Barrel rail for revolvers

[Velocity Villan]

I work at a well known custom gun shop as their (manual) machinist. When we customize revolvers, we add a rail to the top if the customer wants optics, but I was thinking, what if I just cut a rail into the actual barrel? These are pictures of my prototype.  If this works out, you might find these available for sale.

Well, I can't get the pics in the post somehow.

[Mike E.]

Waiting for photos, but, optics which require scope rings ?

[Dr Stan]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=...5hqZ5BmDsn



https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=...egIW35zM0g


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=...ExMI8bxmBG

[Dr Stan]

(02-01-2019, 03:36 PM)Velocity Villan Wrote: Well, I can't get the pics in the post somehow.

Upload/attach the pics from your computer before you make the post to MWIF.

[Mike E.]

(02-01-2019, 03:36 PM)Velocity Villan Wrote: ..................…………………….. If this works out, you might find these available for sale. ………...

" If " you are talking about prefabricating barrels to be sold (?), make sure customers understand that machining needs to be considered for indexing the barrel rail to the frame and forcing cone clearance at the cylinder face; as some may think it would be a simple DIY installation.

[TomG]

It looks like you've cut quite a ways into the barrel. How do you know that hasn't compromised the strength of the barrel to the point where it is unsafe? Better talk to an engineer and have them calculate the strength of what's left based on the pressures involved.

Tom

[EdK]

(02-01-2019, 03:36 PM)Velocity Villan Wrote: Well, I can't get the pics in the post somehow.

The file size is probably too big.

Ed

[Velocity Villan]

TomG, our revolver barrels are 1.100 in diameter . The rail cut could probably come up .50 or so, and the production barrel will likely be that way. The weakest part of the barrel is where it screws into the frame, and my cut is above that. If you look at older .357/.38 revolver barrels, the wall thickness isn't overly great. But, yes, the production barrel wouldn't be cut QUITE so deeply. This is my prototype.

[Velocity Villan]

Mike E, these barrel would NOT be offered as a single purchase for user install. We would want to offer it as a custom install. That way we could Q/A the accuracy and durability of the mod. Yes, timing and forcing cone tuning must be done by one of our competent gunsmiths (not me, I'm only the machinist).

[Velocity Villan]

Dr Stan, thank you for posting those pics. Those are indeed the correct ones. I had a bit of difficulty there. Not my area of expertise .