The Build
Marc has a true engineering-style eye for machine work and it shows not only in his build quality but in the design of the features and the benefits earned from the ideas he incorporates.
In this build, Marc removed the original barrel, then line-bored and re-threaded the frame from 5/8″ TPI to 11/16″ TPI for the installation of a Gemini Customs “Ultimate” 12-angle profiled barrel. The term “line-bored” is critical here as it means Marc trues the “hole” in the frame to line up perfectly with the bore of the new barrel. You might be surprised to note that’s not normally done in a factory build. The frame is cast or machined, threaded, then a barrel is screwed into it and fitted. One might be a bit out of alignment with the other but “good enough” for production guns.
Marc then machined this custom short barrel from a Krieger large OD barrel blank. Picture a heavy steel piece of round bar stock with a precision bore drilled and rifled down the center. Mark machines these the old-school way with a lathe and milling machine — no hands-off CNC here — and a contoured barrel appears magically.
Prior to installation, Marc’s lathe turns the barrel throat at five degrees and polishes it, the lathe turns the muzzle crown at 11 degrees and “window cuts” the ejector rod slot. That cut looks good and can allow dirt and crud to clear from that all-important channel. He also cuts the dovetail for a Novak 65 x 0.300″x0.70″ front sight.
Only then does the barrel get installed to top dead center alignment, with the barrel to cylinder gap set at 0.006″ +/- 0.001″. It’s tight but not so tight as to bind if you’re shooting lead. Marc also cut his remarkable “V8 Hybra-port Porting” into the barrel with four ports on each side, angled “just-so.”
Marc administered Gemini’s “Mastergrade” extensive de-horning and smoothing for easier carry and surface prepped the revolver to 100-170 fine matte for the black PVD DLC plated finish.
We need to chat about the action on this gun. From personal experience I can tell you it’s tough to get a truly smooth, seamless DA trigger pull on a Ruger DA revolver. I can do it on an S&W, well enough to bring tears to the eyes of a revolver fan, but that sort of thing has always been just out of reach for me on a Ruger. Not so Marc.
His actions are smooth, effortless and virtually step-less, allowing a smooth, continuous DA pull until a delightful break of the sear. He sets the single action at 2.5 lbs., and the DA at 10 lbs. It’s precise, consistent and so addictive you’ll find yourself simply exercising your trigger finger for the sheer joy of feeling the action.
Just as importantly as doing the action, Marc installs an extended-length, custom-fitted firing pin. A lighter hammer strike on a Ruger often means the need for a longer firing pin and many (most?) leave this step out. Marc also shims the hammer, hammer dog and trigger to keep things centered and running smoothly. All the action components are coated in Armor Guard “Copper” PVD plating. A nice touch is the hammer cocking spur serrations cut at 25 LPI.
The trigger guard gets skeletonized, the ejector rod serrated at 25 LPI, there’s a full moonclip conversion (using TK Custom 7x.357 clips) and it’s all neatly plated in PVD Copper. While he’s at it, the chambers get finish-reamed, honed and micro-polished, charge holes get radiused and polished and the cylinder face is polished. Not a single detail is overlooked. Trust me on that.
I disassembled this gun down to the last pin and I saw things polished and carefully fitted I had no idea you could even polish, much less fit better. Want to see a master’s work? There it is right in front of you.
Novak 3-dot Tritium Night Sights also got installed, with a double white outline rear dot and orange outline front. Nice, bold sights, easy to see in daylight or at night.
The serious but attractive black and copper “Armor Guard” PVD DLC plated finish by Richter Precision is both elegant, businesslike and practical all at once. It reminds me of a black-on-black Bentley with a bit of bling here and there. There are seven colors available in this very high-tech Aerospace plating process so make sure you avail yourself of the options for your own build.
The final touch, the period on the build if you will, would be the Gemini Customs Gen II full-size 3F GP/SRH World Class Wild Olivewood grips. Say that three times fast, eh? They’re hand-built, hand-fitted and hand-bedded, then anointed with a hand-rubbed oil finish — all done by Marc. They look stunning in the photos but you should see them in real life, and better yet, feel them in your hand. They help to control any fire-breathing load you venture to tackle. All the while looking good doing it.
All of this keeps reminding me of the saying having to do with the sum of the parts being superior than the parts alone? Lord, this is a pretty gun.
Read the full article here
