Welcome to RugerForum.

Ruger doesn't want to open the door to requests for "special" orders. They do not have a "custom shop" as such, and do not want to set a precedent for this type of work.

A gunsmith can handle this for you.

Contrary to Ruger's response, properly-fitted cylinders in .44 Magnum and .44 Special would be interchangeable. This is NOT to say that the Ruger cylinders so chambered would be interchangeable, and Ruger would likely not admit it even if true.

It's all a matter of business protocol.

 

I can see why Ruger would not do this for liability reasons. They are not trying to brush you off, it is just their standard policy. I would go to a gunsmith and get his opinion. I think gunsmiths can get parts that are not available to the general public (but I could be wrong).

I can see a whole bureaucratic can of worms here trying to register a ".44 special" when "44 magnum" is engraved on the firearm. But maybe Denmark is different from the U.S.

 

Years ago when 38 Special revolvers accounted for nearly all the weapons carried by private security companies, it was very common to see "inserts" installed in 357 Mag cylinders. These inserts were like a short tube with a .382" OD and a .358" ID. When installed in a cylinder, they would stay in place quite well and prevent 357 Mag ammo from chambering. I see no reason why inserts wouldn't work in a 44 Mag cylinder. The inserts would need to be .125" long, .4567" OD, and .430" ID.

 

Thanks guys.
My first thought was also these kind of insertiens. But everybody kept telling me that it would not work out. It would be too tiny and small. Even gunsmiths told me so.
When I suggested to Ruger that the cylinder should be sent to me, I really believed they understood that shippment and fittment should be done by a gundealer and/or a gunsmith. Actually, I told them so.. My inquiry was meant to be preliminary, in advance, investigative, prior to the gunsmiths order. According to the bureaucratic worming? Hmm..? never thought of that. However, according to Danish authorities I can keep my old gun if If the convertion is been carried out and confirmed by a gunsmith.
So the question still remains; Are there "interchangeble" cylinders to be submitted? If not..are there other cylinders, in other Calibers, that can fit, if they are beeing machined to the 44 special.

Sokela

 

First I'd like to welcome you to the forum!

I would contact Hamilton Bowen about it.
A .357 mag or .41 mag cylinder should be able to be bored out to fire .44 Specials. As Iowegan suggests, it should be possible to sleeve your existing cylinder to only accept .44 Specials.
I wouldn't worry either as the .44 Special can be loaded to some pretty respectable velocities in a suitable gun.

 

Thanks.
unfortunately the Hamilton Bowen do not handle orders out-of-borders.
"Due to the considerable paperwork, voluminous correspondence, risks and costs associated with international sales, we do not accept orders for custom revolver services, complete guns or parts beyond the borders of the United States"

I will pursue the possibillity of sleeving the cylinder, by all means the easiest and less costy of all the convertiens.

According to remachining cylinders form other Calibers, I still need eccact measures to be sure. There could be differences between the cylinderlengths which could have been sorted out by backing off the barrels to accomodate the cylinder/barrel-gap. (These are informations i had anticipated Ruger to Clear out for me).

Sokela

 

Hey there, Sokela, glad to have you aboard this forum. I think that before this project even gets off the ground you need to ask the gov't authorities if the 'insert' solution will be acceptable by them and, not that I don't trust bureaucrats but, I would get that in writing - and in blood if possible. (Just a joke about the blood.)

 

Thanks for the advice.
I fully understand the necessity of a written recommodation from the authorities. (in blood, he,he..) Bureaucrats seems to be of the same breed all over the Word. However I do have a written rejection of my initial application for permission, where they add that a convertion made and confirmed by a gunsmith will be tolerated. But indeed I will have the solution verified prior to the actual job is being done. Especially since it will be the first to be eccecuted in this country. They have allready drilled me to shorten the barrel to 6 inches, and still they did not permit the dual Caliber gun to be legaly shooting only 44 special.

Sokela

 

You're probably right about bureaucrats being the same the world over. It's just job preservation in their eyes - nothing more. Politicians are bureaucrats which is why you have the arbitrary barrel length limit of 6". There is no conceivable reason that you need to cut off 1.5" of it. In fact, if reason played any part in the law making process, they have just ordered you to make you revolver more concealable. Good luck with your problem.

 

Sokela

Let us know what you come up with. There should be a solution somewhere!

 

As was mentioned earlier, if you can fit inserts into the original cylinder, that would be the easiest solution.

Other solution would be to find a cylinder of smaller caliber, have it fitted to your gun, and have it reamed to accept the .44 Special cartridge.

Is it possible to send your cylinder to the US to have this work done? I know of a reputable smith in Houston that does exceptional work, his name is Alan Harton and you can see some of his work here: The Guns of Alan Harton's Single Action Service

Send an email to aharton@hotmail.com to ask about this.

 

Thanks to you all.
@Ironhat - The shortening of the barrel was due to shooting programs, not concealement. In Norway I was shooting metal silhouette. In Denmark there are no such thing. The country are probably too flat. No way you are permitted in Scandinavia to carry firearms for protection. You need "honorable reasons" to even transport the gun to and from "reasonable Places". And by no means shall the gun be carried concealed on Your body.

@DougGuy - I will investigate in the matters you suggest. And thank you for the adress to the gunsmith.

@ Iowegan - It was very interesting information that this kind of sleeving has been done in a regular basis. This is the first attemt I will suggest to a local gunsmith. If there are any kind of written information about the procedure it would be helpful.

To be continued..
Sokela

 

Sokela, I never made any inserts. About all I can remember about them is ... they were a press fit in the cylinder .... not a loose fit.