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S&W Revolvers: 1961 to 1980 3-Screw PINNED Barrel SWING-OUT Cylinder Hand Ejectors WITH Model Numbers


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Old 04-13-2016, 08:16 PM
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Default I paid $27.50 for it...

a 1973 18-3 Combat Masterpiece. She needs some love. The gunsmith says that she is in great shape mechanically, but needs new grips and rear sight. My question is about the blueing or lack thereof. What will it do to value if I get it re-blued?



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Old 04-13-2016, 08:28 PM
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A Model 18 for $27.50!
You should be arrested!

Seriously, that has got to be one of the greatest deals I've ever heard of. Congratulations.

In this case I think a refinish would be an excellent step and greatly add to the guns value.
You have one of the most desirable guns S&W ever made. Enjoy it!
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Old 04-13-2016, 08:33 PM
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I assume the OP is joking?

That revolver cannot be refinished. It would not be worth the money to make the attempt. It would also not be cost effective to buy any parts for this gun.

Hurt the value? How could doing anything to it hurt the value at this point?

If it functions (and that's a big if given the condition of the exterior) you can shoot it as is (assuming you can stand to look at it). I think it was overpriced.
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Old 04-13-2016, 08:35 PM
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It almost looks like it may have been in a fire. I really hope not. Take the rubber grips off, rub it down with bronze or 0000 steel wool and oil and see what it looks like. The rear sight blade is an easy fix.
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Old 04-13-2016, 08:35 PM
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If the mechanics and bore are good this may be one of the rare cases that a refinish is worth the price. Won't restore the former glory but will look better.
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Old 04-13-2016, 08:39 PM
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It's funny that you said I should be arrested because this gun was seized by a police department in GA. I don't know why it was seized and might not want to know. Anyway, I bought it for a friend that is afraid of guns and had hoped to get her interested in shooting and self defense. Last night, a guy offered me $400 for the gun and I was stunned. I didn't know that K frame .22's were in such demand.
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Old 04-13-2016, 08:52 PM
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Originally Posted by melissa5 View Post
It's funny that you said I should be arrested because this gun was seized by a police department in GA. I don't know why it was seized and might not want to know. Anyway, I bought it for a friend that is afraid of guns and had hoped to get her interested in shooting and self defense. Last night, a guy offered me $400 for the gun and I was stunned. I didn't know that K frame .22's were in such demand.
Take the $400 and run.
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Old 04-13-2016, 08:52 PM
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Agree with a thorough soak and scrub (nothing too abrasive); the surface underneath may look better than now. If you ship it to S & W they will look at it and quote a refinishing price if they will take on the job.

And if not, hope you kept the potential buyer's number .
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Old 04-13-2016, 08:57 PM
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Originally Posted by melissa5 View Post
Last night, a guy offered me $400 for the gun and I was stunned. I didn't know that K frame .22's were in such demand.
That exact gun in the box, 99% shape was (marked) $1200 at the Lakeland show on Saturday. It was the only Model 18 I saw. Joe
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Old 04-13-2016, 09:03 PM
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That exact gun in the box, 99% shape was (marked) $1200 at the Lakeland show on Saturday. It was the only Model 18 I saw. Joe
Holy cow! I just didn't know!
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Old 04-13-2016, 09:05 PM
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I'd probably just shoot it as is. If you want to refinish it I'd cerakote it black, and put another set of rubber grips on it.
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Old 04-13-2016, 09:06 PM
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Default melissa5

If you have the opinion of a competent Gunsmith and he says all you need is a rear sight and a set of grips then you are good to go but you may be well served to remove the rubber grips and soak the revolver (submerge it) in a suitable liquid to remove any internal dried lubrication. Several days should do the trick.
You should be able to use bronze wool with the soaking agent to remove most of the crud on the outer surface and you might be surprised how it looks after you have finished soaking and cleaning. The stocks nor the rear sight blade are a big deal to locate or replace and if this revolver has not been in a fire you have one nice shooter. Good luck helping your friend over her fear of guns if you are not inclined to make the $300.00+ profit by selling it.
I'm not trying to buy it but most of us here would love to have the same opportunity with such a revolver.
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Old 04-13-2016, 09:08 PM
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Originally Posted by pharmer View Post
That exact gun in the box, 99% shape was (marked) $1200 at the Lakeland show on Saturday. It was the only Model 18 I saw. Joe
Holy cow....I have a 98% 18-3....knew they were going up but man...
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Old 04-13-2016, 09:16 PM
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Yesterday, I took the gun to my usual gunsmith and asked him if it was worth putting a little money in it. After a few minutes of looking at it and manipulating it, he said yes. So, I left it with him to take it apart and clean it. He called today and said that the bore cleaned up great and it was working great in DA and SA. He also removed the grips since the screw wouldn't come out for me. I'm looking forward to seeing how it looks after he cleaned it.
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Old 04-13-2016, 09:17 PM
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Good find! Looks like someone left the gun in a truck under the seat for several years and let it fend for itself. For $27.50, I say you haven't lost anything but you have gained a fun project and an opportunity to learn something about revolver refinishing and gunsmithing. If the gun is mechanically functional as your gunsmith said, then at least you have a no-nonsense plinker or squirrel gun.

Personally, I don't like to see an abused gun. It would be hard for me to resist the urge to clean this gun up. I would invest a few hours and round up some steel wool, Naval Jelly, CLR, medium and fine Emery cloth and Rem Oil. If you are a tinkerer, these are things you probably already have around the house.

De-rust and clean it up as best as you can without disassembling it, then shoot it a bit. If it functions fine, then I would disassemble it and clean it up on the inside. If you like the gun, it might be worth your while to invest in a Dremel tool at this point. Check the springs, screws and internal parts for excessive wear and rust. Here, Brownells.com is your friend. Parts are not too expensive so you can order and replace whatever is needed.

When you're satisfied that you have it as clean as you can get it, then buy some cold blue solution and protect the exposed metal. You can decide later whether you want to go further. It wouldn't be practical or cost effective to restore the gun to its former glory but you can certainly get it looking respectable enough to carry on a squirrel hunt. Good luck.
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Old 04-13-2016, 09:22 PM
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Here is one that I bought a few days ago yes it will never be new again but it still shoots good a before and after cleaning to show you what yours could look like. I would gladly buy every one like you found at the price you gave as long as the mechanics checked out .
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Old 04-13-2016, 09:27 PM
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Dang! You got the perfect project gun for $27.50! Especially if a competent gunsmith told you it is mechanically sound. Congratulations. Go shoot it and see. If it shoots fine then start thinking about potential restoration. Could become the ultimate plinker for you. One you don't have to give a dang if its dropped or whatever. I'd love to give it a go myself. A great shooter doesn't have to look great. Good luck.
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Old 04-13-2016, 09:52 PM
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Congratulations on what maybe the second best find. I'm pretty sure that first place goes to Crisbee1 who found a registered magnum in the wall while cleaning out his mothers house. My first thought was the same as two earlier posters and that was the gun had been in a fire. Glad your gunsmith found it mechanically sound. In the "For What It's Worth Department" she may well be worth the cost of a refinish by the factory. Please keep us updated and post some pics when she gets back from the smithy. Best regards, hardcase60
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Old 04-13-2016, 10:08 PM
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Might be a good candidate for a hard chrome finish.
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Old 04-13-2016, 10:36 PM
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I just checked Smith and Wesson charges $275 to do a refinish I don't know if this covers metal prep or not maybe someone has used this service can chime in.
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Old 04-13-2016, 10:59 PM
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IMO, this is a case where you might just get the cost of a factory refinish job back plus certainly your initial cost for the gun if you wished to sell it after the work. Most times, that is not the case. But due to your very small purchase price and investment so far, if that will polish up well enough to look good with a factory reblue, I personally believe you will not lose money on it even with full disclosure that it has been refinished by the factory. If the factory won't do it, and your efforts to clean it up don't result in something you can live with, then there are several good choices that will make it look respectable enough to be proud of. Many of those methods will not cost a lot more than a factory refinish.

But if your efforts do proved effective to improve the looks of this revolver, then you can buy a lot of ammo and a good carry holster with the money the refinish will cost and have a perfectly acceptable using gun. And if anyone has negative comments about it, when you tell them you paid $27.50 for it (especially if it cleans up a good bit), that $400.00 you were offered just might be available from more than one buyer! Everyone needs a good .22LR shooter, and you've got a good one, especially if everything checks out and it cleans up a bit! Congratulations.
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Old 04-13-2016, 11:19 PM
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Nice One!

I'd probably keep it as is.
See what kind of offers came my way if I really just wanted to sell it.

You already had one for $400.
If S&W charges around $300 to refinish,,is the gun worth more than $700?
If it isn't, then it isn't worth refinishing if you're just going to sell it.

If you're keeping it and want it to look shiny & nice, then I'd ship it to S&W and let them do the work.
If I didn't want to spend a whole lot, I might get a local to glass bead blast and hot blue it (no polishing).
...There's always option #1,,

Lots of ways you can go when a cosmetically challenged Mod18 comes your way for $27 & change!
Congrats!
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Old 04-13-2016, 11:20 PM
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I thought most people thinks it hurts the value of a gun to have it refinished. Larry
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Old 04-13-2016, 11:28 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by A10 View Post
I'd probably just shoot it as is. If you want to refinish it I'd cerakote it black, and put another set of rubber grips on it.
If I did anything at all, this is exactly what I'd do. Since it checks out OK, shoot it & enjoy it!

In this situation, the cerakote would be an effort at preservation rather than strictly improving the gun's outward appearance.
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Old 04-13-2016, 11:45 PM
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Take the $400 and run.
That is the first thing that popped into my head as well.
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Old 04-13-2016, 11:52 PM
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Quote:
it might be worth your while to invest in a Dremel tool at this point.
STEP AWAY FROM THE DREMEL TOOL AND NOBODY GETS HURT!
Seriously, there are very few things in gun work that need a Dremel tool. Even then it takes much experience and skill NOT to mess up a otherwise good gun. Just don't!

If you want to sell it to the person who offered you $400. You will make a nice profit. But first, test fire it. If it shoots well and functions properly, I would keep it. This is a top of the line .22 revolver and you will NEVER run across a deal like this again.

As far as refinishing goes, that's entirely up to you. Bear in mind that any refinish will never bring the value up to that of a gun with an original finish, but it might make you feel better about owning it.
The best this gun will ever be is a fine shooter. Personally, I wouldn't spend a lot on a refinish. All you really need is something to protect the metal. Something along the lines of Cerakote comes to mind. Or if you fancy a DIY project, I've had excellent results with Blue Wonder.

I look forward to see how it all comes out. Please post about it and don't forget the pictures!

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Old 04-14-2016, 12:06 AM
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I would do one of two things:

1) Make $372.50 by selling it to the guy who offered $400 for it

OR

2) Clean it up, degrease it, bead blast it, and give it a home Parkerized finish.

Personally I'd go with option 2. Hard to see how you could do any better than a good shooter for under $30 plus a few bucks for the Parkerizing supplies.
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Old 04-14-2016, 12:56 AM
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I would send it to Fords Guns in Crystal River, FL. for their Master Blue Finish and checkered walnut factory grips. Ford can also replace the rear sight blade. Take a look at their website Ford’s Guns - Custom Refinished Guns and Desert Eagle Sights! . That would bring it back to as close to original new condition as possible.
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Old 04-14-2016, 05:57 AM
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Send it to S&W to have it refinished. They'll repair any other issues as well. For 27 bucks, a $300 refinish job would still put the value of you sold it later at higher than what you had in the gun.

I reblued a Model 10. I don't like neglected looking guns. IF (a big if) I ever sold it, so I lose a bit of money. So what? 200 bucks isn't gonna make or break me and I get to appreciate the gun much more.

Let S&W look that gun over. I don't know how qualified your gunsmith is. Some of these guys are either self taught or they got their schooling in some online course. There's a guy near me who claims to be a gunsmith that advised me to get a thin screwdriver to pry up the sideplate on a revolver!
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Old 04-14-2016, 08:06 AM
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PLEASE refinish it
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Old 04-14-2016, 09:27 AM
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Wow - what an awesome deal! What, you couldn't bargain them down to $20.00 OTD That is, without a doubt, the deal of a lifetime. Though I'm a hobbyist and would love to try refinishing it myself if it were mine, I think I'd pay the price and have the piece professionally refinished and actually use it. As a working gun, I'd probably go for a satin nickel or chrome finish if it were available. Also, you really do need to do something with those grips. Congratulations on a great buy.

Regards,

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Old 04-14-2016, 11:05 AM
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As BC38 said, a perfect candidate in learning how to home park a firearm. You'll be glad you did it!!
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Old 04-14-2016, 11:08 AM
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I would get S&W's opinion on a refinish first, but if they won't tackle it, I'd recommend a bead blast blue. I've seen a few done that way by Cylinder & Slide, and they turn out a very nice soft dark blue. It could probably be done by many gunsmiths that do any hot bluing.
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Old 04-14-2016, 11:23 AM
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Originally Posted by Snapping Twig View Post
Might be a good candidate for a hard chrome finish.
Better candidate for a going over with naval jelly and then a couple of coats of Rustoleum flat black bar-b-que spray paint. I wouldn't be sinking much more money in it-defeats the purpose.
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Old 04-14-2016, 12:35 PM
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Buy some Kroil and brass wool(Ace Hardware, EBay). Take the grips off and put the gun in a gallon freezer bag that seals. Spray it heavily with Kroil inside the bag, coating it inside and out. Seal it up and let it soak for a day or two, turning the bag every once in a while. When you remove it wipe it down with the 0000 brass wool. You'll be shocked at how well it will clean up.
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Old 04-14-2016, 01:06 PM
Freischütz Freischütz is offline
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You can have a lot of fun on the range with this thing. People are bound to notice it. Make comments like "Jeez, I keep forgetting to clean it".

You'll soon become a legend.
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Old 04-14-2016, 04:03 PM
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Just to give you an idea of what's out there and for how much, I had to pay $450 for this pre-18 that has a heavily stained cylinder and has been shot quite a bit. Gent sold it because the cylinder was locking against the barrel and he didn't know what to do. Reshimming brought the headspace back to where it should have been and the barrel/cylinder clearance fell right in. Those are Herrett Ropers for stocks.

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Old 04-14-2016, 06:28 PM
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Got is back from the smith today. It may be a little cleaner on the outside or it could be the lighting. It looks kind of crusty, but it's actually smooth in most places.





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Old 04-14-2016, 07:18 PM
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Too much pitting to buff out for a nice re-blue .
A fine bead blast and then Parkerize it and call it a day .
It's not like it's a 1st generation Colt SAA .

Last edited by Nick B; 04-14-2016 at 07:37 PM.
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Old 04-14-2016, 07:31 PM
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Great buy for the money!
I would do what the above poster said if it were me!
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Old 04-14-2016, 07:38 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by A10 View Post
Holy cow....I have a 98% 18-3....knew they were going up but man...
$1200? If it didn't sell,who cares.Plenty of speculators out there.It could have been priced at 2000-that doesn't automatically increase the value of everyone's collection.
I'd take the four bills.
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Old 04-14-2016, 08:35 PM
MrG5122 MrG5122 is offline
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Originally Posted by melissa5 View Post
Got is back from the smith today. It may be a little cleaner on the outside or it could be the lighting. It looks kind of crusty, but it's actually smooth in most places.




Congrats on a great find. That's a blank canvas for Cerakote. If it were mine I'd do it in pink or purple camo and gift it to my 11 year old granddaughter. She would wear the rifling out if it was 'girlie'.
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Old 04-14-2016, 08:42 PM
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I'd still send it to the factory. Let them Check it out. Gotta be able to make it look better than that. $27.50 is a great price, but that gun is too ugly for me to own.
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Old 04-14-2016, 10:02 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Grayfox View Post
STEP AWAY FROM THE DREMEL TOOL AND NOBODY GETS HURT!
Seriously, there are very few things in gun work that need a Dremel tool. Even then it takes much experience and skill NOT to mess up a otherwise good gun. Just don't!
I have used a Dremel very effectively to remove rust and to polish metal. It's not just for cutting. It depends on how you use it and on what is attached to the end of the tool. Anyone who is reasonably handy could do this.
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Old 04-14-2016, 10:21 PM
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I just recently learned about the Cerakote finish. There's a guy close to me that does the cleaning and Cerakote finishing for something like $175. The guns in his shop that he has done look great. I think this is what I would do. For a little over $200 bucks you would have a great gun.
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Old 04-14-2016, 11:05 PM
raljr1 raljr1 is offline
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refinish it....you'll have $400 in a gun you can enjoy for decades without hating the way it looks.
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  #47  
Old 04-14-2016, 11:52 PM
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On a second look after getting her back from the smith, I agree with Nick B, there appears to be more pitting than could be buffed out for a re-blue to do her much good. I have had revolver (not a S&W) Cerakoted by a guy here in Texas and he has a process where the pits are filled in and polished out before the refinish. He can't be the only one that knows how. Choose wisely. deerjw & others are correct then you will have a nice looking shooter for very little money. Regards, hardcase60

PS. Still thinks she was in a fire........
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Old 04-15-2016, 07:48 PM
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Quote:

As far as refinishing goes, that's entirely up to you. Bear in mind that any refinish will never bring the value up to that of a gun with an original finish, but it might make you feel better about owning it. Quote

Nothing short of the discovery that this specific gun had sentimental meaning to a millionaire who had offered a hefty reward for its return would make this gun as valuable as one with original finish.

I agree, though, that this doesn't look like a candidate for a factory-type reblue, something like cerakote might help preserve the metal from further rust damage. I would likely go that route.
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Old 04-15-2016, 08:32 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick B View Post
Too much pitting to buff out for a nice re-blue .
A fine bead blast and then Parkerize it and call it a day .
It's not like it's a 1st generation Colt SAA .
You read my mind. No sense doing a fine re-blue on a pitted gun. I'd do the same and use it for a woods gun. A fine bead blast to remove the corrosion and Parkerize it to help fill in the pits a bit and for durability.
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Old 04-15-2016, 10:01 PM
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In all seriousness, 27.50 for functioning weapon? I have spent more than that at the local Whataburger for a Friday night 'burger fest. It doesn't matter what you refinish it to or with, but, just do it, sir. I would feel immense satisfaction in knowing that I had taken an outcast child and given new clothes for new life.
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