Model 19-3 stainless?
Hi,
I may have a model 19-3 in stainless though I understand that shouldn't be possible. My father bought it in the early 80's. It was made in '76. He gave it to me several years ago. Recently, I decided to do a little research on the gun and that's when I realized I may have something special. It has all the correct marks on the grip frame, swing arm, and frame. There are several inspector marks on the grip frame (more than I've seen on any similar revolvers). We always thought it was brushed stainless but I now understand it was only supposed to be made in bright nickel or blue. I spoke to the historian at S&W and he said it must have been refinished. I've had several experienced collectors look at it and they all agree that it is stainless and all parts are original. The final test may involve testing by a metallurgist just to confirm what the other collectors have said.
After that long intro, here's my question for everyone. Does anyone have any ideas on how/why a 19-3 would have been manufactured in stainless? Also, how rare/valuable could this be? Finally, is there any possible way to refinish a gun so perfectly that it would be impossible for an expert to visibly be fooled?
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