Friend has a scratched-up model 66 stainless snubbie...
Great working condition but looks beat-up (no real deep scratches but a ton of little stuff with lots of 'holster-wear'.
Would like to buy it from him but want to know the best options for getting this baby back to lookin' like 'new'.
Thanks

EJO: It's a stainless revolver, so you can remove finish problems. Start with 1500 grit sandpaper. It'll remove all the less serious surface scratches. Whatever's left, go to 600 grit. Be patient. Finish off w/more 1500. Eventually go over the entire surface area with Flitz. Then move on to Mother's Mag polish.

I recently did a Ruger Security-Six with this process. Put 20 hours into the 40 yr. old beastie, but came out looking quite good.

Good Luck!

Hank M.

Not to be lazy but... a friend does bead blasting...
Wondering if this makes sense and if so, what is the ideal media and what grit?
Does it make sense to send it back to S&W...do they do this and at what $$.

AAAAAHHHHHHHH. Put the 66 on the floor and slowly back away from the bead blaster

If you go onto the S&W website under the performance center gunsmithing section, they give a price for a high bright polish for stainless being $275.

I would just enjoy the heck out of the 66 until the urge hits you yo start polishing.

I just talk with Smith and Wesson about a week ago about refinishing a gun..they said if I mail it to them..in about 5 weeks they will get back to me and quote me a price on what it will cost to refinish. Then I'm looking at 5-8 months turn around..forget that..this was for a reblueing job..maybe your situation would be different... Personally I would not blast it..but completely disassembled the gun and start the sanding method.. Sounds like a ****** job..but I was thinking of doing the same thing to my blued gun then maybe reblue it my self..there is a company in Florida a few folks on the forum have used with great and I mean amazing results.. I can't think of the name right now, maybe some one can chime in
Anyways I called them and they told me to reblue my gun would be 2-4 weeks depending on the condition and 450$..sounds sweet.. It's an old model 36 that I got for 175$.. It shoots and function perfectly.. I just have to many projects right now to dump 450$ ( which is a great price I think) into a reblueing job..
For what it's worth..I would try the job yourself first, it might be easier and turn out really nice..you never know.. And if you botch it up then you can just send it off..
Good luck friend..keep us posted and send us some before and after pics

The Florida place is "Ford's Custom Gun Finishing".

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

Your absolutely correct.. I just found it..lol
Here is the link
Ford’s Guns - Custom Refinished Guns and Desert Eagle Sights!

While I had a scratched up Model 66 apart for competition prep, I had it glass bead blasted with fine grit. Looks fine after several years of hard comp use. Took less than an hour and added about $30 to the total rebuild. I suspect some of the bad rep for bead blasting is heavy-handed bubba jobs some get.

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Science plus Art

A $20 tube of Flitz and 30 minutes will make a huge improvment in the looks of the model 66. I have a 686 that showed holster wear on the barrel and cylinder when I bought it.
A few minutes with the Flitz and the wear was blended in and unnoticeable. I had the satisfaction of doing it myself. No more than I used a tube will last along, long time. JA

Thanks for all the input fellas... do appreciate it.
Doubt sending it back to S&W will be the answer...
It'll probably wind-up being a do-it-yourself.

I'd have it glass bead blasted because I really dislike the look of high polished stainless.

As an aside, the green Scotch Brite that is bought`at grocery stores natches up the finish of a Taurus 1911 stainless exactly. If you wanted, I'd bet that if you purchased enough different grits of abrasive pads, started with the coarsest and worked your way to the finest, you would find a grit that matches the original finish.

I just did the same thing with a Model 66. Here's the thread with pictures:

How to restore original S&W stainless finish?

Thanks SandSpider...
Appreciate the link and all the info...
Inspired to get the pistola and give it a shot.
Your S&Ws look great.

I used brown scotchbrite on a M60 with holster wear. I like the resulting brushed look.

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