Love seeing the Smith & Wesson Model 14 thread that bullet45acp's started. Model 14s of any vintage are great and should still be a currently produced model that everyone should want. This current generation of handgunners would be better for it.
Hot off the bench, both mine and my gunsmith's, a 6-inch Model 14-2 from the early 1960s.
Saw the revolver lying on a table at the January 2017 San Angelo, Texas show as a frame with action and barrel, wearing Pachmayr's and with a $250 price tag dangling from the trigger guard. Saw it just before leaving Sunday morning after the all-night security gig. Thought to myself, what a shame.
Got home, thought about it again before taking my nap and called my gun show promoter friend and asked him to inquire of the exhibitor across the aisle from his tables if he'd take $125 for the barreled frame. The fellow agreed and I picked up the incomplete Model 14-2 at next month's gun show. So, I had myself a project.
So have been working on the project for over three years now. A suitable cylinder with ejector rod assembly and yoke from the correct time period was gathered off of Ebay for $49. Some vintage stocks with serial number near the revolver's were acquired off of GunBroker for $70. My gunsmith said he had the sights on hand. Things were looking up.
Turned out the barrel on the frame had been monkeyed with and would not work out. Either the barrel had been removed and refaced or else the barrel was a poorly fitting replacement. Replacement cylinder would not close for hitting barrel, yet barrel cylinder gap was way excessive. Probably why the barreled frame ended up at the gun show. So, I needed a barrel too. Gunsmith said that he happened to have not one, but six original Smith & Wesson Model 14 factory 6-inch barrels, appropriate for the Model 14-2's era, brand new, still in the wrappers, never installed. Can't beat that. New barrels won't match finish wear on the revolver, but the revolver's not bad so go for it.
The finished project looks pretty "together" and original, but has to be disclosed as a mongrel.
It took over three years to assemble needed components and put it together, but the results appear to want to shoot. Barrel/cylinder gap is perfect, timing and lockup tight, and the revolver already has a good smooth action. Can't wait to get it to the range with a box of hollow base wadcutter loads, but am bummed. I'm to have shoulder surgery in the morning to have a very painful full thickness tendon tear repaired. Can't even lift a piddly .25 vest pocket pistol to a shooting stance just now.
Intentions were for me to try my hand at fitting the cylinder and yoke to the barreled receiver on the cheap. I ruefully realize that I could have simply purchased a Model 14-2 off GunBroker for less than the project ended up costing, but this revolver gets to go back into service and I got to enjoy the project on the "Easy-Pay plan."
The 6-inch Model 14-2 shown with the 8 3/8-inch Model 14-4 I bought brand new 40 years ago this year. Like a little hand rifle that long-snouted one is.