What to do with an ugly M29-2?

[Eagle223usa]

I have the opportunity to buy an M29-2 ser# N796XXX, Pinned barrel and recessed case heads. The revolver has water damaged bluing but no real pitting. The bore and cylinders are good. It shoots jacketed bullets fairly well. It doesn't like my cast loads so far. It has an 8 3/8 inch barrel and the normal wood target grips. I can get it at a good price. I know refinishing will degrade its collectability but it is just too ugly to leave alone.
I was thinking of a good re-blue but if I do that I won't put it into a holster and carry it for hunting, it would be too pretty. I also am considering a Metalife hard chromium finish, very durable and hunting capable. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Ashlander]

Wow! You weren't kidding -- that gun is in pain it's so ugly. Do the chrome if that's what it takes to make it a gun you can hunt with and use. Might make it look really cool as well.

 

[Laketime]

If it were me ,I would send it to Fords refinishing for a Master Blue treatment.Very similar to the 1950's Smith & Wesson Carbona bluing.You can always get another one for the field.

 

[Muss Muggins]

I'll take it off your hands so you don't have to trouble yourself. . .

 

[Arik]

I would do what it was designed to do.....SHOOT! Alot!

It's a great candidate for a beater. No need to worry if you get a scratch

 

[Eagle223usa]

Ashlander, I know! I never wanted a 29, I always thought they would be big and clunky. But this one feels great in the hand, IF you hold it with both eyes closed!

 

[jtcarm]

If you buy, slug the bore & throat to make sure the latter isn't too tight, that may explain the bad performance with cast. Those can always be opened up. If it's due to a rough bore, you can fire lap to smooth it out. Check out Lead Bullet Technologies fire lap compound.

I've never had a gun refinished but for hunting I'd want something durable & non-reflective.

 

[colt_saa]

I disagree that a refinish would reduce it's collectability. At the moment it is not old enough to be collectible in that condition, a collector wanting a blue 8 3/8 is going to look elsewhere.

A refinish would only increase it's for sale value right now.

As to which would be more valuable to collectors 25 or 50 years from now, do you really care about a few hundred dollars one way or the other at that point?

Since part of the goal is to end up with a hunting gun, I would have it finished in bright nickel.

While not as durable as hard chrome, it has much better resistance to the environment than blue and it was a factory offered finish.

Carry the revolver in a high quality lined holster and finish wear should not be too big of a deal.

 

[weatherby]

I'm a hunter .....I'd hunt with it as is.

At some point in the future you decide to not use it anymore for hunting
you could then refinish

 

[Geronimo Jim]

For a gun you will use, I would simply
cold blue the bright spots and
enjoy! No worries about scratches etc.

 

[Aircrewman]

I would send it back to the factory for a factory refinish. The factory will do a routine check of the gun and be able to make any necessary repair or replacement of parts that need to be done. They can then put a beautiful blue back on it or a nickel finish or a very functional flat matte finish which is very business-like and still allows the revolver to look very good.
I had a model 28 and a model 19 redone at the factory many years ago with the matte finish and they are still very nice and look very good. And the factory prices are very competitive. I think that you will be very pleased with the factory's work. AND, it will be "factory" for the future....

 

[jtcarm]

If it were me ,I would send it to Fords refinishing for a Master Blue treatment.Very similar to the 1950's Smith & Wesson Carbona bluing.You can always get another one for the field.

Why refinish a beater and buy another one to shoot?

I'm a hunter .....I'd hunt with it as is.

Bingo! Just keep it wax coated.

If you really want it reblued, I don't think a quality job will hurt its value. Neither will hunting afterwards as long as you take care of it. Just wax it to protect from corrosion, and I would put new grips on to save wear on the originals.

I have several guns that have gone many miles holstered in the field. While none could be described as safe queens, all but one if call VG condition. None are ugly.

 

[bigggbbruce]

The funny thing is when you stop looking at the gun and shoot it you don't think about it's looks.

 

[Eagle223usa]

Lakeside, I have read great things about Ford's services. But if I spent that kind of money, and a years wait, I would probably never use it.

 

[Gunhacker]

Many moons ago I sent off a gun to Magna-port to have it done up in their hard chrome finish... I later learned that it was actually Metalife.

That was 35 years ago, and it is still going strong. It was my field gun until I ended up with a 629-4 DX Classic 5 or 6 years ago.

It looks like a brushed satin stainless gun, if the frame had been bead blasted with a fine media, instead of the wire wheel buffing to give it the matte finish, it would look like the current style matte stainless guns.

There is zero consideration you need to pay to the gun regarding collector value, it has none. There are more than enough M29-2's in the condition collectors want to ensure that your gun is out of the running.

My vote is to do the Metalife and you'll end up with a utility gun that you won't have to think twice about in looks or maintenance over the long haul.

 

[Eagle223usa]

For a gun you will use, I would simply
cold blue the bright spots and
enjoy! No worries about scratches etc.

Geronimo, that would be like touching up my Corvette with a can of Krylon....

 

[F75gunslinger]

That's a tough one. I like a gun that is pleasing to the eye, but at the same time I don't see a point in spending a lot of money chasing a perfect finish to then toss the gun in a holster and tromp through the woods with it. No matter how careful you are, invariably you will get the dreaded " first scratch ". Hard chrome is a good, durable finish, and would be good for hunting. But it's a personal choice as some don't care for that look. I would try some cold blue and see how close you can get it, or go with the hard chrome if it was me. Only my range guns are blued. Anything I've bought to carry or planned on hunting with is stainless.

 

[BC38]

For a gun you will use, I would simply
cold blue the bright spots and
enjoy! No worries about scratches etc.

That would be the route I would go as well.

Geronimo, that would be like touching up my Corvette with a can of Krylon....

This would only be an accurate analogy if your corvette already had big patches of gelcoat peeling off the fiberglass to the point that it couldn't be restored to any kind of a collectible. Even a factory refinish of this one isn't going to restore this 29-2 to collectible status - whereas a repair of the gelcoat and a repaint of your corvette in factory original paint WOULD restore it to being a collectible. So I really don't see it as being the same at all.

 

[Doc44]

Send it to S&W for a change of finish to nickel. You will be happy with the result.

Bill

 

[arjay]

It's a good candidate for a custom gun or just use it for the tool it is.