Picked this up for $400, it's used but seems to be in acceptable condition, but needs some work IMO(Was it a good deal?). I do have some questions since this is my first wheel gun...
1) I would definitely like to re-do the brush finish on the gun, but not exactly sure if the original finish was in a swirl pattern or straight up and down. If I decide to just do a up & down brush finish or side to side, would it look "not right"?
2) I've noticed while having the cylinder out, it has a lot of back and forth play, you can see the distance it will travel in the second picture. Whenever it's locked up, it has a little play... is this amount of movement picture normal?
3) The third picture shows what I believe is a direct result of the cylinder play, it appears the edge of the barrel has taken somewhat of a beating, is this something I should be worried about?
4) The cover screws on the gun also are a little torn up, is there any way I can get replacements from S&W, or is it something I'm going to have to search around for?
I'm definitely not trying to make this a collectors piece as I do want to shoot & carry it, but I'd like to keep it in the best condition as possible. So that being said, if anyone has any suggestions/concerns based on the pictures, please feel free to let me know!