Subject says it. I have an 1896 that needs re-nickeling and its markings refreshed. I'm told it was (incorrectly) refinished once already, so its collector value is gone anyway.

Can anyone here recommend a shop? (Turnbull won't work on S&Ws.)

Thanks!

Attached Images

s&w.HE.jpg (75.4 KB, 457 views)

For a Turnbull-type restoration you will pay a very high price, OK if it is really worth that much to you and you have the ability to pay. There are those who can do it, but I'll leave recommendations for others to make as I have never used them.

I'd put a new front sight on that sucker and shoot it. You can buy one of these in excellent+ condition for $800, it will cost more than that to "restore" yours. If you want a better specimen for your collection I'm sure you could find one and keep your present gun as a shooter.

The company that you seek is Ford's Refinishing

It likely will not be cost effective to restore that one.

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ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

Given "Duffer" is new here, we might leap to some totally unwarranted conclusions, and wonder about his knowledge of the services provided by Turnbull, Fords, and/or whoever.

Turnbull is in the restoration business. Restoration is defined as rendering a firearm into the EXACT SAME condition, using the EXACT SAME procedures as factory new. They do a fine job on what they choose to work on. The cost is typically four figures.

Fords is in the refinishing business, although they can/will "restore" markings, repair significant damage, and whatever a customer with a fugitive from a junk yard wants to make pretty again. The cost for a typical "refinish" is unknown to me, but likely treated on their website---and likely less than $500. I have seen examples of their work ranging from a straight refinish to extensive damage repair, restoration of stampings, and refinish; and it has been excellent. Their refinish preparation is done by hand---which is the "secret" to their success. Their "Master Blue" is both different and superior to factory new----"superior" defined as a higher polish----"different" defined as a slightly, but noticeable darker color. Their nickle plating is likewise "superior". There are certainly other restoration and refinishing folks out there, but I know neither who nor where.

I suppose there may be instances where a "restoration" is cost effective, but I also suppose such would require a gun with some HEAVY provenance. "Duffer" has already established his knowledge of the cost effectiveness of refinishing, so I'm done.

Ralph Tremaine

Refinishing (as opposed to restoration, which is a different topic) is usually a sore subject here. Most collectors would prefer to leave their guns as-found rather than refinishing them as refinishing will destroy whatever collectible value they might otherwise have. It is usually much more cost effective to find and buy another gun of the same type in an original condition more satisfactory to you than spending good money to have one refinished which, at best, won't be worth any more after it is refinished than before. But as always, it's your money and your gun, and you don't need anyone's permission to do whatever you believe is best.

Dwalt and others have laid it out pretty good. That gun was original only once, don't get me wrong I have a few S&W revolvers that are refinished, but I would never spend money to get one of them restored. If a higher condition one is what you want sell the one you have and find one in the best possible condition you can afford. You will be light years ahead.

I (the OP) understand that refinishing/restoring this one is not cost effective. I should have mentioned, however, that this is a family heirloom. So the value to me is not to be measured in dollars.

Thanks Colt_Saa for the reference to Ford's. I contacted them and we'll see.

It would be a great looking gun refinished and I have seen exmples of Fords work ,the ones I've seen have been of exceptionally high quality so if you want a family heirloom restored / refinished they would be my choice.

Free advice is worth what you pay for it!
If it were me, first things I would do-

Letter it, learn where and when it shipped, configuration. Those look like maybe factory MOP grips. Search for any family pics or documents for provenance and history in the family.
Replace lost front sight blade and ejector rod tip.
I have not had good luck with "refinishing" and would probably leave it as is. But that's a personal choice. Good luck with your project, keep us posted as to progress, and Welcome to the Forum!

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PTLAPTA!

Welcome to the forums from the Wiregrass! Your gun was nickeled outside the factory as you mention. The nickel on the hammer and trigger needs to be removed and then they should be case colored. Your gun is missing the knurled knob on the ejector rod. Replicas are being made and you likely can find one if you search the forum. Ford's does a lot of business and may be backlogged about a year or so. An alternative is Gunsmithing Excellence - Accurate Plating & Weaponry | Cogan Custom. Bob Cogan is a secondary manufacturing facility for S&W and makes his own line of high $$ custom guns. He can recut all the stampings but I don't think he does case coloring.

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

The extractor knob and set screw you're missing are available here by the machinist who makes them and also auctions them on eBay:
1896 Hand Ejector Rod Knob

They are excellent and exact replications of the originals. Even if you have the gun restored by someone, this is the only source for these parts you'll still need.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

"Letter it, learn where and when it shipped, configuration"
I would second that advice. The letter will establish not only when and where it shipped, but it will also establish whether it was originally blued or nickled, and also the type of grips it shipped with. Your MOP grips could be original factory supplied, in which case that makes the revolver more valuable. Factory MOP grips are somewhat unusual. Also, if the original finish was blued, then you may wish to consider having the nickel plating on it removed and given a blued finish instead of plating it. And of course the trigger and hammer should always have the case colors, not nickeled.

I had read that Bowen no longer worked on S&W's, but hadn't previously heard anything about Turnbull not doing so.

Even Mr. Bowen doesn't mind posting pictures on his website's main page of the beautiful S&W's the company has previously worked on.

I don't think Turnbull has done S&Ws for a long time.

although this one is not a top-break, take note that Fords no longer does Top-Break models.

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ANTIQUESMITHS
LM1300 SWHF425

Sal, any reason why Ford's is no longer doing top breaks? I would assume that tip up's are also off the list....

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James Redfield
LM #497

IMHO, THIS IS VERY SOUND ADVICE FROM DWalt. I WISH THAT I COULD HAVE READ THIS POST, IN MY YOUTH.....

IF THE GUN WAS MINE , I WOULD HAVE A QUALIFIED 'SMITH MAKE ANY REPAIRS NEEDED, TO MAKE IT SAFE AND RELIABLE, AND SHOOT THE SNOT OUT OF IT ! ! !

TO RESTORE OR REFINISH YOUR GUN, WILL TAKE A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY, THAT WOULD BE MUCH BETTER SPENT, ON THE PURCHASE OF A CLEAN, ORIGINAL EXAMPLE......

TAKE A GUESS, HOW I KNOW......

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

We didn't do any when I worked there and that was very early 90's. He couldn't make any money doing them so he rejected any restoration work on them.
Slab sided semi autos and SAA's could be polished up in a couple hrs or even less depending on who was doing the work. The complicated shapes of the DA revolver don't allow it and that didn't figure into the biz plan. I don't think it ever did.
1911's and SAA's are easy to work on and re-work too.
Some probably got done somewhere along the line, but time is $$ and making money is the game that's played.
If sent in fully polished and prepared for case color or blue, they'll do them probably. But they don't want to take the time to polish them.

Tinkering with a delightful looking DA project piece while he could be having his group kick out a pallet full of case colored XYZ frames for a mfg'r makes no sense in his world.
Those Heritage (?) S&W casecolored revolver frames were already factory prepared & just colored there IIRC.

You might consider checking out Custom Shop Inc. (Home - Custom Shop). I have never done business with them, but I saw them listed on the Colt Forum (www.coltforum.com), and it looks like they do restorations. Obviously, the work shown emphasized Colt revolvers, and prices did not seem low, but they may be another potential source for service.

Good luck!

I've been remiss, an update has been warranted for a long time. I did farm the work out to Ford's. It took them a bit less than a year and charged me in the neighborhood of $1000. They fabricated the front sight from a 1934 silver dime I'd supplied, and Sam1947 supplied the ejector knob and the cylinder hold-open plunger & spring. Take a look:
s&w 1896HE 2681 (after).jpg
I should add the stocks haven't been de-patined, it's just the lighting. They sport S&W medallions but I don't see their equivalent in SCSW.

Fords DOES DO top-breaks. That said, they have very precise requirements for same posted on their website.

Ralph Tremaine

The gun looks awesome and the fact it is a family heirloom makes it even better. Enjoy showing it to the rest of your family.

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SWCA 3255 SWHF 615

That worked out very well and I don't find that pricing unreasonable at all.

Thanks for coming back.

Ford's indeed did a nice job. The MOP stocks appear to be factory; they added the brass medallions to theirs in the early 1900s to distinguish them from aftermarket versions of the same material.

As mentioned above, a letter of authenticity (if you did not obtain one) would tell you if they are original to the gun. The pause in requesting these will end soon if you are interested.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Great you updated this and congratulations on your gun, looks like a nice example you can be proud of.

That’s quite a difference! Very nice indeed!

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Terry Lester

Not that you need my opinion, but I would like to congratulate you on making a plan to restore a family heirloom and being willing and able to go through with the process in a first class manner. The results speak for themselves. Thanks for sharing.

Froggie

Duffer,

Congrats! That does indeed look very nice. the medallions in the pearl grips are actually gold plating over brass. So if you ever want to clean them, be gentle so as not to polish thru the gold plating.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Of course I had it lettered! It left Springfield 8 January 1898; was sent to some outfitter in NYC. How it got from there to Golconda IL is anyone's guess. Interestingly, Mr. Jinks said it left the mill wearing a blue dress and walnut shoes. Someone in the mid-south had it nickeled and whoever did that work was an authentic Bubba, which is why the markings were about gone and the side plate doesn't fit. It belonged to my great-grandfather who operated a ferry on the Ohio just upstream from Paducah in the early 20th century. I can imagine him needing some protection ferrying booze across to Kentucky during prohibition, and finding this in a pawn shop. (Well that's just speculation, but it's my story and I'm sticking with it.)

As little girls, my dad's two sisters remembered it was a silvery color when I asked, so I decided to refresh the nickel and not restore it to its original blued state. There is more, better authenticated family lore but my fingers are cramping up.

Excellent outcome. Thanks for the follow up on your project. That will make a great family heirloom for generations to come. I would write out all you know or speculate about the gun and keep it with the gun.

Your revolver turned out nice. As a family heirloom, it will last for generations to come.

I, too, have a Ford's done revolver. It turned out fantastic also. Some folks bad mouth their work, and it may be justified, but not in my case. I am sure companies that do this kind of work have to make new hires like everybody else, and maybe some of them don't have the needed experience.
Larry

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!