First of all, your gun, so do whatever you want with it. The goal is to make you happy with it.

Having said that, my opinion is that you are rushing things. You just got the gun back, it’s been abused, and you’ve rushed to the nearest place that can fix the abuse. Kinda like an emergency room run. But, unlike people, guns last a long, long time, regardless of condition.

You have time to think it through, collect information, discuss with different folks about their ideas as to what to do.

What a wonderful thing to have your father’s M19! Right there, you are blessed!

My opinion, my advice, is take it slow, do your research on various finishes and various refinishers. Many people can do the work, but, as withn anything else, some people are very good at it, some competent, and others so-so.

Thing is, no kidding, you can make that gun look like whatever you want it to. Say it takes you a year to figure out what you want done and who you want to do it. (And it may be several people. I think the idea of giving it a tune up a good one, and that will in most cases not be the refinisher.) A year is pretty short, really, speaking as a guy who has spent several years on several custom gun projects.

Of course, your budget matters, and as with most things, most projects, the sky is the limit. So you will need to figure out the financials, too. But again, it is all about what you want. What is important to you.

Good luck!