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Welcome back to Wheelgun Wednesday, where we love to discuss all things revolver-related! This week, we’ll be taking a look at the current state of the revolver customization industry. There’s quite a few good reasons to get your revolver worked on, such as:
- you’ve grown tired of the same old factory-flavor revolver
- you have a revolver in need of a serious repair or refresh
- you have a wheelgun with one Achilles heel like a sub-optimal trigger that is holding back your accuracy/speed
With the recent shuttering of American standbys Cylinder and Slide, we’ll highlight some of the current companies ready to tune your wheelgun.
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- Wheelgun Wednesday: Taurus 856 TORO Review – 1st Optics-Ready Revolver
- Wheelgun Wednesday: Top Revolver Hunting Ammo For 2023
- Wheelgun Wednesday: Empire KAGE for Colt Python
1. D&L Sports of Chino Valley, AZ
Image credit: D&L Sports
I’ve been lucky enough to handle a few D&L Sports firearms over the years, including a few revolvers. Besides providing custom grips and upgraded sights for many revolvers, Dave Lauck and company have the expertise to tune your double or single-action revolver to perfection and get them looking and handling exactly the way you want them. D&L Sports focuses on keeping your custom revolver 100% reliable, however:
DLS Inc specializes in revolver action jobs for serious purposes. There is a difference between competition only action work and defense action work. Competition only action jobs can result in light trigger pulls, but also cause light hammer strikes to the point where only specific types of primers can be set off…Action work for serious purposes, whether it be serious competition or defense, will maintain all full power springs to help assure reliable primer ignition under all circumstances, as well as snappy trigger return. The action will be smooth, but will also take trigger finger effort to operate the action…Mechanical reliability and safety must be maintained as top priorities.
See Examples of D&L Sports’ Revolver work options here.
Image credit: D&L Sports
2. Gemini Customs of Frankfort, KY
Image Credit: Gemini Customs
Known best for their custom ported Ruger and S&W revolvers, Gemini Customs is devoted to taking the muzzle flip out of your .357s and .44s. Utilizing the “Hybra-port” process either in-line or at a 45-degree angle, they’ll turn your pocket .357 into part easy to control revolver, part flame-thrower, should you wish. If you’ve ever wanted to have a ported revolver without buying a completely new one, Gemini Customs would be the place to send your hard-top-tame wheelguns to.
Some, but not all of their custom options include:
- Complete action tuning
- Crown barrel
- Chamfer cylinder throats
- Dehorn for carry
- Eliminate cylinder endshake
- Straighten crane and extractor +/-.003
- Replace all springs
- Polish all plungers and pins
- Bead blast entire revolver
- Test fire
- Electro-Chemical etch with Gemini Customs logo
3. Bowen Classic Arms of Louisville, TN
Image Credit: Bowen Classic Arms
In operation since 1980, BCA is perhaps best known for their excellent work on single and double-action Ruger revolvers (even Wranglers!), including some really neat barrel swaps and big-bore caliber conversions which can take your Ruger all the way up to .500 Linebaugh! I’ve had a few customers over the years with Bowen-customized guns, and uniformly they agreed that the BCA guns they had were some of their most treasured. BCA’s options and services for Ruger revolvers are so numerous and varied that they are best viewed here. BCA is not just a one-trick pony with Ruger, however: they also do custom work on the already-excellent Freedom Arms revolvers as well.
Image Credit: Bowen Classic Arms
