As per the title, I'm wondering if this ding looks like it took place at the factory prior to the gun being blued, or if it happened post bluing. The shape of the ding and the fact that it at least "looks" blued and not bare metal makes me think it was blued that way, but my OCD demands an answer from some of the experts on the forum.
Thanks.
p.s. I'll try to get a better pic if that would help.

Attached Images

	ding1.jpg (101.7 KB, 281 views)
	ding2.jpg (97.2 KB, 266 views)

Wow sir - that's tiny! And, I thought I was anal about blems in the finish of handguns. We gots to get you a girlfriend to keep you busier ... On a serious note, that little mark is barely visible and most people would prolly not even notice it until you pointed it out (well, if I'm looking at the same tiny mark you are looking at). And, finally, to answer your question - it looks like it was there before it was blued.

Unknown or unable to be sure. Putting a smooth dent onto a blued ( Black Oxided) surface will not expose bare metal. It you hit it with something sharp that cuts in, yes bare metal would be exposed.

I have seen Jet engine parts that were shot peened post black oxide and the Black Oxide surface ( Blued) was not removed or bare metal exposed ( it blew me away as we did not expect that)

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Sceva
OGCA SWCA NRA

I find that my wife tends to frown upon that sort of thing.

As for the ding, I'm just wondering if it was there for a while (i.e. since before I acquired the gun) or if my safe reorganization puts the blame on me. It's only noticeable when the light hits it just right and it did hit it just right the other day, and it's conceivable that it was, or wasn't, there all this time. Under close examination it seems it would be too smooth and blued to have taken a relatively minor hit while in my care and more likely was a pre-bluing hit. But I thought I'd ask the forum B & B.

Fortunately my occasional firearms-related OCD doesn't generally extend to other aspects of my life.

As I noted in my previous post, I'm just trying to absolve myself from blame after a safe reorganization. I don't think I could have hit it with anything hard enough to ding it that way, and without exposing bare metal. To my untrained eye it looks oddly smooth to have been done by haphazard handling on my part, which also seems would have gone down to the metal. I've dinged a couple guns in my time I'm ashamed to say, and always got a ding plus silvery bare metal. But as your post shows, you learn something new every day.

I would say prebluing. I have had to touch up a couple small things like that as a result of assembly, the other day I had one the same size as yours on the inside of the frame near the hammer. Sharp toothpick, barely wet with blue, and all gone

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

I didn't notice what model it is or when it was made in your text. But my personal experience with S&W revolvers suggests that it was probably there before blueing. I say that because every S&W revolver I have purchased new in the past few years had some sort of booger like that on it. My M625-6 Model of 1989 has a distinct tool mark on the muzzle. It was there when I took it out of the box. My brand new 3" M686-6 has a tiny mark on the muzzle just outside the crown, and a tiny little dent similar to yours on the rear edge of the cylinder. My attitude towards these is that if degrades function or if it is very obvious, I will send it back for correction or replacement. Compared to the boo-boos that I have received from the other major US handgun manufacturer, these are pretty small.
If I sound a bit too passive about this, I should mention that I am normally a very fussy person and expecting perfection is my normal mode. But I have also learned to deal with reality and to choose which battles to fight instead of fighting them all.

It's an early '80s Model 19, bought used like all of my revolvers, and at this point most of the guns I presently own. I was really just looking for validation that I didn't somehow do it. It's hard enough to find these old guns, especially the blued ones, not full of rust, etc, to think I'd put even the slightest mark on it through carelessness. I clanked it with my Beretta M9A1, but looking at how they were hanging side by side in the safe, it would seem almost impossible to hit it in that particular spot unless I was really trying or really unlucky. Seems the cylinder and recoil shield would have blocked it, etc. But like I said my OCD kicked in a little. Looking at it again, it looks like a ding pre-bluing based on the smoothness of the ding, like it was there then the gun was polished and blued, and I only just noticed it since the gun's been in my possession. Yeah, I'm a nut.

I'd say two guns got bumped together later in life.

Trying to push me over the edge I see.

Could be either.
A blunt strike may not have blemished the blue.

Proof marks on firearms are stamped right into the finish blued surfaces. They sometimes do and sometimes do not break the blue finish. Depends on how sharp the edges of the stamp are though they usually do.

Doesn't that bite mark on the back side of the hammer spur bother you more.
,,or is that just some lint or something.

Unfortunately it doesn't appear they were able to reproduce.

I am pretty anal and not sure I'd notice, but if I did it wouldn't bother me.

I think that's a combination of lint and rough machining on the hammer.

Could have been either before or after. Bottom line is , there is NO 100% Revolver, Automobile, or anything. While we all like perfection, one can find a flaw in anything if one looks hard enough.

Yours is so small and minute, I certainly would not concern myself with it.

What "ding" ??

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John

It's not your fault . The gun safe fairies did it . Smith and Wesson did it . The previous owner did it .
Absolve yourself from blame . Everything will be okay .

Life's way to short to sweat the small stuff...take that sweet revolver out shooting and enjoy her ...now !
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member

A few minutes with Microsoft Paint will fix those photos.