I am curious if there is either a source for unbored X frame cylinders or a S&W specialist gunsmith who is capable of doing things that aren't normally done to these guns?
What I am thinking of is a five or six shot X frame in what I would call 44 maximum. The mental image is pretty simple. A 444 Marlin cut down short enough that you can load it with a Keith style wad cutter and still get it in the cylinder.
Now with that said I'm sure this isn't an original idea so if someone knows of a gunsmith who is already doing this that would be great too.
The next logical step if this is doable would be to do the same concept only neck it to 41 cal and then after that maybe to 357. I imagine that might have a fairly unpleasant high pitch muzzle blast but I still think it would be cool. Could you imagine possibly pushing a 158gr bullet around 2700-2900 fps out of an 8 3/8" barrel?
Is it even possible? I want to find out.