Question for Welder or Gunsmith - modding a real gun

[ssdesigner]

I purchased a Taurus 85 parts kit to make a non-firing Mal pistol (aka Liberty Hammer) and this is what it looks like:

I need to add a custom handle as well as replace the small area in front of the trigger guard that was hacked off. So ideally this should be made so that I can re-blue the entire piece (or at least around the trigger guard that will be exposed)

A google search says that most hand guns are made of 4140 steel. So do I just ask for this when I have a machinist laser cut and mill the custom handle? (photo below) Or do I also need to have the newly machined add-on part hardened somehow before welding it to the Taurus?

 

[chibobber]

The blueing will never match. Hardness does not matter in non-firing gun. When finished use" Dura Coat" Dura Blue, for a uniform finish.

 

[ssdesigner]

The blueing will never match. Hardness does not matter in non-firing gun. When finished use" Dura Coat" Dura Blue, for a uniform finish.

With the added weight of cast brass parts would you have any concern if the gun were to get dropped? I just want to be sure that this would hold up to heavy costuming use.

 

[chibobber]

It's all in the way you attach it all together. If all you use from the cut up revolver is the trigger group, this is how I would do it.
Shave off the ears(recoil shields) on the frame. Build up a grip frame to hold the hammer spring. Create what you want the gun to look like, making it wide enough to slip your trigger group into it. Screw or pin it together. Make the trigger group removable for service. Finish. It should hold up.

 

[ssdesigner]

It's all in the way you attach it all together. If all you use from the cut up revolver is the trigger group, this is how I would do it.
Shave off the ears(recoil shields) on the frame. Build up a grip frame to hold the hammer spring. Create what you want the gun to look like, making it wide enough to slip your trigger group into it. Screw or pin it together. Make the trigger group removable for service. Finish. It should hold up.

I'm planning on using all of the same parts as the original. I want it to fit together the exact same way.

 

[chibobber]

Well, I would never try it, There is a reason it is cut the way it is. Just not worth it in my opinion.

 

[Trebor]

I'm planning on using all of the same parts as the original. I want it to fit together the exact same way.

I don't see how you can "fit it all together the same way" with how chopped up that gun is. I mean, there's a huge chunk of the top strap missing for instance.

 

[ssdesigner]

I don't see how you can "fit it all together the same way" with how chopped up that gun is. I mean, there's a huge chunk of the top strap missing for instance.

I'm not sure how that's different than welding a custom handle onto the existing gun. At the end of the day you're just adding metal and welding it, right? It's mostly covered up at the end, so it just needs to be filed down after welding it.

I've seen a lot of E11 Sterling conversions over the years and I feel like for legal reasons those are hacked apart in a number of places. People seem to be able to cobble them back together and make them look pretty nice in the end.

 

[Trebor]

I'm not sure how that's different than welding a custom handle onto the existing gun. At the end of the day you're just adding metal and welding it, right? It's mostly covered up at the end, so it just needs to be filed down after welding it.

I've seen a lot of E11 Sterling conversions over the years and I feel like for legal reasons those are hacked apart in a number of places. People seem to be able to cobble them back together and make them look pretty nice in the end.

The really tricky part is going to be replacing the missing portion of the top strap and the piece missing from in front of the trigger guard in such a way so the crane will close correctly and then the cylinder will close correctly. Those tolerances are pretty precise.

I mean, in theory, it can be done. In practice if you want to "do it like how the original prop was made" working with this cut up gun is going to be a PITA.

If you want to salvage just the trigger guard and trigger group, as someone else suggested, that would be easy. But you said that's not what you want to do.

I mean, it's your project, do it how you like. Just pointing out it's not going to be straightforward or easy with the parts you picked and the goal you stated.

 

[ssdesigner]

The really tricky part is going to be replacing the missing portion of the top strap and the piece missing from in front of the trigger guard in such a way so the crane will close correctly and then the cylinder will close correctly. Those tolerances are pretty precise.

I mean, in theory, it can be done. In practice if you want to "do it like how the original prop was made" working with this cut up gun is going to be a PITA.

If you want to salvage just the trigger guard and trigger group, as someone else suggested, that would be easy. But you said that's not what you want to do.

I mean, it's your project, do it how you like. Just pointing out it's not going to be straightforward or easy with the parts you picked and the goal you stated.

Super good info, thanks for the detailed response. I am in no hurry, and I do like a challenge. If I end up scrapping the re-connect idea then that may be just fine. I just feel like at the end of the day attaching all of the brass parts will go a lot smoother if I have the entire thing to work with.