I passed on a 4" Nickel 27-2!

[EQGuy]

The reason is that it had some small chips in the stocks and even though the finish on the gun was 98% or better it was not very well polished. Small machine marks were evident on close examination. It is the first 4” model 27 I have ever seen in California but I just could not be happy with the ****** polish job on it. The asking price was $850.00. I returned a week later to look at it again and it was gone. Those of you that have 4” model 27-2’s how is the polish on them? Was the one I examined typical of that time frame or just one that got past QC?

[smithfan4152]

I have a similar 27-2 that has a very poor polish job, yet it is all original,
at least with box, paid much less, serial number N709650 range.
Gun is at least 98%, stocks were fine, Initially I thought it was a refinished gun.

[Art Doc]

About 5 years ago I looked for a 4" nickel 27-2. Had several 3.5" and 5" versions but none with 4" barrels. Wanted one that was still pinned and many were not. Found 3 at $385, $425 and $435 and passed on them all. I guess I really didn't want one that badly after all. Bought a first year production Highway Patrolman in about 95% condition for $290 instead and figured that would satisfy my desire for a 4" N frame 357.

Wasn't in nickel, though...

[Dennis The B]

I just bought a nice Model 27-2, 4" nickel, that was made ca. 1979-1980. The nickel plating finish on it is well done. The metal beneath the plating has some "grain" to it in spots, indicating that the polishing was not done to a non-visible grain level.

I think you'll probably find that in most modern revolvers, especially from the mid-1970's, onward. I also bought a 1968 Model 27, and the blue finish shows superior metal finishing to that of the later models.

Mine is strictly anecdotal observation, and I don't have large enough samples to make any type of empirical statement.

[Dave T]

Do these poorly done (or less than we expect) polish jobs reflect the Bangor Punta era? Just asking as I always that sort of marked the beginning of the decline of Smith's quality.

Dave

[GLL]

Here are two 4" 27-2s from that era. The finish is not too bad.

At least not bad enough that I will be dumping them soon !

Jerry

[EQGuy]

Jerry:
If the 27-2 I passed on looked like either one of yours I would have purchased it and I would have been picking it up today.

[Art Doc]

Generally speaking older is better on finish quality. that's not to say that guns from the 1970s are bad, just not quite as good compared side to side with the earlier ones.

In the late 1980s EPA regulations forced a change in bluing materials combined with the rising cost of hourly labor in polishing making recent editions much less deluxe looking.

[ladder13]

I've never had a 4 inch 27, but did have a 5 inch that I foolishly sold about 5 years ago.

I do have this shorty 27 with the too fat grips.

[GLL]

Mike:

Sorry to see someone pawned off that stubby beat-up nickel gun on you !

VERY NICE !

Jerry

[alwslate]

EQGuy I would have passed too at that price. I have a blue 27-2 4"
from 1980 or so that has a very smooth finish. I'm not quite ready to
get pics posted yet. GLL i'll go first. Where did you get those grips?
Really like the wood grips on your blue 27.

[pownal55]

i have a blued 27-2 p&r in the wood case, papers, tools. the side plate has a slightly cloudy appearance i have not seen on older guns. the price was right and it is one of my "shooters" so i am not complaining.

[CAJUNLAWYER]

I went and looked at my 4" and 5" 27-2's in nickle finish and they both look pretty darn good to me-both would pass for new except for the light carbon rings around the cylinder holes-The 5' has the presentation case but alas the 4" although it was given to me with "a" one piece S&W box-it ain't the original one the gun came in.
Ladder how about swaping me my blued 3.5 for your nickle 3'5-that wat all the brothers will look like they had the same daddy I'll still have my black sheep-the 520
I posit the following question however:
How does one keep the nickle finish from becoming cloudy-or to put it another way-why does it become cloudy???
I can figure out the one about the tiny scratches-but the cloudy gets to me-I don't want to pull them out one day and all of a sudden see a cloudy finisn.

[GLL]

alwslate:

The grips are Thuya burl from Don Collins. Normally this wood is not very stable but they have held size very well.

Jerry

[alwslate]

GLL: Thanks. Target stocks are too big for my hands and N frame magnas are much harder to find at local gun shows and usually have
absurd prices on them. Don't know any thing about Don Collins grips but I assume they are expensive. There may not be an inexpensive
solution to the search for attractive N frame magna style grips, but I
refuse to pay 75-100 for nice originals at gun shows.

[Allen-frame]

I have seen model 13-3s , model 19-4 and -5s' And model 16-4s from the 1079 to 1982 timeframe with this condition. Especially around the cylinder frame window. A lot of waves and ridges in this area.

My 27-2s fortunately do not have this.

Regards ,, Allen Frame

[dmar]

I've heard this before about Smith's of this era, but my late 70's S&Ws (blue and nickel) have very nice finish and actions... A few months ago, I picked up a 4" 27-2 that dates to around 1980, it's NIB (cardboard shipping box, inner blue box, still-wrapped presentation case...) and it's got a beautiful blue job. I just bought a 19-4 on Sunday, it dates to 1978, and it's also very nicely done...

My 4" nickel 29-2 also dates to 1978, and it's got a very nice nickel finish; the polishing is really beautiful. Don't get hateful for me saying this, but I do think that the nickel Colt's seem to be done better than a lot of the nickel Smith's that I've seen (something tells me that I should not have said that...).

This being said, I always make sure to take the time to really check out a gun before buying it, because I have heard these stories, and you never know...

[northslope]

Originally Posted by EQGuy

The reason is that it had some small chips in the stocks and even though the finish on the gun was 98% or better it was not very well polished. Small machine marks were evident on close examination. It is the first 4” model 27 I have ever seen in California but I just could not be happy with the ****** polish job on it. The asking price was $850.00. I returned a week later to look at it again and it was gone. Those of you that have 4” model 27-2’s how is the polish on them? Was the one I examined typical of that time frame or just one that got past QC?

I saw that nickel 27-2 -- it was at Imbert & Smithers in San Carlos, right?

I thought about buying it only because it was the second nickel 27-2 I've ever seen ... and I had just bought the first one I'd ever seen a couple weeks earlier for quite a bit less. $850 was just too high given the condition, no box, etc.

Thing is -- I thought the finish was in great condition -- the stocks were beat up pretty bad, but you can always replace Target grips since they're not numbered.

--Neill

[EQGuy]

Originally Posted by northslope

I saw that nickel 27-2 -- it was at Imbert & Smithers in San Carlos, right?

I thought about buying it only because it was the second nickel 27-2 I've ever seen ... and I had just bought the first one I'd ever seen a couple weeks earlier for quite a bit less. $850 was just too high given the condition, no box, etc.

Thing is -- I thought the finish was in great condition -- the stocks were beat up pretty bad, but you can always replace Target grips since they're not numbered.

--Neill

Neil:

That was the one. Yes the finish was in great shape but the prep before the finish was applied was lacking. Imbert & Smithers is a great little shop and I have spent a lot of money there over the years. I purchased a pre model 27 there in 2007 that got me started seriously collecting Smiths. For the rest of you out there Imbert & Smithers is one of the local shops that has been featured on the Myth Busters series in the past.