? about pawn shop find

[AZ Mark]

Will re-bluing a gun lower its value?

[murphydog]

Yes, in almost all situations. You only have a factory original finish (however worn) once. You can refinish a gun to make it look better but you will probably lose money in the process.

[peyton]

Give us more details of what you found plus pictures will help us a lot!!

[AZ Mark]

Didn't buy yet. I wanted to check on the value first. It's a Dan Wesson 22. The condition wouldn't be a great concern except that the finish on the bottom of the barrel. It looks as though it was shot from a rest quite a bit. The finish is almost completely gone there and it's a dark brown color. It'a not rough, but it has to be rust. Some play in the cylinder but the bore is shiny and the grooves looks sharp.

[Fishslayer]

Does the 22 have replaceable barrel & shroud like the bigger ones?

Is it a 22M? That would be .22 Magnum. I don't see a blue 22LR listed. 722 is stainless.

If the rest of the blueing is good I'd leave it alone. I have a '72 vintage 15-2 & bought it in good part because the finish knocked me out!

Whichever you're getting I'm envious. DW makes some great revolvers. I would be all over either a .22LR or a magnum.

[AZ Mark]

It's blue with a long barrel. Yes, replaceable barrel. It's the biggest 22 I've ever seen. BTW, it's a 22lr. The man said he'd "like" to get it out the door for $350, but with the finish I feel that's too much.

[Fishslayer]

Originally Posted by AZ Mark

It's blue with a long barrel. Yes, replaceable barrel. It's the biggest 22 I've ever seen. BTW, it's a 22lr. The man said he'd "like" to get it out the door for $350, but with the finish I feel that's too much.

Define "long." Ya know the larger models have standard barrels up to 15" long!

Boy... I'd be tempted. You might be right about the price but DA .22 revolvers are good sellers. Guess it would depend on how much you wanted to buy it and how much he wants to sell it. If it's in otherwise good condition I know I'd be haggling.

Not sure about the .22 but factory & aftermarket barrels & shrouds can be found for the other models.

[AZ Mark]

6 in. barrel.

[old bear]

In a word YES. Now unless the revolver in question is some super rare big bucks collectors piece, it is your property to do with as you like. Just don't plan on getting your investment back when you sell it.

[phenson]

I think if you're going to keep it and shoot it, the finish doesn't matter that much. If you're buying for investment, you should probably just pass.

[Broker50]

I may get flamed, but here goes. This is my opinion only! No DW, no matter the condition, is worth much more than the cost of a refinish. And I say refinish, not reblue, because I would never have one reblued. Blueing is a lousy finish to begin with, very fragile, very easy to gather more rust. You see the old blue finishes that everyone loves, were accelerated rusting, brought on by immersion in hot salty water. If I were going to have one redone, I would have it hardchromed, or one of the other durable finishes. I am familiar with hardchrome though, it is rust resistant, & the hardness is close to that of a file. Much more durable than bluing. As someone else said, if you want the gun for a shooter, use it as it is, don't end up with close to a grand in a $300-$400 gun.

[Armyphotog]

Hardchromed? That's kind of like putting a coat of clear coat on the Mona Lisa to my way of thinking. Just my opinion.

[Broker50]

Originally Posted by Armyphotog

Hardchromed? That's kind of like putting a coat of clear coat on the Mona Lisa to my way of thinking. Just my opinion.

We're all entitled to our opinions. I think the hardchrome finishes are quite attractive, & they stay that way through conditions that would destroy a blued gun. Try carrying a blue 22 revolver camping & fishing over a rainy weekend, for example, & see what it looks like come Monday. That's all I'm sayin'. My handguns get used & carried, blueing just doesn't offer much protection, but it is traditional. That's just my opinion, just offering it up as an alternative to blueing.

[Maximumbob54]

Originally Posted by Broker50

We're all entitled to our opinions. I think the hardchrome finishes are quite attractive, & they stay that way through conditions that would destroy a blued gun. Try carrying a blue 22 revolver camping & fishing over a rainy weekend, for example, & see what it looks like come Monday. That's all I'm sayin'. My handguns get used & carried, blueing just doesn't offer much protection, but it is traditional. That's just my opinion, just offering it up as an alternative to blueing.

I agree for the same chain of reasons. And I think it looks darn good when done with good preparation.