Just picked up this finished product today. I wanted to have a little fun with this one. Snagged it in good, mechanical condition off Gunbroker for super cheap. Accurate little guy when I took for test shots. Original finish was scratched up, peeling and nothing special... some pitting.

I sent it for a burnt bronze cerakote, added a Hogue grip, and a smile.







Cerakoting adds a small layer of materiel so it still needs some breaking in. 1 out of the 6 cylinders is a bit harder to pull than the rest in double action. Gives me a reason to work it with snap caps on the couch!

I am happy with how it came out. Have fun with your stuff!

Good job. Another one saved.

Looks good to me. In my experience those coatings continue to harden for a few weeks even if oven baked. I'd be careful with it at first.

I see nothing wrong with that you took what is a common model with lots of wear and gave it a new lease on life. I have one that I might have to consider doing that way.

Pretty cool looking

Nothing wrong with giving a distressed older lady something new to wear. While the burnt orange might not have been my first choice it does look good. Did the re-finisher do any work on the pitting other than polishing? I ask because it's been told to me that a good cerakoter has a method of filling rather than over polishing. Great job and the revolver has a second life. Regards, hardcase60

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You want me to do what?

I have a four-inch 10-5 that wore black Cerakote when I bought it for a very reasonable price some years ago.

Operates smoothly, wears the magnas it came with plus a Pachmayr grip adapter, and I like it.

I like the bronze coating on yours. But then I've never been able to afford to be a purist.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Looks great! But why snap caps. A couple hundred 158gr Lead Bullets
over 3grs Bullseye would smooth it out. At least thats what I was thinking.
You done good!
Jim

I love the burnt bronze..what a nice combo with the color grips you chose..well done sir.i have a model 36 that was beat up pretty good when I purchased it..still deciding what I want to do with it..it's just for me to carry and toss in my backpack when I go hiking..if I drop it on rocks or it gets rain and snow on it ..it ok..( I don't plan on doing those things) but you never know what can happen when you actually use a gun.

Hey, thanks for all the positive responses. Here I was worried about backlash for re-doing a classic!
I didn't quote anyone here but ill say that the color is definitely a departure from the normal for me. I am pretty conservative with my firearms and most everything in my life. If I went black or grey, its basically the same color almost every gun comes in. All the FDE type colors were really just plain jane and I also didn't want to go too funky and weird. FDE is kind of overdone by this point. Flat color, real boring. the bronze by itself wasn't too exciting but mix in the gold flake that the burnt bronze has and it is just awesomly different.

As far as prep work, the Cerakoter talked about how they bathe the parts to basically remove all the gunk and most of the finish. I don't know all the details of it. I really shouldn't have even called it pitting. I am talking minor... a few pinholes along the top of the barrel and sight notch area above the cylinder. For this gun, they didn't fill in or polish any of the holes (nor did I expect or want it). You wouldn't see pitting if you weren't looking for it. FTW Coatings in Wichita, KS did the work. Props to them and I will be sending them some pics of the finished product for their portfolio.

I will shoot it! I wanted to make a good range toy so I don't have to shoot my original Victory revolver too much. Snap caps were good so I could work it and smooth it out.

Here is where I need the experts to chime in. What part do I look at if only 1 of the cylinders feels "tighter" than the other when you pull the trigger? I wouldn't think any of the internals since it would feel the same for each one. I am looking somewhere on the ejector star for a burr or something from where the cylinder is rotated. I haven't found anything yet but it seems to be loosening up as I work all the moving parts.

I trust you oiled it.....best thing is to go shoot it. Nicely done.

I consider myself a purist, but I think the refinish turned out very nice! Glad they left the trigger and hammer case coloring alone too. I am enough of a purist that I would have not used those grips (I do prefer those over rubber though). But, guess what.........it is NOT my gun!! It is yours, so I am pleased you are happy!!!!!

I would guess that the finish is very durable and is now your perfect shooter gun!

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

Finish looks fine to me. Not wild about the stocks, but there's a lid for every pot. Love the 10-5 . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

To be fair...you did warn me.

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No life story has happy end.

I like the bronze. I'd prefer different grips, but those are better than goodyears and it probably wouldn't look right with S&W Magnas.

I think it is a good combination for a shooter, I have the same grips on my 64-3, BTW. Pretty good fit for my hand ;o)

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Retired & Livin' my DREAM :)

I am a fan of your finished product 10-5. The burnt bronze is different, but not radically so. That cerakote color with the grips you chose looks nice!

I like the finish, but PLEASE, put some "real" wood stocks on it. Some black laminated stocks might not look too bad.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Several years ago I got hold of a 2-1/2" Model 19 that was pitted pretty badly and had just flat been abused. I sent it to Robar and had their NP3 finish applied. I just wish I had taken the time to smooth out the pits where the stocks met the exposed sideplate before I sent it; the revolver is quite attractive with an Uncle Mike's boot grip.

I like it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Wheel guns are real guns too.

Looks very nice

Sent from my LGUS991 using Tapatalk

Well, they say, "There's no accounting for taste!"

If you're happy, we're happy. Actually, it does kinda grow on ya!

I have to admit my initial reaction was yuck but after a bit it really grew on me.Is this a stock color and what was the charge for doing it. Makes me wish I had a beater to try it out!!

I like it, and think the grips go well with it. R/E the tight DA pull on one chamber - Did you experience it before the re-finish? If not, it sounds finish related, and will probably get better with some break in / wear.

Larry

While I would have preferred bead blasting then rebluing the bronze color goes so well with the Lamo-Camos that it could be called art.

Most likely the tight rotation with one chamber was caused by adding material to a ratchet tooth or the B/C gap was reduced to the point that it is zero at the offending chamber. If the problem is build up on the ratchet teeth and it is even on all the teeth then a thinner hand might get it back to where it was for about $15. If you are confident that is the problem and are handy with a very fine Arkansas stone you could take a thousandth off the portion of the hand that contacts the ratchet teeth. If the problem is reduced flash gap first look at reducing end shake. If there is no significant end shake then you could file a few thousandths off the back of the barrel. Those are not the only possibilities. They are just what I'd look at first.

By the way, I like Lamo-Camos. Non-original stocks do not offend my some what pure collector's eye. So many collectors temporarily install more comfortable stocks for the range that I do not assume a S&W's collectable status is reduced.

Thanks all... too many to quote. Ill try and remember.

"to be fair... you did warn me" this made me literally LOL haha. thanks for looking. it definitely wasn't in collector shape to begin with... and there are only about 6 million other ones sooo. i figured i could afford to play with this one.

the coating cost me $160. theres a decent amount of prep work with revolvers vs. say covering a slide of a semi-auto.

I am pretty positive the resistance is due to the coating. It did not have any resistance prior to the work. The SA trigger was ridiculously light. The smith who worked the trigger said prior to his work, whoever had messed with it went a little too far on one side and only about 30% of the sear surface was actually engaging. it is still really light... but does feel a lot different after he worked it (in a good way).

Id be comfortable checking out those areas and polishing/sanding. I have a few stones around that are super fine. Or, I could polish the area. I polished my AK trigger a few weeks ago with super fine paste. Took barely anything off but made it feel worlds better. but then again, a little goes a real long way with an AK...

I can see light as I work the action between the cylinder and barrel for each one so I don't think it is rubbing there. The ejector part of the cylinder (the 'star') was not coated at all. it is still original. I was trying to avoid any clearance issues. plus the contrast looks cool. it may be the area where the cylinder interfaces with the ejector. there is absolutely zero movement of the cylinder fore and aft.

Found it. I polished all the silver colored areas where the star contacts the frame of the gun (around where the firing pin pokes out) and also the edges of the 6 teeth. It is a tight fit, it was rubbing there.

Feels better, needs a little more. Ill continue. I know I am not using all the correct terms... forgive me.

As I look at those pictures I can almost hear sitar music playing in the background. Some sandlewood incense, a lava lamp, a little blue shag carpet and it could induce flashbacks.

But it also occurs to me that if a new wave, psychedelic-hippy action shooting event ever takes root, then you may be quite advanced on the learning curve. Perhaps you may be on to something.

I like it. An really like those camo-lamo Hogues. I have a round butt set on a M66. They fit my hand better than any other wood grips.

I like being different and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. On that particular model with those grips, it works! Conversely, I saw a DA revolver for sale where the frame was completely color cased and it looks like 'bleep'!

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Dan Ortego ~

The model 10. S&W's bread and butter since 1899.
I went this way.
Gunshow last weekend. Saturday morning found the
stags on a table at $55.00.
Sunday am I find this 10-7 strapped with pac's
on a Glock dealers table(trade-in) $350.00 drive out.

1+1 = this..

I'm still waiting for my dog day find after 63-years

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Dan Ortego ~

Xfuzz, you definitely stole those stags. Good score.

Turbo, great job on the reclamation. you've certainly got the only one like it on your block.

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Retired Dep Sheriff & Armorer

I like the looks of your Model 10.
I have several that would be good
candidates for such treatment, but
I am too tight to get off the money.

I am a fan of a "well used, seasoned"
firearm, and I just keep them well oiled
and wiped down.

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Georgia On My Mind

I'm usually a bit of a traditionalist, but I like what you've done with this gun. I'm going to have to start looking for a cosmetically challenged old classic to tinker with, now that I've seen something that I would actually do and that can be done for a reasonable price. Nice going.

You pistol, your vision.

I like it, it looks somewhat like a camo job. Enjoy it.

yes, nice stag. sigh, u know, a only a few months ago i started getting interested in revolvers after i picked on up at cabelas... they are so classic and i really come to love the craftsmanship. if i had one with beautiful bluing, you can be sure i wouldn't mess with it. I would never do this to my victory and its original finish.

i encourage you guys to have a little fun. trust me, I am a traditionalist too. nothing like wood and steel together... but if you have something that is not that cool or not in good shape, take it and have a little fun with it. it probably can't be worth any less than it is when you started.

this one won't be a safe queen. i set out to have a cool, fun gun. it will be shot (and so I don't have to shoot the victory)!

and thanks! any FDE type color was just boring... I admit i kind of got the idea to do the color from a video I saw on youtube. but hadn't seen a S&W done up. when I came across the grips online, i thought it would just be cool and different.

Nice job. I kinda like it.

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Peace and Strength

Like most respondents here, I am a stock purist. I resist the urge to irreversibly customize all my toys especially guns, motorcycles and cars. Having said that, I give you credit for not cutting, milling, or drilling on this classic masterpiece. Every one cut up is one lost to history that cannot be retrieved. The grips may not be every one's favorite, but only one brass scew stands in the way of authentic restoration. Cerakoting is a bit more intrusive, but the beautiful mechanical work sits underneath, intact and preserved for current and future admirers. FWIW, I like your color selection better than nickel plating.

So many times over the past few years I've looked at M10s and even one M15 2" that were offered at attractive prices, but with pitting that precluded a decent refinish at any price. For what you paid for the Cerakote, I now wish I had snagged the 15 as a tacklebox gun.

A very valid choice, IMO, for reclaiming a piece that is beyond "restoration".

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I need ammo, not a ride.