Any concerns with supposedly original finish nickeled 28-2?

[Frank121]

I have been exchanging emails with a fellow who is going to buy one of my nickeled Model 36 revolvers. He mentioned he is going to also be buying a nickeled 28-2 from a fellow.

I came here to the Forum just to learn something about the gun because it looks pretty and almost everything I saw indicated a 28-2 factory original nickeled is extremely rare. Any thoughts about the probability of finding a true factory original nickeled 28-2?

[moralem]

They may be out there but look for the N on the cylinder face and under the grips on the butt......however, literature on S&W says less than 30 M28s in nickel were made. But then that was on the internet. Only a letter will confirm........

[Pisgah]

Originally Posted by Frank121

Any thoughts about the probability of finding a true factory original nickeled 28-2?

I'll give you an answer on the probability just as soon as I find the hen's tooth I have been looking for...

[bamabiker]

I have a M28-2 that has been nickeled and looks great and it is a favorite shooter. I bought it at a pawn shop for less than $400.
I would not pay a premium for one unless it has the factory letter stating it left the factory with the nickel finish.

[Doc44]

Given what appears to be a nickel plated hammer and trigger, the finish is not original. There were 55 28-2s finished in brush nickel and shipped in 1972. I have owned one and seen a couple more in forty years of collecting S&Ws. There were 25 Model 28s with a polished nickel finish and five inch barrel and shipped in 1959 to the Florida Highway Patrol. I have seen two of those over the years.

Bill

[Jack Flash]

Agree with Doc44. The picture in the OP looks like everything got nickeled, including the front and rear sights.

Throw in the aftermarket stocks and trigger shoe, and the best you can say is that someone created a gun to suit his own rather quirky tastes. I doubt that most people would even pay a shooter price for that one.

[Frank121]

I met the fellow today and he showed me the 28-2 he bought. After he spoke with the seller about the concerns seller said it may well have been re-chromed or re-nickeled but not since he had owned it, which was many years.

Buyer got a reduced price and picked up a couple of nice additional items from the seller at the same time.

Thanks for your responses...they helped him make a better informed buying decision.

[alwaysoutdoors]

Doc is right. The first thing almost to look for is a nickeled trigger and hammer as Smith didn't do this on nickeled guns. They case colored all hammers and triggers regardless (this era) whether the gun was nickel or blue.