I think I may know what happened....
The pictures show a bit of a brownish tint on the cylinder, but is the predominate color a dingy grey? With the low spots showing darker color through the grey?
I have a model 28 that looks like that all over. Here's how it happens....
Begin with a 21 year old who knows everything. That 21 year old purchases his first firearm, which happens to be a used Model 28. Our hero doesn't yet understand that honest holster wear is a sign of long term devotion and wants his new (to him) revolver to look perfect. He's broke and can't afford a professional refinish, so he takes it upon himself to "fix it."
Our intrepid young man, being a patient sort, spends almost an entire 20 minutes using a scotch-brite pad and printers solvent to remove most of the factory finish. He then douses the entire thing in Birchwood Casey cold blue that he purchased from the local bait and tackle shop. In the dim light of his Dad's garage (and before the cold blue has dried) it looks perfect.
Fast forward 29 years and the whole gun looks very much like your cylinder.
I'm betting that someone "touched up" the cylinder a few decades ago and what you have now is old cold blue.
Check the area around the cylinder latch and recoil shield in the second picture. That's where the younger version of me didn't take enough time to remove the old finish before applying the cold blue. The cylinder flutes on your gun look similar in your pictures.
Last edited by Shotguncoach; 05-10-2018 at 01:12 AM.
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