Hello. One of my LGS has a Model 19-5 that looks remarkably like the one pictured in this thread, including the unnaturally dark target grips, and the same busted rear sight blade (credit to the OP for the pics of his gun).

Aim Surplus PICTURES ADDED

The gun I'm looking at has clearly been coated with some kind of dark blue coating, including the hammer and trigger. I'd say that's the case of the gun in the referenced thread, although I don't think the thread mentions this anywhere. The lockup is pretty tight and it passes all the standard checks.

The gun would be $360 out the door. Does this sound like something I might want to pick up?

Thanks in advance for any input.

Only going on the description and not getting to look it over , I would pass on it . Installing a new rear sight blade is no easy task . I have owned quite a few 19's and 2 / 19-5's . They can be excellent guns . I recently purchased a 19-5 , 4" nickel with excellent S&W target grips . The gun is in excellent condition overall , the nickel finish is 90%+ and I pd $600 .
I don't know if I helped you , or not . Just my opinion . Regards, Paul

Well, not to be contrary, but I found it pretty easy to replace the sight blade on my 28-2.
The "dark blue coating, including the hammer and trigger" might be a bigger problem to solve though.
If the "coating" looks OK and it is in good mechanical condition, $360 ain't a bad price for a 357 shootin' iron, IMO.

Well I picked it up a little while ago. $360 OTD and he threw in a new sight blade, screw, and nut, which I’ll install later tonight.
P.s. The rear sight leaf’s off because the LGS was going to change out the blade but couldn’t put hands on all the tools. Thinks maybe the last gunsmith took them with him when he left. So I said just give me the parts and I’ll take care of it.

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I'd say you did great at $360 for that 19!

If it checks out like you say, I don't see how you can go wrong for that price. Doesn't look that bad in the photos. I would have been all over that one.

I think you did well. That should be a great shooter. Go forth and shoot the heck out of it.

It looks OK. If the timing is right and there is no pushoff on the hammer, and the forcing cone is not split, I would say 360.00 was ok. Now, having said that, why? A 19 stored in a storm drain would sell for more. Just kidding of course, but why so cheap? The finish?

Get a rear sight from Numrich Arms, install it and shoot it............ya did good!!!

That's all I can figure. Upon closer inspection (and removing the grips, which I admit I didn't do before buying, but normally would) that coating is covering a decent amount of "rash" (which I tried to capture in the new pics) above the trigger guard on the left side (and the Pachmayr Grippers I had lying around nicely conceal the rest).

I can't find any fault in the action, and it seems to function as well as any of my other old Smiths.

As for the buggered rear sight blade, the windage screw wouldn't budge, and my local gunsmith couldn't get it out, so my LGS buddy gave me a whole rear sight assembly. I thought it would fit (flat front leaf and all) but alas the front screw hole is 1 or 2 millimeters off. Maybe someone here can tell me whether this is other than a K frame leaf, or an earlier leaf than what would be found on a 19-5. I took the assembly off of my 66-3 and put it on the 19 for updated pics. I guess I'll be looking for a cheapo assembly for the 19.

It has only the tiniest of dings here and there, and I think would be an excellent candidate for a return to the mothership for a re-bluing.

Anyway, at present I'm still out only $360, plus I have a bonus sight blade kit when needed.

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Soak the rear sight assembly in Kroil or automatic transmission fluid mixed with kerosene for a couple days and then try to remove it. Put the sight in a padded vise, but some weight on the screw drive handle and turn. Make sure the screw driver fits the slot well. Your trying to break the screw anyway and the whole thing isn't worth much they way it is. Do a search for S&W sight on Ebay. Usually quite a few, many showing the measurement between front screw and adjustment screw. Match yours.

I second the " make sure the screw driver fits the slot well". For issues like this you really need a hollow ground screwdriver blade of the right size. Hollow ground puts the torque at the bottom of the slot so no buggered up screw heads. I looks well worth 360.00

I just went ahead and bought a new rear sight assembly off of ebay. I tried several suggestions and that screw won't budge. I'm not sure given the way the sight is made how the screw could be in there so tight, but there it is. Never seen that before. If I ever sell or trade the gun I'll just put it back on and sell as is, just like I bought it. But I've already taken a liking to this 19-5 for some reason, possibly because it's so mechanically sound, and has what I'd consider a pretty darn good factory trigger. It's too bad that it apparently had significant finish issues in a couple spots (but only the area above the left-side trigger guard is readily apparent, when you hold it in the light just so).

I think the coating may be DuraBlue, since I'm not aware of another dark blue spray on finish with that level of shine (looks like a duller factory blue finish to me). A few coats of Ren Wax actually brought out the shine a little more.

Maybe someone picked that gun up from Aim Surplus or similar and tried their hand at Durablue. If so, I have to say I'm fairly impressed with the color and shine, and had a little bit more work been put into prep'ing the metal, it would have been ever better.

I'm considering other finish options, including re-doing it myself with DuraBlue, after first trying to work out some of the remaining rough spots. If I decide it's a keeper, I might send it to Robar for a satin black finish and put some G10 grips on it. Just thinking about options. I don't want to get too deep into a gun I paid $360 OTD for.