Jack Flash
Member
A factory letter will cost $75 but in you case is well worth it. From all the posts above, you can see this one has real collector value.
Refinish or leave alone?
- Thread starter Revolver Man
- Start date
Benchrest1
Member
I would leave it alone. Your Grandpa probably has a story for a lot of those marks on that gun. To refinish it would destroy its history.
Best you establish a value for that revolver in its present condition and go from there.
Stu
Stu
You may already know this (I didn't with my first nickel gun), but it is best not to use any Hoppes #9 on this gun. It will damage the nickel finish.
I agree with leaving it as is. You are fortunate to have a gun that belonged to your Grandfather. Write down anything you remember him saying about the gun, if anything, and pass it on to future generations with this beauty. Congratulations!
I agree with leaving it as is. You are fortunate to have a gun that belonged to your Grandfather. Write down anything you remember him saying about the gun, if anything, and pass it on to future generations with this beauty. Congratulations!
OP
Revolver Man
Member
Sadly, he passed away when I was too young to be able to ask any questions about it. I've been a law enforcement officer for over 22 years, so the sentimental value is high for me, with him being a state probation officer.
OP
Revolver Man
Member
I'm very glad that I got all the reply's I did to this post. I certainly did not mean to offend the purist, by even suggesting having it re-nickeled. I was curious about the revolver. Never had any idea that you fine folks would respond like you did. I will take better pics of it and start another thread about it tomorrow night. Thanks again for all the attention.
OLDSTER
Member
LEAVE IT AS IS !! 
I'll jump on the bandwagon
Good choice not to redo your Granddad's revolver.
If it were mine I would pay for the letter, but I wouldn't expect to find anything the other folks haven't already told you. It will confirm their opinions, and it will tell you when the snubbie left the factory and where it went. The Vegas odds of getting a letter with earth-shattering news are "one in a (big number here)" so pay the $75 and add the letter to the gun's provenance as you know it.
Thinking out loud here... Have you considered contacting the state probation office to find out if they have any records of your Granddad's time there (or photos?)?
Congrats on owning a terrific family heirloom.
Bob
Good choice not to redo your Granddad's revolver.
If it were mine I would pay for the letter, but I wouldn't expect to find anything the other folks haven't already told you. It will confirm their opinions, and it will tell you when the snubbie left the factory and where it went. The Vegas odds of getting a letter with earth-shattering news are "one in a (big number here)" so pay the $75 and add the letter to the gun's provenance as you know it.
Thinking out loud here... Have you considered contacting the state probation office to find out if they have any records of your Granddad's time there (or photos?)?
Congrats on owning a terrific family heirloom.
Bob
DO NOT POLISH IT!
Just clean it up & leave it honest.
As for the Fords reference, as a word of general advice there have been mentions of botched refinishing jobs done by them in the past few months on a Colt forum.
Consensus there seems to be that Fords has slipped quite a bit.
Just a cautionary advisory for anybody considering sending a gun to them.
I've seen photos of recent work (bad), but have no personal experience with them.
Denis
Just clean it up & leave it honest.
As for the Fords reference, as a word of general advice there have been mentions of botched refinishing jobs done by them in the past few months on a Colt forum.
Consensus there seems to be that Fords has slipped quite a bit.
Just a cautionary advisory for anybody considering sending a gun to them.
I've seen photos of recent work (bad), but have no personal experience with them.
Denis
I'll be lookin' for 'em.
Absalom
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
While Bob is perfectly correct in everything he points out, the fact that you are looking at a four-digit value and a quite rare gun if it all checks out in itself justifies the letter.
When exactly and to whom it shipped, usually the reason we get letters, almost does not matter here compared to confirming the original 2" barrel, especially given the early serial.
jsfricks
Member
Here's the link for the Factory Letter. Definitely get a letter for that one to confirm it as original.
Smith & Wesson Collectors Association
Smith & Wesson Collectors Association
Welcome to the forums from the Wiregrass, on the other side of the state! You have got a tooth from an original Alabama Hen. And she didn't have many to begin with. 
In addition to it being an heirloom, it is a VALUABLE heirloom.
Yeah, I'd polish it up with Mother's Mag and check the back of the right grip panel for the SN. Should be scratched into it or sometimes stamped. If it matches, the gun is all original. By the way, don't pry the panels off or you can break them at the bottom. But, then, you probably already know this. Take some pictures of the right and left grip frames and post them, please.
In addition to it being an heirloom, it is a VALUABLE heirloom.Yeah, I'd polish it up with Mother's Mag and check the back of the right grip panel for the SN. Should be scratched into it or sometimes stamped. If it matches, the gun is all original. By the way, don't pry the panels off or you can break them at the bottom. But, then, you probably already know this. Take some pictures of the right and left grip frames and post them, please.
Your grandfather would be proud that you care enough to take such good care of something he so loved. The real value of the gun is the fact that it was his.
Enjoy the gun, embellish his memory. Perhaps his DNA is still on the grips.
Don't change a thing.
Enjoy the gun, embellish his memory. Perhaps his DNA is still on the grips.
Don't change a thing.
Not to get into a pissing contest ( ), but if you polish it, you destroy any patina & alter the appearance that it acquired during its years of service by the original owner.
It's not a display piece.
It acquired its looks honestly, leave it honest.
Just clean it up & leave it as your Grandpa carried it.
Most particularly, if it is a collector piece (aside from family heirloom status), DON'T polish that gun!
Collectors invariably advise against altering the finish (patina, dings, dents) on a valuable specimen.
Nothing different here.
Denis
), but if you polish it, you destroy any patina & alter the appearance that it acquired during its years of service by the original owner.It's not a display piece.
It acquired its looks honestly, leave it honest.
Just clean it up & leave it as your Grandpa carried it.
Most particularly, if it is a collector piece (aside from family heirloom status), DON'T polish that gun!
Collectors invariably advise against altering the finish (patina, dings, dents) on a valuable specimen.
Nothing different here.
Denis
Jack Flash
Member
I have been meaning to ask about that, but did not know the proper Forum for the question. We had a thread a few months back on the topic of Ford's Quality Decline but the thread has been "vaporized". I looked for other threads I had read on the web and could not find them. This made me wonder if these reports of problems with Ford's was fake news and / or if Ford's threatened to sue any website that contained such reports (?)
Not trying to stir up any problems, just wondering what happened.
JSticks
Member
I'm not sure how to post a link, but if I have, this video is looong but very informative. One of the tips given is for removing the stocks (grips). He says to loosen the screw holding them on the revolver, then tap the screw and it will force the grip off with even pressure that won't damage the grip. I'd hate to hear that those wonderfulgrips got chipped!
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ujyLn3lHBc"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ujyLn3lHBc[/ame]
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ujyLn3lHBc"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ujyLn3lHBc[/ame]
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Personally I don't think the finish is all that bad for its age! Being that it is heirloom gun and not what I'd probably choose to carry, I would leave it just as is and enjoy Grandad's ol'e gun!
If that gun were to have a nice new 100% Nickeled finish it just wouldn't look right.
I'd leave the grips right where they are and not attempt to remove them.
I know the collector need-to-know if the grips are #'d to gun is high,,but at this point just simple observation can tell you they fit the frame perfectly and have the same look as the rest of the gun.
That they are very fragile material is not in dispute and I see that at least one panel has a hairline crack already on the bottom in the closeup pic of the ser#. I think the other does too. Probably leading to the grip pin.
Those gutta-percha/hard rubber grips can stick to the frame like they are glued in place with old dried oil and lubes.
Taping on them or the screw can leave you with a multi piece grip panel in a hurry.
The only bright side to that is that you can still probably piece the sections together on the bench and read the ser#.
It's not going to be for sale, so 'all matching including grips' isn't an immediate need-to-know.
Later on with some careful surgery, the grips can be lifted from the frame with patience.
Wipe the gun down with nothing more than a cloth and your favorite gun oil. No polishing abrasives no matter how fine, no buffs, no need to make it shine.
Removing any patina from the plated finish isn't needed nor going to do it any good IMO as far as preserving it or granting it any value.
What's the very first thing told to people when they have a patina covered piece,,don't polish it up,,don't refinish it.
It doesn't need 'restoration',,it just needs some preservation, appreciation and maybe some of it's lost history found.
You are lucky to have a family heirloom like this especially w/the connection in L/E.
Most get sold for beer money by someone in the family.
Just my 02
I know the collector need-to-know if the grips are #'d to gun is high,,but at this point just simple observation can tell you they fit the frame perfectly and have the same look as the rest of the gun.
That they are very fragile material is not in dispute and I see that at least one panel has a hairline crack already on the bottom in the closeup pic of the ser#. I think the other does too. Probably leading to the grip pin.
Those gutta-percha/hard rubber grips can stick to the frame like they are glued in place with old dried oil and lubes.
Taping on them or the screw can leave you with a multi piece grip panel in a hurry.
The only bright side to that is that you can still probably piece the sections together on the bench and read the ser#.
It's not going to be for sale, so 'all matching including grips' isn't an immediate need-to-know.
Later on with some careful surgery, the grips can be lifted from the frame with patience.
Wipe the gun down with nothing more than a cloth and your favorite gun oil. No polishing abrasives no matter how fine, no buffs, no need to make it shine.
Removing any patina from the plated finish isn't needed nor going to do it any good IMO as far as preserving it or granting it any value.
What's the very first thing told to people when they have a patina covered piece,,don't polish it up,,don't refinish it.
It doesn't need 'restoration',,it just needs some preservation, appreciation and maybe some of it's lost history found.
You are lucky to have a family heirloom like this especially w/the connection in L/E.
Most get sold for beer money by someone in the family.
Just my 02
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