Bullseye Revolver Gunsmith Reccomendation - Smith & Wesson Model 14 / K38

I have a Smith and Wesson K38 / Model 14 I picked up and it apparently needs some work done to get it up to Bullseye / Distinguished Revolver (DR) standards and looking for a recommended Gunsmith. Jerry gave me a few names and I found a couple others, but appreciate any insight, other options or experience.  It looks like Randy Lee isn't taking work unfortunately due to a backlog.  Looks like throating, crown and trigger job required, but who knows what else.  Accuracy is abysmal, and I've had reliability issues. 

Frank Glenn
Accuracy Unlimited
http://www.glenncustom.com/index.html

Mark Hartshorne
Pinnacle High Performance Revolvers
http://pinnaclehighperformance.com/

Sandy Garret
Northern Virginia Gunworks
https://www.yelp.com/biz/northern-virginia-gun-works-springfield

Alex Hamilton
Ten Ring Precision
https://www.tenring.com/about-alex/

Alan Tanaka
AT Custom Gunwork
http://atcustomgunwork.com/301.html


Randy Lee
Apex Tactical
http://www.apextactical.com/index.php

I can recommend Alex Hamilton as he has done work for me in the past. High quality work, fair price, and good turnaround time.

For DR the only thing you can do is light stoning of trigger parts

Chris Miceli wrote:For DR the only thing you can do is light stoning of trigger parts

A pistolsmith can correct timing issues, check for cylinder alignment and correct and a host of other things that will put an old K-38 back to top performance.

3.1.4 Distinguished Revolver  - The revolver  must  be  capable of  chambering  and  fi ring  a 158-grain round nose  or  Semi-Wadcutter  .38 Special cartridge. It  must  be  a factory manufactured revolver  with  no  external  modifi cations except  for stocks  which may be modifi ed  or  changed because of  the size  of  the competitor’s hand  or  to  facilitate  loading.  Except  for  stocks  and  the  honing  of the sear  or  sear  notch to  make a more  crisp trigger,  and maintain a 2 1/2 lb. minimum trigger pull, no  external  or  internal  modifi cation  may  be  made  to  the  revolver  as  manufactured  and  sold  by the factory of  origin. No parts may be  removed from  the revolver, either  externally or  internally, nor may any part  be  added,  with the exception of  milling the cylinder  to  accommodate moon  clips. Specifi cally prohibited  is  any system  of  recoil  control based upon compensators,  barrel  venting,  barrel  porting  or  weighted  grips. Exposed holes that  have  been  drilled and tapped  for mounting  of  a scope are not considered  to  be  an  external  modifi cation. (a)  Trigger- Must  have  single  and  double  action  capability  and must  be  capable of  lifting 2 1/2 lbs when  the revolver  is  cocked  for single action  fi ring. Triggers  will  be  weighed.  Any trigger,  sold by the manufacturer  of  the revolver, without modifi cation, may be used. (b) Sights- Fixed or  adjustable rear  sights  may be  used. An  Adjustable front sight is  not allowed. (c) Barrel- Length  not to  exceed  six and one- half  inches. (6 1/2”) (d) Stocks- Except  as  set forth above,  the right and left  stocks must  be  mirror  images  of  each other. (e) Ammunition- Any safe .38 caliber ammunition  using the 158 grain round nose  or  Semi-Wadcutter  bullet  only. (f) The following are not allowed.  Trigger shoes,  compensators  of  type  or  design; any external  trigger stop  device; any internal trigger stop  not originally installed by the factory as  original equipment in  stock revolvers of  the same  make and model;  tape  on the stocks  or  stocks  fl ared  at  the base.

That rule as written rules out used revolvers with no history available.

I'm guessing the intent is to be a match where you show up with what you got. A non accurized factory gun.

I doubt the intent is to preclude maintaining your firearm, especially when it comes to safety.    I'll send NRA a note.   

Appreciate the gunsmith recommendations?  Looking forward to a new challenge.
I'll be posting about RF in a separate thread.  Struggling.

JayhawkNavy02 wrote:I doubt the idea was to preclude maintaining a firearm, especially when it comes to safety.    I'll send NRA a note.   

Appreciate the gunsmith recommendations?  Loking forward to a new challenge.
I'll be posting about RF in a separate thread.  Struggling.

Yeah, the intent of the rules does not preclude putting the revolver in tip top condition and/ or correcting factory defects. Otherwise, the rules could be interpreted to allow revolvers with safety issues. As long as the revolver has factory parts, one is good to go. Of course I'm not an NRA ref., but I suspect that others here that have posted aren't either!

Chris Miceli wrote:I'm guessing the intent is to be a match where you show up with what you got. A non accurized factory gun.

You want to talk about intent ?
Let us look at Bullseye 2700's
I have mentioned it a few times that the intent or the beginning of it was different than today cause shooters wanted to game it.
Lets bring it back to what it was and see what happens, maybe it will promote the sport ?
Taken from the BE website;

The classic outdoor pistol match is called a "2700." Shooters fire 270 shots with a maximum value of 10 points each, hence the name. Those 270 shots are divided into three 90-shot events, fired with .22, center-fire and .45 pistols. 

This format got its start as a way to combine shooting with the civilian's .22, the police officer's .38 revolver and the military man's .45 autoloader. As .45 accuracy improved, however, shooters began to use the .45 for both center-fire and .45 matches, and today it is rare to see a pure center-fire pistol.

The operative word is "modified".  That word is an adjective to "factory manufactured revolver" and enforcement would need to center around the manufacturer's blueprints and manufacturer's accepted tolerances.

It's in that range of the manufacturer's blueprints and tolerances that the pistolsmith can work his magic while the shooter is still in compliance by firing an optimally prepared, but unmodified "factory manufactured revolver".

A reblued 1965 vintage k-38 target masterpiece is not as it was from the factory, but it's not "modified" from the factory specs either.  Legal for competition.

This has been discussed at length in the past.  Jerry Keefer documented a great deal of work that can be performed within the factory specs.

I wonder if this includes Taylor throats and stop pins in the slide.