LGS had this really ugly pre 27, 3.5". Really ugly wrong stocks with about 1/2" of poly applied with a paint brush. Gun is filthy, with more than a little lead in the barrel. But...the numbers matched (S1514xx), except for the stocks, and I was made in 1956 as well, so I bought it. We both have just a little bit more wear than a slight turn line.

Looks alright to me, but agree those grips would have to go. At the right price, I wouldn't have passed it up.

Grips are a quick fix in a mayo jar of acetone.

Is the rear sight hiked way up or is that just the pic.

Nice carry and shooter 357.

All 27 variants are beautiful to me.

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No life story has happy end.

It's just the pic on the sight, everything else is pretty ugly though. Got it apart without incident, and covered at all with hopes 9. Cleaning to resume shortly.

They are beautiful to me as well!

you did well

Good buy. Wouldn’t kick it out of my safe

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50 Years of DSOTM

Me too!!
Not sure what an ugly (pre) 27 would look like.

A little bit of inexpensive TLC and it would be a right nice pre 27. I wouldn't call it ugly, it just has its torn up work clothes on.
Clean it up good with denatured alcohol and then use some Birchwood Casey Super Blue in a 3 oz. bottle. I think you would like what it could do for the worn bluing. I was surprised how well it blended with the bluing while it covered worn off bluing areas.
A lot of gun owners say leave a gun in its worn condition because it will be worth more when sell it. I may be in a minority but I believe someone will pay less for a work horse that looks like it than if it had some TLC done for it. I know I would rather show a nice looker than a worn out nag.

Have you ever tried your hand at refinishing the grips? A soaking in acetone for a few hours, then rubbing them with oooo steel wool, or bronze wool then scrubbing off will clean off all that poly. Touch up the checkering with a proper file, and put 6-7 coats of Tru-Oil rubbed in with your fingers. To knock down the glossy finish, (after drying for a week) rub out with Mothers Mag Polish. It will put a nice soft glow to the finish.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I think she's cute. I'd take her home in a minute!

1956 was a very good year! That revolver is fine! Buy it. Clean it up. Put on some nice grips. Get some ammo and head for the range! Such a nice 63 year old revolver should give you more than a little bit of rewarding results at the range! Sincerely. bruce.

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I am pretty ugly too when I am dirty. The big difference is I don't look much better when cleaned up.

That is a fine shooting iron, and I read somewhere there was only 4,317 of "them there" Pre-Model 27's produced. Now, if that doesn't make it look better I don't know whether a cleaning will or not. I am betting it will.

Congrats on a nice score.

I have seen a lot worse.
Think that would fall under honest wear with the exception of the stocks which are easily fixed.
I kind of like the old work horses.

What a beauty! Give that girl a new wardrobe (aka grips) and she's good to go. It's not like her last boyfriend was named Bubba! She's got real character earned the honest way!
Nice. Very nice!
Jim

Personally, I like it and would have grabbed it up quickly, just as you did. To me, it shows honest wear and some experience. Are we going to get a range report? Congrats!

Cleaned her up, dug out some N magnas from my stash, put on a little make up, and she's ready for the party.

Stocks, however, are a different story. They have black washers, and are marked NT38 5826. Lots of bad news under all that poly, but no cracks. I'm sure Ill find something to put them on at some point.

Nice save!

We have different ideas of ugly....

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Randy

That's an awesome find!!

I wouldn't mind falling into one like that myself so I could see what its like to shoot.

I seriously doubt that I'll ever shoot the one I do have.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

Ya done good.

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Kenny
Endeavor to persevere.

I found a 5" 27-2 a few years ago that had been stored in a leather holster for about 10 years. I bought it comparatively cheap, and that's the one I shoot most. I have a "too nice to shoot" 6" 27-2 that I also shoot. Both this pre 27 and my 5" pre 27 probably won't be shot until my kids inherit them.

Ahh ... now that's more like it. Very appealing kind of ugly that revolver is with those stocks on it.

A usin' grade "pre" 27 3 1/2-inch lives here and it's gettin' used. I like totin' it and shootin' it too. A really good way to do N-Frame .357 Magnums and I'm coming to think that it's my favorite .357 Magnum to carry.

That sir, is one nice revolver!

Not ugly, just been there and done that.

It will clean up real good. Nice score.

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No baby we aint

Not ugly! Well used tools look like that.

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"Free dirt, you dig."

I have to say I like the after looks much better. What did you use to freshen up the bluing?

There is no such "critter" as an ugly pre model 27.

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Mine started life blued until someone decided to nickel plate it. Still shoots great though.

I have yet to see an ugly 3.5" .357 magnum. All of them are pretty, and some are prettier than others!

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STAY ARMED, VIGILANT, SAFE!

Good catch ...... OP is a lucky man


In 1956 rich folk bought them to keep in their desk or sock drawer...... police officers bought them to carry every day......My Dad had 3 "duty guns" he carried from 1938 to 1977... a 6" Colt New Service .357, a 1946 4" M&P and a 1950s Colt Detective Special..... all well cared for, but all show signs of holster wear with grips dinged and worn smooth by decades of handling, a decade of ridding a Indian motorcycle and three more getting in and out of squad cars.

A few years back; I scored a 1980/81 4" 27-3 recessed but not pinned in about 90% condition .... that I was told (buy the gun not the story) was an officer's last revolver......before retiring or the switch to autos...... I'd rather have it than another "sock drawer" gun that's too nice and to valuable to carry into Penn's Woods.

FWIW; IMO once you get to an N-frame ......not much difference between 3 1/2 and 4 inches ....... as a "practical" matter!!!!!!

My ugly 27-2 with a 5" tube is full of dings, scrapes etc. previous owner just did not care. I keep in my truck. Great shooter, beauty
is in the eye of the beholder. I like it the way it is.

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Nice piece, especially after the "clean up". I would have cleaned/refinished the target grips and left them on. No real use for Magna Grips, they are to small for my hands. All my S&W's get the Magna Grips thrown in my junk box and target grips installed. Especially my 27-2 3.5 inch. Have a friend that does the same except he replaces his S&W grips with Pachmyr grips.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

To me the solution to the issues is easy. I suppose you grabbed it for few bucks. It is not a mass produced piece of iron, and for that reason it needs something better then a range use. Send it to a good refinisher (I live in Italy, but I often see two or three names in USA, well known for their skills) and you will have a tremendous gun in your hands. Of course no fear for its rating: now it is low, when refinished it will keep it

It looks much worse in person. Just a little birchwood casey, you can see right through it. I don't like to store them with bare metal showing, and since I'm never going to sell them I don't mind a little make up.

I always wanted a Winchester 94. Could never justify the price as it was not a need. Looked for years. Found one for 1/3 the going rate. Metal was perfect, looked like it had just come out of the box. Wood was covered with almost 1/8 inch of poly, also put on with a brush. No poly slopped onto the metal, someone had removed the wood and done that! Gun predated widespread availability of synthetic stocks, so my guess is that it was bought for hunting in the rain and snow and modified accordingly. Then never used much. I carefully removed the finish with only paint stripper, plastic scrapers and steel wool, no metal scrapers or sandpaper! Took more than one gallon of paint remover! Oiled it with Truoil.

Super model with acne. It will clean up just fine.

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Front sight and squeeze

Nice! Love to have it! Smith Wesson blueing, cokes.

How could you not love a shooter grade .357 Magnum.

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As an aside......

I have to admit that I never much cared for N-frames..... just too big and could never find a grip that made the gun feel like a extension of my hand .

Over the years I have acquired 3..... the 4" 27 I mentioned in post #33 above , a really nice 4 " 28 (back when a 28 was still a $350 gun around here) and my 6 1/2 Registered magnum.

I've been a big fan of Craig Spegel Boot Grips and Extended Boot Grips since the 1980s....... Craig offered to make me a set of his Extended Boot Grips from Black Walnut for my 28. Those grips changed my whole attitude about N-frames. I bought a second pair (checkered) here on the Forum for the 27. While more often than naught ..I still opt to carry a 4" 686 into Penn's Woods......I've got a real appreciation for the N-frame when paired with a set of Spegel's Boot Grips.

I buy Ahrend's grips used on ebay and then sand them down to a comfortable fit.

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