Bisley Beautification
What Goes Into Receiving The Tyler Gun Works Stamp Of Approval
Tank’s 5.5” Ruger Bisley resting at the NRA’s Whittington Center before its “spa” day.
With resounding repeatability, the 100-meter rams start toppling. Perched precariously on a T-shaped angle iron base, the powder coated .44 Keith slugs were too much for the teetering targets. Rewarded with the sound of ringing steel, I’d smile as the ram tumbled from his resting place. After half a day of shooting, I was settling into a rhythm consisting of smoothly pressing the trigger without interrupting sight alignment and sight picture.
Combined with an exaggerated follow through, the rams toppled if I squinted just so. After a while, I swear I could see the rams shaking in fear.
Here’s the Bisley all gussied up, sitting in a Ransom Rest, after a day of shooting.
The Gun
Hitting four rams out of five shots was becoming regular. The 5.5” Ruger Bisley mid-frame flat top was impressive with its accuracy potential. My load consisted of 265 grain bullets from an MP Molds .44 503 brass mold which is a copy of Hensley & Gibbs’ bullet Elmer Keith himself said was made the way he wanted. Loaded over 7.5 grains of Unique powder and sparked by a CCI large pistol primer, I was getting just under 1,000 FPS from my gun.
In factory form, the gun was a shooter. I wanted to reward its good manners with a beautification of sorts. I wasn’t sure of all the details, but karma would play out here. I had already given the gun to Bobby Tyler for the makeover and told him I’d be in touch.
Look at the beautiful color cased hammer and tight fitting of Ronnie Wells
brass grip frame to cylinder frame and wood to brass fit by Tyler Gun Works’
gunsmith Dusty Hooley — Beautiful!
We Have a Winner!
During the Shootist Holiday there is a raffle during the banquet. All proceeds support the NRA’s Whittington Center Adventure camp — a camp for teenagers wanting to learn leadership, outdoor and shooting skills. One of my tickets was chosen and I won a Ronnie Wells brass grip frame. It was perfect for my gun!
Who wouldn’t want their name engraved on a special gun?
Package Deal
Bobby had his number one gunsmith, Dusty Hooley, work my gun over. First, he mated the Ronnie Wells brass grip frame to the cylinder frame. Fitting walnut stocks was next. They say when a person loses one of their senses the other senses become more acute.
After Dusty fitted everything, a blind man would smile at the wonderful conjoining of the grip and cylinder frame, along with the grips. There are no lumps, bumps, high spots or gaps to this marriage of wood, steel and brass! We ended up with a beautifully blended single-action shooter that feels as good as it looks in the hand. Ol’ Dusty pulled it off perfectly! By the way, he’s got to have the coolest gunsmith name going!
After the ceremonial mating of parts, Dusty added a Belt Mountain Keith #5 locking base pin, and gave the cylinder a “free spin” for easier loading and unloading. The hammer and trigger were case colored, accenting the whole works. Lastly, the grip frame was engraved by Rocky Sharp for a final customization. I had Rocky engrave “Tank” on the backstrap.
Any gun with this stamp means it has been accurized
and had an action job by Tyler Gun Works.
Stamp of Approval
The gun has Tyler Gun Works stamp on top of the barrel, meaning it was given an accuracy and action job. Any barrel/cylinder gap greater than .005” is set back to .025-.003”. All forcing cones are re-cut, barrels re-crowned, and cylinder throats measured and enlarged if undersized. The cylinder face is squared and inside barrel inspected for defects.
Action work entails polishing any innards that need it and the sear engagement is squared. Trigger pull is set between 2.5-3 pounds. My already accurate gun is now even more so. When shooting off a Ransom rest, ragged one-hole groups are possible, if the shooter and ammo are up for the task.
Leather Goods
A gun this pretty needs a well-designed holster for ease of carry, concealability and protection, while looking sharp. Who wants to bang up their gun when out in the field? I had Rob Leahy of Simply Rugged build me one of his 240 holsters. The holster pretty much covers the whole gun, protecting it from life’s abuses, while making a fast presentation possible.
An adjustable tension screw allows a custom fit for your gun. It’s a great holster for both field use or concealed carry.
All of Tyler Gun Works’ stamped guns come with a certificate and accuracy target.
That’s A Wrap
Everyone deserves at least one special gun. Reward yourself and your sixgun when you deem it appropriate. I have no regrets gussying-up my shooter. Long after the sting of the price vanishes, you’ll appreciate the quality and one-of-a-kind type of gun you now have. You deserve it, so does your gun. Give Tyler Gun Works a chance to make you a one-of-a-kind shooter you’ll be proud to own.
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