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A few years ago I was searching for a replacement for an S&W 625 that I foolishly sold. I was looking for a 4” and stumbled across a good deal on a 5” instead. It was enough a bargain that I decided I’d “settle” and give it a go. Bought a Kramer horsehide pancake to match and quickly realized I’d found nirvana. For me the ultimate in sight radius, offhand holding, velocity gain over 3” or 4”, with a little more weight out front to help with recoil.

Fast forward to recently when I decided it was high time I get out in the shop and straighten up a little and get on some projects I’ve been putting off for way too long. Getting a couple things finished up and tinkering with my old tools made me realize I still enjoy working on some gun stuff and made me want to do something else.

So I did what any S&W guy in search of a project and perfection would do. I sourced a cheap 8 3/8” 629-4 that had languished for a while with no takers on a shelf in a gun shop and got to work.

The 8 3/8” will make up into a professional looking 5” job due to the placement of the roll marks, a 6” will look funny with the stamp out towards the muzzle after the trim.

I got some keystock and whittled out a ramp and blade.
It would be secured with a 6-48 screw, shot and trimmed for height with a preferred load, then removed, blued, and reinstalled with the screw plus some Loctite under it to hold everything down belt and suspenders style.

I’ve done them with the barrel on before but a factory type crown requires a trip to the lathe so I prefer to pull them. I machined a set of blocks out of aluminum, contoured to fit the barrel and underlug just ahead of the frame. Ordered a set of Power Custom frame inserts for my action wrench, they’re machined Delrin and very nicely made for less than $50.

Pulled the barrel and Rube Goldberged a system of V blocks and clamps to set it up in the mill. Using my antique Starret protractor level to assure that the top rib was level in both directions before using an indicator to pick up center. Once double and triple checked for level and center a 1/4” endmill was used to cut a pocket down the center of the rib. Light cuts with lubricant, this isn’t the most rigid setup on earth and there’s no need to rush.

Once the pocket was.040” depth and the ramp fit to my satisfaction I drilled my screw hole .100” deep and used a flat bottom bit to finish the hole for maximum thread engagement. A fresh 6-48 bottom tap with plenty of oil was gently worked down to the bottom of the hole followed by chamfering the lead of the thread with a countersink.

A quick trip through the lathe, using a tool ground to match the radius of the factory crown and the calibrated eyeball to replicate the factory job had everything looking skookum.

Then back into the vise blocks and the action wrench to be torqued back together and then off to the range.

Had to trim the blade once to get the height correct but it’s zeroed now with the rear elevation 1/3 up from the bottom with 250gr RCBS Keith bullets over 10gr of Power Pistol landing right on top of the front blade at 25 yards. Fits nicely in my Kramer I bought for the 625 to boot.

👍👍

Posts like this catchy I love this sight. Very nice work.

Great thread. I admire the work and wish I had that ability.

What MOGC said.

Kid, you are one fantastic machinist! Beautiful work.

Excellent workmanship

Thank you for the compliments gentlemen but I’m no great shakes machinist. Just a guy with enough knowledge to be dangerous and enough experience to get myself out of trouble most of the time.

I do enjoy this kind of stuff though and I’m glad after all these years I got motivated enough to get my machinery wired up.

Looks better than some S&W factory shortened barrels I’ve seen from the supposed “golden years.” Will you be serrating the rear face with a checkering file before bluing?

Very nice work

That's really nice!

I don’t plan on doing anything to the rear of the ramp. It’s not visible in the sight picture so I’m not worried about glare and it will just be another place for gunk to collect.

Look closely, it is done.

Correct, the blade is serrated 50lpi. The ramp I left smooth.

And a tip of the cap to Mackay Sagebrush. I PMed him and he kindly measured the height of the ramp/blade combo on his cut down 29 to give me a starting point for figuring the height.

Really nice work.

Yep, goldilocks for sure. Green w/envy here. Love me some 5" revolvers.

Good stuff!

What a wonderful post. Your modesty is refreshing. That kind of skill is beyond probably 99.5% of the population.

Very impressive work...