Big Al’s .45

The Gun

This past year, Big Al told me about a custom Smith he had built from a rescued dog of a gun. The story starts back in the mid 1980s when things moved at a more casual pace. The Internet was years from existence. Sure, the Internet’s great for finding guns on auction sites but for every convenience the Internet provides, it’s responsible for 10 times the disruptions, obsessions, and inconveniences experienced by us today.

Anyway, Big Al saw a S&W Model 1917 listed in the Shotgun News for a mere $59. Remember Shotgun News? The gun was pitted and rusted but Big Al saw potential, or, a new lease on life for the old battle relic. His gears were churning for a custom gun, the blueprint already in his mind. He wanted an all-around easy-packing back-up piece for hunting.

He bought the gun and scrounged an S&W Model 25 cylinder chambered in .45 Colt to replace the old, tired original. Next, he found a discarded blued S&W Mountain Gun barrel for his project. Everything is boxed up and shipped to Bobby Tyler of Tyler Gun Works to work his magic. Bobby and crew fit the parts to perfection, adding a dovetailed patridge front sight and beautifully blued the gun. A set of new Eagle coke bottle stocks was also added.

Later, Big Al sent the “Frankengun” to Nelson Ford for tuning and action work, including jeweling the hammer and trigger. With the transformation complete, the once well-used, well-abused dog of a battle relic is now a classic looking sixshooter. The contoured curves of the thin 4″ mountain gun barrel provides a sexy profile — along with being lightweight.

This drool-worthy custom mountain gun would make the heart of any sixgun aficionado go into myocardial infarction upon seeing it, much less shooting it! Any sixgunner worth their salt would be proud to own such a classic gun. The smooth, slicked-up action and trigger are a testament to what a gun doctor can perform. Double-action pull breaks at 7.5 lbs. and single action pull at 2 lbs. even, without misfires.

Nelson Ford sent a photo showing a one-hole group he fired at 8 yards shooting double action as testament to the gun’s accuracy potential.