Money wise, I don't have anything in this handgun up to this point.
It belonged to my dad and before that my uncle. It spent many years as the under the counter gun in a beer joint. When I got it I had to remove a dirt dauber nest from the bore and therefore there is a ring of rust/corrosion in the bore about 2 1/8" from the muzzle. It is hard to see in the pics but is there. I have found a 4" Mod. 19 bbl for about $90 so that is an option. I have also found several Mod. 66 bbls. for a hair more. I have thought about getting it blasted and parked also but it may be more $ than its worth. I have also considered a round but conversion if I do go with the 4" bbl. replacement. Any thoughts?

Retire it with the memories and hang it on the wall...

I would do the barrel, blast & park rout.
I don't give up on a S&W magnum easy......

__________________
Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

I say get some steel wool, gun blue cleaner and shine it up best you can , would make a shooter grade 19 and no worries about holster wear or anything, enjoy.

As suggested in earlier posts ^^^^, clean it and shoot it. You might be surprised how well it does "as-is". I've seen guns that had real bad breaks in the rifling ("bulges") that shot just fine as long as the trouble was not directly at the muzzle. Try this before you spend a ton of cash on it. If you rebarrel & refinish it etc., you'll no longer have your family heirloom............

Get yourself one of these and have at it.
Birchwood Casey Perma Blue Liquid Cold Blue Kit

Try shooting it as is. It may surprise you.

If you have to "Make Improvements" first try cutting and crowning the barrel and adding a new front sight, cheaper than a replacement barrel. Maybe make yourself one of the rare 3" M19's.

If accuracy is not there you still have very little invested and may want to look at replacing the barrel.

As far as the finish goes, I wouldn't change a thing. I've owned worse that shot like a laser.

Class III

Great project gun. You can go in so many different directions with it.

It all depends on how much you want to spend on it and/or how much time you want to put in to it.

Having nothing in it at this point is a great place to be if the money and hours to be put into a potential project is being balanced against a resale or final value.
That's tough to do anyway with project guns. They are usually a labor or charge card of love.

If you're unsure,,clean it up, use it and have a beer or two with it for old times.

Yeah, this ^. 0000 steel wool, or better yet bronze wool, Hoppes, and some work will clean all the rust off. Then degrease it well and try Brownells' Ortho-blue, or Birchwood-Casey's Perma-Blue or Super-Blue on it. As far as the barrel goes..just shoot it, you won't hurt anything. If you have to shorten it, do that. But don't give up on it! The problems are mostly cosmetic. Later on, if it's a good shooter and the finish bothers you, Dura-coat it.

If it goes bang really well, I'd do what the other guys said and clean it up. You can't put a good 19 down.

__________________
S&W Model 15-3

My personal inclination would be that it's a tool - keep it working. If it won't group w/that ringed bore (and I bet it will), then consider the rebarrel. I hope my daughter (a City of Seattle truck mechanic) keeps my tools working when I've quit using 'em.

Just my $.02 worth
Larry

Clean it, oil it and prevent it from rusting further. Then enjoy it! I

Idoubt you'd notice any functional improvement from doing more.

Pass it on in the family as the heirloom it is! Treasure it, don't mess with it.

lf it were my Dad's l would spare no expense making it look new....

That gun needs a good loving. Just get it redone if the cost is not too steep.

__________________
S&W Model 10-8 &19-2 Combat

I would do a complete breakdown, soak everything but the grips in an oil bath for a couple of days, and gently go to work on it with some 0000 steel wool. Then re-blue with some Oxpho-Blue and use it as a shooter. You might be surprised at how well it turns out. I would not pour a bunch of money in a gun that is badly pitted. You would never recover your costs.
I would love to see some before and after photos of the gun after you restore it.

Brownells 4 oz. Oxpho-Blue : Cabela's

At least clean it up and give it a try.........it deserves that much, for all it has gone through.

take the grips off and spray it down inside with brake cleaner then oil

In the late 60s, the 19 was THE primo revolver, M-29 nonwithstanding. IMHO, it still is. Many great suggestions ahead of me: do something with this gun. A .357 is a great thing to have.

First, welcome to the Forum.

If it were mine I'd soak it for a week in Croil (SP?).

Then I'd scrub the bore and chambers with Croil (SP)? and a tight fitting bronze brush wrapped with copper scrub pad (Chore Boy is best) to remove any rust in these areas.

Then I'd soak it with carburetor cleaner (not brake cleaner) to remove the Croil (SP?). Carb cleaner does what brake cleaner does but leaves a slight oil film.

I would remove the sideplate (search here and find out how to do it correctly) and make sure the inside is clean and free of debris (again a good detailed hand cleaning followed by washing out with carb cleaner).

Then I would make sure the outside is protected by a good preservative oil (lightly).

Then I make sure the stocks are clean and protected.

Then, if it functions correctly I'd see how it shot. Many times a lightly eroded bore, or a bore with a slight bulge can shoot very well.

If it performed good I would leave it as it is. It is a family heirloom (not pristine, except for the memories) and as such should be kept as remembered.

If it functions well and is kept properly preserved and protected it will not need any "re-finishing" to protect it further.

__________________
Have guns...will shoot'em.

I'm in inclined to the strip/park/rebarrel, with the RB cuz I like those on a 4" K frame. I am planning to eventually RB my 66.

__________________
NHI, 10-8.

It pains me to look at a fine revolver that has been neglected to that extent, but it does still have a lot of service life left in it. If it was a treasured family heirloom, I would send it to S&W to be refinished. If it is just another working gun, I would blast it, K-Phos it and spray it with gun metal blue colored GunKote and bake it. Cheap and effective. Rusty rings in barrels bother me, so I would consider the previously mentioned options. Good luck, and whatever you do, post an "after" pic.

In a hundred years or so, they will be selling reproduction K frames with that antiqued, characterized finish, just like they do with clones of the Colt SAA now. You're ahead of the game.

If it were my project, I'd have the bore lapped, professionally parkerized and move on with life. If the pitting is not too deep, you might consider a satin nickel or hard chrome. But, that's just me!

Lots of good advice from posters on this 19. My take? Depends on the guts of the piece. If nothing is wrong with the mechanism (which I suspect is the case here) you have a solid shooter. New barrel, have a pro clean up the outside and put a modern protective coating on her. Then shoot the snot out of it!

If she just tired all over, we'll, it is a family heirloom and should be retired with the respect it deserves.

Rich

I'm have no problem refinishing it! The barrel can be lapped too!

Glazer1972:

Welcome to the Forum. As noted, lots of good advice. Sorry, but I can't help but notice, lots of interest as well. I hope I'm not stepping on your toes here, but I feel compelled to state the obvious: if you have no emotional ties to the piece, and you lack the time/interest/skill to invest in it, why don't you consider selling it here on the Forum to someone who wants to take it on? Even in its current state, it's still worth some decent money. Certainly not enough to buy one in better condition, but certainly enough to get you started towards the purchase price. Or, you could use it to barter towards something else more to your needs/tastes. Again, my apologies if I'm out of line. I hope you find a viable solution.

Best of luck,

Dave

More to think about now. I took the advice that I should shoot it again. All these were fired single action and off hand. All were Black Hills Blue Box .38 Special 130gr. TMJ. The 50 rd. box is old enough that I only paid $9.97 Retail for them.

3 yds.



7 yds.



17 yds.

Glazer--Now lts time to make it look as good as it shoots...

Those grips should clean up nicely, too. I would drop them in a small jar of acetone, use a toothbrush to scrub them when wet, and let them soak overnight. Let them dry out for a few days and then put some lemon oil on them. A light spray of satin polyurethane to finish, and they should look great.

WOW !
Under a counter in a bar and forgotten.

I think I've changed my mind on the round butt conversion. I think I'm gonna keep it squared.

I am waiting on word from a smith and I got another one local I want to check with before deciding which way I'm gonna go with it.

Three day diesel fuel soak.
000 and 0000 steel wool.
Tooth brushes, bore brushes and patches.
Lots of elbow grease.
B'laster brand penetrating oil.
Disassemble and check innards and clean innards good.
Possible Park finish some time in the future.
Shoot it a bunch.

__________________
Georgia On My Mind

Glazer1972: Welcome to forum. Great ideas by all! It appears to shoot well enough so it all depends on the emotion attached to it. My Father's 19 will be with me till I join him and then passed on in the family. If no emotion attached-- Good excuse to do a full custom make over " Barbecue " gun. Best of luck. Be Safe,

__________________
I BACK OUR BLUE

Dad is still with us on this Earth. I have talked to him about it and he is ok with whatever I decide but did say that I shouldn't spend more than what another one would cost. He wasn't much help in that regard.

I also know that Even if I make some changes it will still be that same frame that spent all those years under the bar.

Because of the rust pitting, I would bead blast and them either blue it or use one of the new bake on finish's. That's after I totally disassembled it and made sure everything was kosher inside.

__________________
H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Welcome to the Forum. A like new version of your gun would go for at least 600 bucks, so you have a LOT of room to play with on that one!

So here is the most expensive option: new barrel, length of your choice, sent off to an engraver who could make all the pitting disappear, then off to Fords for their premier blueing job. Probably have 3-4 grand into it by the time you are done.....but man, what a looker you would have!

__________________
Even older, even crankier....

If it was my dads gun I would send it back to S&W to be re-blued. Costs a little but would be like new and last forever.

__________________
Tom
NRA Pistol Inst

WELLLLLLL, close. S&W no longer does 'bluing.' Their 'bluing' is now more gloss black. It's a EPA thing with the chemicals. I saw on another site where someone found a place in Indiana T & D Metal Works | Main that still does the 'real bluing' and Fords also still, last I heard, was doing the 'real thing.'

I was told this EPA thing is enforced, or not, by the States not the Feds. This TD METALWORKS, and Fords, can still do it but I don't know how much longer. Last gun I had S&W refinish turned out well but it was NOT blue, it was black.

Nickel and chrome plating is the same thing. There used to be chrome/nickel shops EVERYWHERE but EPA rules has shut most down so if you need any work done do it sooner, than later. Later may not be there, like everything else gun related that seems to be slowly vanishing.

Bob

That is sad about S/W bluing. lt does seem that Colt still does their Royal Blue.. David,my local gun guy, recently sent a Python Hunter back to Colt for rebluing in "Royal Blue". lt came back looking as new. Comparing it to David's 1978 4'' original Python they looked identical

Still haven't heard back from the local guy. I was thinking if I could have it done local I would be a couple hundred ahead do to the overnight freight charges.

Clean, shoot, repeat. Keep it as-is and don't spend a dime on it. Keep it clean and well oiled to prevent further erosion.

Glazer- Bought a Model 19 at a gun show that had some rust (not as bad as your's), but previous owner had "inscribed" a number in the frame with a nail. I buffed out the number with steel wool,stripped remaining bluing off with muriatic acid, Parkerized, then did a DuraBake finish. The entire process took about 4 hours, and it turned out GREAT!The cost was about $50 for the Durabake and the Parkerizing solution. I've used both on other projects, so the cost was spread out over several guns.

Dad is telling me he would hate to see me spend as much as I would have to to get this redone. I don't have the patience and expertise to do it myself. What do you guys think it would be worth if I did decide to go ahead and sell it?

Considering that used ones in decent condition are running $500 to $600 I would find a re-blueing company with a good reputation and have them buff out the surface rust, reblue it, clean the barrel real good with Hoppes, good patches, and then give it a good oiling with Break Free. Then I would shoot it and keep it clean and oiled afterwards. You have a family heirloom there than needs some TLC. Just my opinion.......
Steve

__________________
Steve

I would be interested in it. I'm looking for something I could put a little elbow grease into and do a do it yourself type of finish on. I hate to price other people's stuff, blue book says 60% value is $195.00 and doesnt give values for conditions below 60%. If you come up with a value and decide to sell let me know. Thanks! Ron [email protected]

Sadly not much. It won't have the sentimental value to others that it would have to you. I've seen guns like that sitting on the gun show tables priced at $150 and less. Most didn't even function. I don't know if they ever sold or not. Your gun functions and shoots. If it were mine, I would keep it.

What I would do is rub it down well & hard with Break Free or a good gun oil on patches. That will arrest the rusting. Then stand back & look at it. Attempting to refinish with cold blue is one way to go... or send it out for a proper refinish.
If it as mine, I'd see it I could live with the oiled down relic condition... it might not look so bad & probably shoot decent despite the bore. A rough bore might lead with lead ammo but jacketed shouldn't. Or the barrel could be gently lapped with compound. I'd consider it a candidate for fire lapping. As you can see, I'd avoid changing the barrel. Serves no point.

I actually really like it just the way it is .What character!!!

I'd bead blast it and then reblue or parkerize it. The grips can be cleaned with orange stripper and then use a spray shellac on them and the gun will look great. I've done a couple in the past and they always turned out nice, IMHO of course.

WWSPD?













What Would Saxon Pig Do?

__________________
Memory of Randy Freas-Rimfired