Another homemade Dance and Brothers

[ShotgunDave]

I put together a 61 Navy with a G&G round barrel from parts, in an effort to make a Leech & Rigdon copy. I just wasn't happy with it, so it's been sitting ever since. I've been mulling around what to do with it, and came up with several ideas. Today I finally settled on the direction it would go. I decided I needed another .36 cal J.H. Dance to go with the other one I made.

So first things first. Gotta remove the recoil shields. We've been down this road before. I used my 4" grinder to remove the bulk, and files to bring it down to where it needs to be.





That took the better part of the afternoon to accomplish. I then Perma Blued it just to see where I was, and how it's going to look. I like it so far.






Just a little more refinement and then I'll polish it up good and blue it nicely. Since the Dance revolvers don't have case hardened frames, it's not a problem to duplicate the original. I still need to figure out what to do about those extra frame screws. I may cut the heads off and put them back in, Then fine sand paper over them, to blend them in. I know you'll still see them, but they'll be less noticeable. I'll also change the front sight to a blade instead of the Colt style bead.

So there it is, under way. Now I have a brace of a fairly rare revolver.

Stay tuned for more developments.

[ShotgunDave]

I'll be stripping the finish off today or tomorrow, and then working the metal down to look nice. After that is complete, I'm going to do some "punchdot engraving" on it. I found a picture of such a Dance from the period. It really caught my eye, and made the gun stand out even more than just being a Dance.

[sourdough]

When you sand down the cylinder to remove the rollmarked scene that may nearly eliminate the stop-slot approaches so as to be more historical.

[mazo kid]

Nice work Dave! Please excuse my ignorance as I know nothing about the Dance revolver. Are the "troublesome" screws on the wrong side?

[ShotgunDave]

Thanks guys.

Em, the "troublesome" screws are the extra ones on the frame for the stock. Dance guns never had them, so I need to figure out the best way to eliminate them, or at least minimize their appearance.

[mazo kid]

Aaah, I see. Yep, file them down flush, refinish them with the frame would be my idea.

[Captainkirk]

I agree with Mazo. I would cut off a couple screw heads (no sense wasting a couple good Pietta screws), cut a slot in them, then thread them in to the holes using loctite, leaving about 1/32 protruding. Once the loctite cures, grind them flush with the frame and blue the frame as a whole.
The punch dot thing is intriguing. Never seen that before. Sort of a 'poor man's engraving'.
The world's your oyster...knock yourself out!

[ShotgunDave]

Thanks for the suggestions fellas. I think I've decided on a path to go with the screws. I will interrupt the threads at the top of screws, under the head. Then screw them into the holes on the frame. The interrupted threads should hold them in place, so they can't back in or out.

Then I will carefully remove the heads, and get them close to flush. Once they're pretty flush, I will peen what little is left protruding and then file them flush. That should make them as unobtrusive as possible. My fear of using Loctite or a similar compound is, that the fluid will be visible around the edge of the screw and it won't take bluing. Then you'll see the screw for sure.

I'll keep you posted.

[Captainkirk]

Sounds like a plan.

[ShotgunDave]

For those interested, here's a little update.

I worked on the frame screws for quite a while. I think I'm almost there. I ended up interrupting the threads, screwing them in as tight as I dared, and then removing the heads. After that, I peened them down a bit, then worked them with the file and then a couple grits of emory cloth. Still a ways to go, but it's working. Also, removing whatever coating is on the frame, is a bear. You think you have all the faux color case hardening off, but you don't. The metal will not accept bluing, as you can see in the pictures. More sanding will be required.






I put some blue on, just to see where I'm at.






I also removed the engraved scene from the cylinder, and put a little blue on it too. Here's how it looks all together right now.






So a way to go yet, but on the right track. Still have a few details to work out, like shortening the barrel and changing the front sight to a blade and removing the billboards. But if you want a Dance in the correct caliber, this is about the only way to get one now.

[sourdough]

Wow! You done good! A few punch marks and no one will know the difference.

I am amazed!

Jim

[Russell13]

Looks great. I really want one in .36 cal

[Fingers McGee]

Great project Dave. 

[ShotgunDave]

Thanks Fellas.

Russell13, get out your grinder and get busy! It's not as hard as it seems. And unfortunately, with the scarcity of factory made .36 cal Dances, grinding up a Navy may be the only way to get one.

[mazo kid]

Dave, very nicely done!