An UGLY 28-2...but its tight and its mine

[Bloodhound]

I bought this from an auction site...it is pretty ugly, but its very tight, a cop's gun, carried a lot, but not shot much...it is as tight as if it was new...so I will get the grips refinished. I am thinking of sending it to Fords for a Black Nickle or a medium polish blue...its an "S" prefix gun(they really are smooooth), that looks to be a 1967-68 vintage gun. I really couldn't be more pleased...what a classic revolver, with a LE history...now its in this cops stable...it will be my packing/camp gun. I am going to shoot it Friday, and then the grips go one direction and the gun goes another...Take a look, because the next time you see this one, it will look a lot better.

I will post some pics when its all back together.

Scott

 

[Masondixon]

It's not ugly; it shows signs of being loved.

 

[sheriffoconee]

that's honest wear on a working gun, ain't nothing ugly about that

 

[alaskavett]

WHAT????

So where is the ugly 28???? If your embarrassed "having" to carry and shoot this atrocity than ship it to me!! Great gun that I would not have anything changed on. Shoot it and enjoy it for everything it is. Kyle

 

[WPWarhawk]

Last week I stumbled across a $300 M28 six inch. It's got a little more blue wear on the barrel, not quite as much on the cylinder, and has a pretty decent pair of smooth targets on it. I need it like another hole in my head, I already have a 95%+ six incher, but this one was calling my name, wanting to be rescued from that pawn shop where it was sitting between a Llama .357 and a Rossi .38

 

[Bloodhound]

Prior to picking it up today, I was thinking I would just find a holster and carry it...but when I picked it up, it just wants to get refinished. The wear IS good honest wear, lots of years on a duty belt and getting in and out of a patrol car...I just want to dress it up a little...it will stay a working gun, but with a little "better dressed"

WPWarhawk...congrats on your find....sounds like a great deal

 

[kennyb]

it's your gun....i'm sure refinished it will look great....but i would have S&W do the job

 

[-db-]

For a packing/camp/working gun, I'd put Grashorn stags on it and call it good. That gun's not ugly at all if you think about it.

 

[alwslate]

I will never understand why people think they have to refinish a gun
that has a bit of honest wear. It may look better to your eyes after
being buffed, polished and plated or reblued but will it be more
functional? Depending on who does the work.....maybe less. It seems
to me that any refinish has to destroy original tolerances and fit and
should be a last resort only. Just my thoughts.

 

[Northfield Gun]

Leave it the way it is, it would be like giving Clint Eastwood a face lift. It's just not right......


James Davis

 

[TNDave]

I think that gun is beautiful

 

[dkees]

When I inherited my dad's Colt 1908 Pocket Model it was losing some blue and one grip was chipped. I decided to have it refinished, it came back beautiful.

Worst mistake I ever made. To this day when I see this gun I'm thoroughly pissed at myself for turning it into something it never was when my dad carried it in his jacket pocket.

Granted, I was young at the time (he died when he was 41), and your situation doesn't include the family factor.

If I buy a used looking gun, it stays looking used.

Just my thoughts, it's a great find at a great price and I'm happy for you.

 

[DCWilson]

As others have implied, ugly is in the eye of the beholder. That gun looks fine to me.

A few months ago I bought a distressed early vintage .38/44 Heavy Duty with the intention of turning it into a project gun -- maybe open it up to .45 Colt, cut the barrel, refinish it... But when I got it in my hands I just couldn't do it. Every scratch, worn spot, and dent was a piece of its history, and I decided to just leave it alone and let its surface continue to accumulate the story of its life.

It's your gun and you have every right to do what you want with it, but whatever you do to the gun won't make it any better at its work; it will just make it temporarily prettier while it does it. Not that I think this question is open to a democratic decision, but I would cast my vote to leave it as is.

 

[brokenprism]

I'm going to join the OP on the underdog side of this line. Some people can live with -- and are even aesthetically immune to -- wear on a gun. Some can't, aren't, and never will be. It's not a criticism of wear, though anything besides white on the high spots from holstering is as much neglect as it is 'honest wear.' Unless the former owner kicked that gun under a patrol car in a scuffle, it just wasn't taken care of as well as it could have been, and that was the owner's right. It's the new owner's right to restore it to its former factory glory, or close to it.

Refinishing is a pain. It's expensive, and unless S&W does it, it never looks quite right again. But if new blue does it for you, go for it.

 

[H Richard]

I think it looks just nicely broken in and comfortable.

 

[charlies]

Leave it alone...it earned its stripes...in other words carry it with pride.
JMTCW C

 

[Iggy]

You will spend $250 to get it refinished and then it will be too nice to put back in a holster.

Don't ask me how I know this.

I have a 6" Model 28 that is in about the same shape as yours.

I put the holster wear on it and wouldn't change a thing. It's barely broke in.

There area couple of guys on here than can help your grips, but I would leave the gun as it is.

 

[BillyWayne]

I like it the way it is. Oil it up and maybe rub some Flitz over it and be happy with it. If you refinish it then you will get hearburn over every piece of lint and cat hair on it. It has character, personality. You can shove it into a holster and carry it through the woods without any worry.

 

[Bloodhound]

I hear all of you...and as i said, I pretty much had the mind set that I bought it to use, so I would just leave it the way i got it...

But when I picked it up at the shop, I had an instant change of heart...

let me explain...I have a model 19-4 that I carried as a patrol officer, K-9 officer and detective...its in better condition than this 28, but it has its marks and scars and we earned every one of them together...I bought it new when I went "on the job"...its the gun I went through the academy with...its my gun and not subject to a re-finish or sale.

While the 28 has an LE history, that makes us "friends" not "partners" yet...when I picked up this revolver I had a feeling wash over me of the quality of this gun...the mechanical condition (excellent) and I just knew that i wouldn't be happy untill the looks matched the mechanics in condition.

But some of you have convinced me...it should go back to S&W for the metal work/re-finish. The grips will go to DWFAN for a re-freshening.

Please understand that the term "Ugly" is one I hold in high regard...it is a term of endearment when related to my 19-4 (Ugly old gun) and I understand the steps it took to get this 28 in this condition, but i will never be happy with this gun in this condition...so we will start our friendship together with it in a re-finished condition and we will add the wear of usage to it together...and we will forge out a partnership.

Again thank you for your comments and thoughts. I am enjoying this...nothing better than getting a new/old gun and discussing it with great folks...I welcome all your insights and thank you for them

 

[Casehardn]

Nice 28.
The gun that's too pretty is the gun you're afraid to get scratched.
Have fun with that ol' gal.