Will Cleaning a Blued Revolver Wear the Blue Off?

kbm6893

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I just got a nice model 10-8. it was an NYPD gun. Gun is in very good shape (guy couldn't have spent too much time on patrol. Maybe he became a detective early on and switched to a snub). I am considering sending it off to S&W for a re-blue. I know, the blueing loss adds character, but unless I put those marks on it, they hold no allure to me. Anyway, if I'm gonna shell out $300 with shipping, I want to be sure the gun stays nice. Will scrubbing with a nylon brush and Hoppes take the blueing off? I won't be carrying the gun, so holster wear is not an issue.
 
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My family has been cleaning S&W blued revolvers for a long time. I am now in possession of my great-grandfather's M&P that shipped in 1924, the blueing is beautiful (except for some holster wear on the barrel, my ggf owned california ranchland in those days and carried the gun all the time, rumor has it he even had to use it a time or 2). the only thing the gun has ever been cleaned with is Hoppes #9 and cotton patches.
 
Yes, cleaning will take the blueing off. I have a model 17 with no blueing left on the cylinder face from having to scrub all the leading off over the years. Why would you want to spend an extra $300 to have a $300 gun reblued?
 
I would guess that he likes the revolver being a NYPD issue, him being a LEO and simply has the cash to do so.

I hope he posts a picture later to make us all drool over his newly acquired re-blued prize.
 
I would guess that he likes the revolver being a NYPD issue, him being a LEO and simply has the cash to do so.

I hope he posts a picture later to make us all drool over his newly acquired re-blued prize.

That's a big part of it. I'm retired NYPD but sold my model 64 and Glock 19 long ago. My uncle caried a model 10 that he still has, and I know for a fact that it has at least one body on it, maybe more. He doesn't like to talk about it, but NYC was a different place in the 60's.
 
I've cleaned my K22s a lot and never had the issue of blue wear from cleaning.

I use Hoppes 9 and soak the front of the cylinder--it doesn't take too long before the fouling comes off pretty easily. My 17-3 has been shot A LOT and the front of the cylinder is 100%.

I clean it soon after shooting.

Use the proper chemicals and materials to clean the thing and you'll be fine as far as blue wear. Holsters are what really wear bluing.
 
I have had good results cleaning old guns with flitz metal polish. It take a lot of the surface rust off without damaging the bluing. Good luck.
 
Yes....it will....my M36 Chiefs Special was originally blue....and after wear on the cylinder face and barrel....I went and had it Robar NP3 finished....and couldn't be happier.
 
I've been fastidiously cleaning some of my favorite well-used Smith & Wesson revolvers for well over 30 years now and the bluing is staying put. I've not noticed any loss of blue finish, even on cylinder faces. I'm another Hoppe's No. 9 user.
 
Short answer, NO! Folks have been cleaning blued handguns for over 100 years now.

I can remember when all commercial guns were either blued or nickel plated. I can also remember the media hype when S&W announced the first M-60 as the first stainless steel production revolver. I guess I'm older than I want to admit.
 
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