Shooting Gallery - The Art of the Revolver

[Marshal Halloway]

BEST OF SHOOTING GALLERY
Episode #65 - Season 5
The Art of the Revolver
Rerun Air time: 08/08-2007
NEW INTRO by Michael Bane

Meet Hamilton Bowen, the greatest custom revolvermaker in the world, as he takes you step by step through the creation of a custom revolver.

Spending a couple of days with a pistolsmith like Hamilton Bowen puts an inordinate amount of pressure on one's credit cards! Essentially, if you can imagine the handgun, Hamilton can probably build it for you...and the harder the better. I especially liked his conversion of a plain vanilla Ruger Redhawk into a faux-1917 S&W, except in .50AE instead of boring ole .45 ACP. You can read a little more about the Redhawk here . I'm a huge fan of the 1917 S&Ws and have an eclectic collection of them.

I think custom guns are in a lot of ways a new frontier...or maybe an "old frontier" come back. While we live in the Golden Age of Handguns, there will always be a special place for that one-off piece, that special firearm that YOU imagined and a gunsmith like Hamilton Bowen is able to bring to life. I have three Bowen guns, by the way the S&W M28 .38-40 you'll see Hamilton working on for the show, an absolutely spectacular Old Model Ruger Blackhawk .44 Special conversion with color casehardening by Doug Turnbull and my "Knockaround Gun," an Old Model Blackhawk in .30 Carbine.

Below is a picture of the .44 Special, and be sure to visit Hamilton at http://www.bowenclassicarms.com.

Michael Bane

[gunman42782]

Sure wish I could afford a gun from Hamilton!  I do got the book though, and Hamilton signed it for me. 

[Hazcat]

Marshal,

Did you change the barrel length on the 30 carbine?  I really like that round and the M1 that shoots it.

Have been looking at buying a Blackhawk 30 before Ruger stops producing them again but I am not really in love with a 7.5 barrel.

Hazcat.

[Marshal Halloway]

Howdy friend!

That's Michael's hogleg. Not sure if this was a 7 1/2 originally. He'll drop in and answer this one. He is in revolver mode these day... 

His desktop is full of them.

All I have on my desk right now is a S&W 686 belonging to the local hardware store , a video camera and a cell phone that needs to be charged. 

I decided to copy Michael's office interior decoration, but realized I couldn't cover one corner on my desk with what I have in the safe here. So I gave up, called him an SOB for showing off and called it good. 

[Hazcat]

MH,

I've always been a revolver kinda guy.  They just feel good in my hand and as they say "simple things for simple minds". 

[Sponsor]

[gunfighter]

Just seen this show I really liked it, Would love to own one of them, Have not bought a new gun in twenty years, Just wanted to let you all know I really enjoy the show I learn a lot from it. Keep up the good work. Thanks

[Michael Bane]

I just commissioned another Looney Tune revolver from Hamilton...a Ruger Redhawk converted to the Ultimate Bulldog...3-inch barrel, round butt and rechambered to 56-50 Spencer...yee haw!

Michael B

[Hazcat]

I just commissioned another Looney Tune revolver from Hamilton...a Ruger Redhawk converted to the Ultimate Bulldog...3-inch barrel, round butt and rechambered to 56-50 Spencer...yee haw!

Michael B

You really are a masochist aren't you! 

[jaybet]

OK, that's got ME beat. I've been thinking about that S&W Bounty Hunter- three inch barrel 44 Mag. Michael always wins.

[Walter45Auto]

I just commissioned another Looney Tune revolver from Hamilton...a Ruger Redhawk converted to the Ultimate Bulldog...3-inch barrel, round butt and rechambered to 56-50 Spencer...yee haw!

Michael B

That sounds AWESOME!