As some long time posters know, I sent in a 4" 29-2 to have a factory defect in the forcing cone repaired. During that repair, the barrel was damaged due to improper handling of some sort. After a bunch of back and forth and getting their corporate counsel and my lawyer buddy involved, the barrel was replaced, and [unfortunately] the gun refinished by S&W.

Seeing as how the gun is no longer original and presumably the collector value is now somewhere between a Hi Point and a box stock Glock, would there be any downside to having the front sight replaced with a square post with an ivory bead?

A friend has an ivory bead front on his P-14, and I really like the sight picture it gives.

It will will never be original again so why not make it what you want. I say go for it.

That's the way I'm leaning.

Did you send them another 4” -2 barrel or did they replace it with a current 29-10 barrel? If the latter, then I would agree with your assessment of collector value. I way you should set it up the way you want it. I’m not saving condition or anything for the next guy...at least not on purpose.

I bought two replacement 29-2 barrels, in case one of them wasn't usable, a good idea since one of them wasn't.

Make it anyway you want it, it is yours.
And buy a good holster for the after life.

Did they do a good job refinishing it.
Or does it look like a 28.

They did a good job. If it had ended up looking like a 28, there would have been litigation.

It's really pretty. I'm dubious of its actual value now. I did manage to extract a letter from them attesting to it being a factory reblue. Don't know how much that counts for.

I'm just lining up future priorities.

I had to move in March because of a huge fire (visible from space) in a condo next door to my apartment which totally destroyed the condo and burned out several units in my building. I had to move 60+ boxes of books, and in the middle of the Winnie the Flu, try to source bookshelves for all of them.

Right now, I'm still trying to get unpacked from the move. I JUST finished with the books. I'm still buying a few furniture items.

My next project was to modernize my AR15. I live across the street from a high value target for Antifa and have no illusions that they'll confine their interests to it should they show up.

Somewhere down the line, I'll seriously consider getting the front sight on the 29-2 replaced. With .44 Specials, it's an excellent defensive gun, but I'm not 21 anymore and I think the white bead front sight would be a big help, assuming I can find somebody to do the work after Winnie the Flu fades away.