Chris nailed the year of birth. I was looking it up in the Catalog but he beat me to it.
I'm glad you aren't going to get it refinished. That revolver has character. Each scratch and little ding has a story, and it looks just fine to me. Don't be afraid to shoot it, with standard pressure loads, of course.
Sure would be fun to hear the stories associated with it. I am also a Private Investigator, and I could tell some fun stories.
I could, but I ain't gonna.
Jim