the end of the barrel and no thought of style, no real character.....barely utility.

Indian Head/Buffalo Nickles. So old the dates are worn off of them so no real collector value. Donated against a hope that one could be made to work as a front sight. I'll give it a good try starting here.



Initial trimming on a fiberglass wheel, slowed down about half.



Feathers, hair and back of the neck roughed in.



Forhead, face, lips, chin and neck. Harder to do. Lots of contours for the brow, curve of the nose/lips and chin.



After final filing and a bit of polish on the cloth wheel and a good medium cutting polish.





Be a bit of a trick to get this one down to .550" height. But might be doable and with Chief facing forward toward the target, notch in the headdress is like a tiny Patridge blade and the details of the Chiefs face are on the show (right) side of the gun.

Time to go cut a Buffalo. You fellas with better eyes and no arthritis in the hands could help out.

I like the the nickel sight idea. That's too cool. 👍


Sent from wherever I was at the time...

Thanks. First Buffler is ready. To keep the Buffler side to the right (show side of the gun) he'll have to face the shooter. I suppose if that's the one chosen, it'd only be appropriate to load heavy with a high flash powder. This one will be much easier to get into the range of .5" (factory front sight height) up to about .6". Would have to run the calculations from the bore to see but I'm thinkin .53 to .57 inches high is about right for the adjustable rear sight and expected bullet weights/speeds.



I think I need to shave just a bit more of the rim off the head of the buff to have it just right.

Next trip out I'm gonna try some 185 Berries plated roundnose hollow base. At 1200 fps they aughta slug up from .451 to .454 right good.

That is so awesome

Ifound a nice percussion breech to xperiment with as a barrel band.

Back home from KY and in the shop. Finally found some v belts to get the drill press up and running again and with the extra Blood Wood in the shop from the last set of grips, started in on roughin out a pair of grip panels for the Pimp Cannon.

A bit different this time. Rather than taper from the inside, I tapered the outside. Lets me look at the wood under the surface and no suprizes like cracks or knots or flaws that get uncovered after the fit up to the frame is completed. If there was a flaw, I could cut another blank from the remaining board. Looks like there is enough Blood Wood left to do one more set of grips for a Colt or Blackhawk or if resawn, two sets for a 1911.

Rough positioned. Oversize and I have yet to fully fit the RP Grip frame to the Blackhawk. So, it'll move around later an I should be able to mate the wood to the frame gap free.



I worked the inside and outside surfaces of each grip panel on the belts until they are dead flat in every direction using a straight edge to check. Thickness are very close to the same with a touch extra wood on the palm side for fitting later. I'll most likely make these panels dead flat on the bottom rather than beveled up. The bottom thickness is just at or a bit under 1/2" and will likely finish up between 3/8 and 1/2 thickness at the bottom. But, wood to grip frame fit is about perfect for this stage of the project. No gaps and this dense hard wood shouldn't warp as it ages.



Some of the light dark light dark striping that will come out better with polishing and final urethane finish.



Inside the frame is traced onto the panels, just a guideline for now. A bit extra so I can move it around a bit and come up against the Blackhawk frame later. Up top a pair of divots drilled in the wood. Seems the Ruger Trigger Spring pin is a bit longer than the RP backstrap is wide. Rather than grind off the pin, miss and booger the backstrap, a divot does the job and a bit oversize to allow me to move the wood panels just a hair forward later to touch the frame.



I guess I oughta be lookin around for a stainless steel screw for this set of panels but then, maybe a blued/blackened set of hardware would look nice too. No brass I think. Too many colors.

Before the grip panels can be more closely fitted and drilled for pins and screws, the trigger guard and back strap has to be better fitted to the frame.

So, the rear of the strap is filed to meet the rear of the frame and make a straight line for the front edge of the grip panel. Here the left side lower is done and ready to start on the right side lower. A safe sided file is used to keep from undercutting the forward loop of the grip.



As indicated earlier, the right side of the grip frame is a pretty good match to the frame so only light filing was needed to bring it very close to the frame in preparation for final polishing to a finer fit.



All the excess metal in the RP grip frame was on the left side. And you can see the waviness of the bottom edge of the Ruger frame. Probably this represents cuts in by the buffing wheel all those many years ago when the factory polished it for bluing. But, 98% fitted and ready for final polish to a fine fit and all the lettering and numbers on both sides both preserved and remaining crisp and clear. At this time, all the work is done with hand files. Final work will be sand paper backed by a file and then some buffing with all the parts assembled, if needed. But that buffin is a ways off yet.



Between mating the lower trigger guard loop to the frame and some spotting in and carefully filing the front of the grip panel to fit, I came up with this initial fit. Can't get it much better until there are screws and pins installed and we'll see then if I did good.





I retraced the reference lines and you see, a tiny change at the top makes for a big change at the bottom....good I left some extra wood on there for now. Once its installed, the lines will be almost academic.....the grips will be securely installed and sanded into place.



Don't worry about the pins. They are way too long and will get shortened and domed and blued before all is said and done.

Lookin better and better Sharps. I`m interested in seein how that front sight turns out!

I have a line on a stainless bisley cylinder. Hopefully the measurements work out and it is one of the unfluted engraved ones and has the tighter .452" throat. Should Delux Pimpify this here cannon and perhaps resolve some light wear issues as well as increase the versatility/potential accuracy with wider bullet selection. We're looking over several for the best dimensional match and then from there....haggling!

It don't look like much but this here hunk of old rolling block 45-70 chamber has front sight band/mount writtin all over it. Maybe times two if it works out. And, its already center drilled almost to size....well, its center drilled!

Base measurements of the stainless cyl look good. I'll check fit on arrival and if it works should be a neat upgrade

A final and most generous donation of once fired RP Nickle and Brass WW cases arrived today from the Great Republic of Texas. Withall we have 43 rounds. More than sufficient for testing and verifying. Thanks again to all who have donated and offered donations toward this project. This poor and tired Pimp of a Cannon seems to draw in lovin where ever its seen.

In addition. Funds are heading westward to the Official Big Body Deer state, my old stomping grounds near Wright Patterson AFB Ohio with a most generous offer of a Stainless steel Ruger Bisley cylinder for this project. Newer, likely tighter and Black Powder friendly and versatile for a wider range of bullets available in .451" and .452" (also matching the lands/grooves) this should be, if I recall correctly, both engraved and unfluted. I believe all the stainless 45 Colt Bisley cylinders were made that way. But even if not engraved and with flutes, a stainless cylinder of modern dimensions will remain a fine upgrade.

Off to the shop for some more rough fitting of the Blood Wood grip panels. First up, .160" deep locating pin holes of 1/8" diameter. Panels are taped tightly in position and drilled thru the pin hole one at a time.



Once the fit of each is double checked, the rearmost travel of the mainspring assembly (Hammer Down is the high point for the spring. The spring assembly moves forward and down as the hammer is drawn back) is marked on the inside. This allows positioning the center spot for cross drilling the grip screw and keeps it well clear of the functioning main spring.



The grips are snugly snapped into position over their pins and as needed, the fit is tightened in the old manner of fitting buttplates and grip caps. Firm taps with a small SmasherWacker along the upper edge of the back strap moves metal gently down and the wood forward. They should be somewhat difficult to remove and install and yes, the edge grain will get skinned with bedding compound. Both to seal the grain against oil intrusion and to ensure they remain tight well down the road. The strap will be draw polished and the smashwack marks removed at final finish and before buffing then dulling the stainless steel. (Look closely at the brass buttplates of any original muzzleloader, though the hammer marks may be gone from the outside, the ever so slightly wavey edge is apparent on the inside.) Naturally the wood grips are NOT in place when moving medal downward since a slip of the SmasherWacker can boink a chip out of that tender wooden edge.

For now, 1/8" pilot holes are drilled thru the grip panels and the available brass screw is temporarily threaded into the dense wood to hold them in place. Blood Wood is dense and hard enough I think I could tap it 8x32 and get a good bite.



I did not run the screw all the way thru since I don't want any tear out. Later, after some paying jobs, I'll stop in and see what the local screw bin has in the way of stainless steel screws and nuts to make up the washer and grip nut. With luck they'll have stainless to carry on the rust resisting theme of the Pimp Cannon.



Without metal threads, just wood to bite the screw, the panels pull in tight to the trigger loop and back strap. I think it'll be a very secure set up once completed. I'll get the cross screw assembly done first then the final smashwacking and edge skinning and lastly, shaping and sealing in that order.

Gotta love Amazon.com. $6.50 and free 2 day delivery for a Victor 1/2" shank drill bit in 23/32" which will serve to open the barrel band/site ramp to just about 16 thou smaller than the barrel OD. Should be able to polish in the final fit. Close measurements of the 7.5" long Ruger barrel indicates they are in fact tapered. Just a bit over .8" at the face of the frame all the way down to .690 way way way the heck out at the end of that Johnnie Dangerously barrel.

Got 100 more of the 255g WC cast up. Ready to go when the new cylinder arrives and after checking the fit and timing. I did not size them yet. If the cylinder is a GO, then I'll knock em down to .452" with good sticky home brew lube. Might load some a bit long like a regular bullet and try the full house data for 260g projectiles too.

Still plenty of faith tween gunowners. Just got an email. Bisley cylinder shipped from Ohio today. Well prior to the arrival of payment. Funds only hit the mailmans hand this morning. Thank you, Sir!

Just back in from Germany and waiting on the desk was a rather large drill bit for making front sight bases and a lovely stainless unfluted 45 colt cylinder with Bisley roll markings. Initial fit check indicates the forward bearing pad is twice as long as needed and it won't drop in with out some trimming but before that....I'll get some sleep (over and back in 3 days so the time changes are pretty much wringing me out) and go over it with the micrometer tomorrow. If it looks like a good fit potential, I'll face the forward pad till it drops in and check lockup and alignment. But for now, its a lovely piece and I'm looking forward to giving the installation a go.

The only part of the new cylinder that needed some attention to bring it to a good fit in the old gun was the front bearing surface. The new one is about 1.5 times as tall as the original cylinder race.



A turn or two with a piloted facing cutter and check the fit. These cutters will not chatter if you have the pilot fitted properly. If the pilot wigglewobbles, it chatters. If not, its a smooth baby's behind cut.



When the cylinder could be installed but bound when turning, I made a whisker more, whisker more cut and checked each time. Once it was free all the way around the clock, I stopped trimming the front race. Cylinder gap measures the same about 10 thou inches as the old cylinder. Some will say that's too wide. Its spec for these guns. Fine for smokeless and great for blackpowder (longer runs without binding!) To make it tighter, refit the barrel to the frame. Lets leave it to someone else cause this fit will be fine. Cylinder rotates and locks on que. I'll make up a range rod and check the cylinder to barrel indexing but have no real fear that it'll be other than fine.



Old 45-70 barrel stub drilled out once and now being drilled out again with that new and very large drill bit. Slowest speed is 250 on my press and so, lots of oil and real light on the feed handle.



Success. Its all the way thru and I have a thick side that will be top (leaving a bit more for the tang of the blade to fit into.)



Tapped for a set screw the barrel band (get it, barrel band?) is installed on the super large drill bit and spun at 650 for filing sanding the outside smooth. I'll probably thin it later but for now, to make it kinda pretty.

A quick chop to 5.25".



A broad side after cleaning up the muzzle a bit.





At this point the drilled 45-70 barrel band is a snug drive on fit cold. Should fit up just fine later. I think I'll use about 1/2" of the band with a ring maybe 1/8 to 1/4 wide. That'll let me play with a barrel right about 5" long for a hunter.



I spose I could glue it on for now since it has a built in try sight. But run that screw down too far and it'll be a bullet splitter. Looks a bit goofy right now. Sorta like a leveraction with a pikaninny rail or a silencer or both. But, it'll clean up....I hope.