Well i just got a Model 38 that i believe is from the early 60's and someone has removed most of the finish and so needs to be put back to original...i am just not sure what it should be..i have thought of cerakote but unsure ...my thoughts were that blue s&w finish that looks great but worried it will ruin the value ...any help and info will be so appreciated..serial is 330xxx and i even have the original grips for it too

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I don't believe that Smith & Wesson will refinish alloy framed guns. You will probably have to look for some sort of aftermarket product....maybe a baked on finish?

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On the Oak Savannah

Contact George Roghaar at gunblue.homestead.com. He refinished a Colt Cobra for me in TR Gunkote that has held up very well during hiking, kayaking, etc.

What kind of turn around time does he have? I may send a model 28-2 to him.

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AL
Pax Per Potens

Don't know how busy he is right now. If you send him an e-mail or call him, he can let you know. He will talk with you. I live near him and he met with me personally to discuss options for a couple of projects. He is a good man. Good luck.

Have seen a couple S&W revolvers finished in Cerakote by a local factory trained technician and would not hesitate to have it done.
I had him do a Savage rifle that turned out perfect.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

hey does any one know what is best?..will it really affect value if dont refinish it original?...

If the original finish is worn off, nothing you do will affect "value" to a significant degree.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

That is crying out for a nickle finish. AWP can help

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The American dream is alive

The value of that gun is as a carry gun. Loaded with some mild wadcutter or semi-wadcutter loads as a woods-walking gun. That is, if it is in good "shootable" condition. I have a Model 37 not quite as old, with most of the finish gone, that I sometimes carry with some 125 grain +p hp ammo. I wouldn't go out and shoot 100 rounds of it, but five rounds twice a year, just to check for function and poi won't hurt it if it isn't cracked in the places these guns tend to crack.

If you refinish, that gun will not be worth any more or less monetarily than it will be if you leave it as is. Leave it as is, keep it oiled, and shoot it from time to time.

If you want one with a better finish, sell it for $175 (that is what I gave for my Model 37), take the $200+ dollars you are about to spend on shipping, insurance, refinish, etc. and buy one.

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Georgia On My Mind

That aluminum frame isn't gonna rust, and will only corrode if you neglect it. Looks like the barrel is still blued. So if you have that bare steel cylinder reblued, you will have a carry-grade "pinto". You can even cold-blue it yourself-- I've done that to a couple cylinders which has blue damage, and they turned out OK. I beadblasted them first for a matte finish.
I personally like my guns either blue or silver (but not both), so I would probably have it refinished with Gunkote or similar. Re-anodizing or nickeling the frame will involve removing & reinstalling the barrel, which I would want to avoid given the possibility of the airweight frame cracking under the barrel during reinstallation.

redlevel and my buddy hotrod150 are savvy folks who, like me, don't believe in 'kitchen-table-ing' a gun, but I would like to do something to the finish, inasmuch it is a Smith J and not some off-brand junker (I will never use the term SNS). J-frames reek of pride-of-ownership, but then you know where I come from. Perhaps a local shop could offer some satisfactory treatment... Removing that original finish, as the OP has described it, is 'kitchen-table-ing' to the extreme!

Kaaskop49
J-hound extraordinaire

P.S. Have too much experience with anti-gunners to sell off a J.

well i am thinking it deserves a refinish...i really want that old smith blued look..i think the cerakote will be the route i will go..sent for some sample colors and will try and see if they have anything close to what i need..i agree that smith's deserve a little more as they are quality..i have shot this and it works great and is very accurate too..i have put a set of uncle mike boot grips on it too i found for just 15.00 on ebay..where i live these little model 38's hold there value and just seen one in good condition sell for over 500.00 so it is worth restoring..i will not remove the barrel as i would like to due to the aluminum frame..will keep new pics coming..have a great Labor day everyone

well ordered new NOS parts i found to fix all the improper repairs from years past..i had to buy a new bolt...new cylinder and extractor and pin..all new springs and extractor rod..new cylinder stop and frame lug...i still can not decide what finish to do...i have a idea for a great set of factory looking smith boot grips smith should have made...modeled after the original grips of that era

I am wondering what happened to the old finish. It appears to have been rubbed off rather than worn off. I would worry about how that was done and if the process had damaged the gun in some way, perhaps removing material and increasing tolerances.

I think it definitely needs some finish added back to it.

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"Sacramento" Bruce Conklin

well before i bought this someone thought it would be a good idea to remove the finish due it lifting in areas...it needs to be finished for sure...tolerances have not been affected except for stamping marks were well sanded sadly..still shoots extremely well...

Jringo, what you have there are the "bones" to a fine carry handgun. If it were mine, beside any mechanical work needing to be done, I'd put on a tough outer finish. While I've heard Cerakote is good, I know there are other protective coatings available for you to consider. When complete you'll have a fine looking and very practical working handgun.

Rich

Here's a "rescued" model 10 that I had refinished some years ago. The outside looked terrible when I sent her in for the new finish. Sorry, it's been a few years and I've forgotten what I had done to her.

I recommend Fords in Florida. They just did my pre29 and did a great job. I would try to stay away from ceracote on your cylinder. I saw one that the heat from firing turned the ceracote dull on the cylinder.

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Tom
NRA Pistol Inst

well just went thru all the internals today...replaced the cylinder stop and did a full cleaning..installed the NOS cylinder and extractor rod...i was going to use the new center pin but i was sent a pin that was too short..no way it would work...my bolt was way too short on the pin and would not release the cylinder..i was able to drive the pin out a little to temporary fix the problem but need a new Nos Bolt for sure..i would love to just have it refinished by one of the big refinishers but just out of my reach right now for money...has anyone ever removed the barrel from a aluminum frame?...i have been told freezing it would help but very uneasy about it...thank all of you for all of your great feedback and help it is so appreciated..will posy some new pics soon

It might be just an urban legend kind of thing, but I've heard so many remarks about the the airweight j-frames cracking due to over-tightening I would be extremely leery of taking off & reinstalling the barrel. Having the frame re-anodized or nickelled would be nice, but one advantage of a spray-and-bake type finish is that you can do it with the barrel in place.

well after many hours making the mechanics back to what they should have been..i installed period correct grips..still have to finish it..but looking closer to what it will be again

Although I don't care for pintos, it looks pretty good as is-- maybe you should just leave it bare aluminum?
Oh since nobody seems to have ever piped up with a year for your s/n, SCSW indicates 295000 is 1962 so I'd guess 1962 or 63 for this one.

well thanks for the serial id..i have been wondering...i am just not sold on the pinto look either...but will make it look as good as i can before i decide what to do...so much better than when i got it..anything is a improvement...thanks for all the info very much appreciate it...and thanks for the kind words too

Other than one of the spray-and-bakes, the only DIY finish for aluminum I can think of would be Birchwood-Casey Aliminum Black. Brownell's catalog says its for touching up black anodized aluminum, but it might work OK for what you have in mind. Worth a try-- you can always spray over it later if it doesn't work out.

From my experience it dosen't hold up.
Wheeler Cerakote works very well Midway usa has it!!

Hi:
My Model 38 "Backup" had worn bluing. I had it "Brushed Chromed" and it was an outstanding durable finish.
Everyone thought it was stainless steel.

Bead blast the frame and leave it in the white.
Parkerize the steel parts.
Add Pachmayrs.

I had this done to an old finish worn M-39 over 10 years ago and it still looks like new. Mechanically excellent, just needed a makeover.

Great looking combination...tactical but refined.

well i spent part of my weekend working in the model 38...i had shot it and it needed to be cleaned...so i went and polished much of the frame and got rid of many scratches that the previous owners had added to it...It took so long to get that back to a smooth finish again...now i have to get some aircraft stripper to get the hard to remove stuff off and get it polished to mirror...going to do that before i coat it with whatever i do...i have contacted a local gunsmith that has excellent reputation...he tells me he can do a mirror blued type finish on mine..and will show me some samples...would love to see it looking like those awesome blued smiths of old...will add new pics soon to show progress..

"Mirror blued type finish"? Since you can't blue aluminum, I wonder what the actual finish is. Not too many gunsmiths are set up for anodizing which is what S&W did. Some sort of plating or coating I would guess.

Ford's in Florida offers an anodized finish for alloy frames. I'm told they do beautiful work. $170 though.

Hand Guns Price List

You can't re-anodize it unless you remove all the steel parts. Any ferrous metals exposed to the anodizing electrolyte solution will contaminate it and ruin it. Anodizers get real upset when this happens.

well just got my newest parts to finish the gun and the seller sends me wrong parts and is now wanting me to pay him to ship them back...i am more than willing to pay to ship them back if reimbursed....has anyone have problems buying on gunbroker?...maybe i am just expecting too much but when you send someone the obvious wrong parts is it not your fault?..Gunbroker tell me if under 100.00 nothing i can do about it other than complain to him....so everyone learn from my mistake thinking i was protected when i bought small things on gunbroker...i have had great experiences till now...just will no longer buy little things on there

here are the new pics of the gun...looking better i hope...see what you all think...did some more polishing and blued some parts that needed it...











long way to still go but better every day....hope i can finally get the last parts i need too

You're not buying from Gunbroker.

Gunbroker is just a hosting website like this. You're buying from an individual , just like on E bay or any other auction site. Just be sure to check the sellers rating and feedback first.

well i understand that..but with ebay you are at least protected with you buy and dont get what they list...Gunbroker does not seem to protect the buyer like ebay does....he had a great rating but he sells alot too ...and after looking back thru his feedback this is not the first time he has done this...just not right to screw people over...looks like no more gunbroker for me for little parts..will stay with forums ...

I believe if you paid with paypal and/or a credit card, you have some recourse as far as withholding payment etc. Maybe something to consider next time? I don't know how much shipping cost is involved, but a USPS small flat-rate box is large enough for an entire 2" j-frame revolver and only costs about $6 to send including $50 worth (?) of insurance and tracking.

well seller is just very hard to deal with and does not take responsibility for their mistake...they wanted cash sent..but i said would not do that...so i sent a USPS money order....sent me a center pin that is just too short too...well hope to get these and just be done with them....i cant wait to get this little gun done and just enjoy it...

in Crystal River, FL. Better call them first, though as they are way backed up. I had them do a hard chrome finish on a Colt Agent 38, which is also an alloy frame revolver....years later, the finish is still perfect. By the way, hard chrome also makes the gun much easier to clean....I've seen no bargains in gun refinishing.....you may not get what you pay for from some places but you definitely won't get more than what you pay for. The most important and time consuming part of refinishing is the polishing. The factory has machines for each size frame....most refinishers have to do it by hand....it's real easy to over-do it and ruin a gun...experience only comes with doing lots and lots of guns....and you will pay for that expertise.

You are 100% correct...due to overworking my little gun's finish before my time there are areas that are not able to restore to like new sadly...i grew up with guns thru out my life and have been in so many gunshops as a little guy and seen some terrible refinishing jobs that even my young eyes could see were horrible...you get exactly what you pay for...but if you have any skills..you can do some of the work yourself but sometimes it is just best to bite the bullet and get it done by professionals...i want a blued look finish or back to original...i do not like the pinto look i have or the shiny look...but have to admit this little gun looks better than when i started so i am now considering other options....thanks for the great info

Hey i have a question to everyone...what do we all do when someone has obviously scammed you?..i think i am not his first one and i am sure i will not his last....i am not here to get on my soapbox and bash him or those like him..but i wish i had known before i wasted my hard earned money and my time with lies and junk...but realistically just chalk it up to bad experience....but dont i owe everyone to make sure they dont suffer the same fate as myself?....

well i met a great man from here today...On here he is paulj84003...He is very knowledgeable and reminds me of men i have met in my past...he is like us..and it is very refreshing to find people like him again...to those who stole from me...you will get your just reward..just not by my hands....i recommend this man highly...check him out for info and parts are very reasonable prices too...

Well i am now stuck with parts i dont need..and out the cash..but found the right ones on here thankfully...i will post his info and user name on there...i just hope no one here gets taken like i did....he always has many items on GB for sale...sometimes as many as a hundred or more...

Sorry ya got took. It seems that there an a lot of S&W and other gun parts on Ebay lately. I'm under the impression that they come from guns that were otherwise turned in to be destroyed. There's entire revolver parts sets as well as barrels & cylinders with half a frame still attached.

well from what i gathered he bought a truckload of NOS Smith Parts but truly does not understand or know difference in years...and how that affects what he sells...he is very gruff and rude...and near impossible to deal with...and now will not accept returns...i just will learn a valuable lesson and will make sure to let anyone know so they will not follow in my footsteps foolishly...funny thing is he sells on GB all the time and gets lots of back feedback too...to everyone do not buy from this clown...i now realize he does not sell what is in the pics...live and learn...

I do see lots of guns that i am told are coming from police turn ins and being sold for parts...you will not get anything with the serial number on it...i was told many police depts are doing this to help with costs and seeing benefits from it...sadly many good guns are under the knife and will be lost forever because of it..

At least some parts are being salvaged from the gun buy-backs-- better than the entire gun being destroyed. I bought a nice 3" model 36 from a guy who highjacked it out of the line at a gun buy-back by offering more than the public agency counducting the buy-back program. I thanked him for doing so. The TV news made a big deal of the "gun rescues" going on in line so unfortunately they will probably try to prevent that sort of thing in the future.

Well i want to give many thanks to a fellow member here..paulj84003 got me out of a bind on parts i could not find..now my project is finally moving forward...too many sellers on there just looking to sell you junk or have no idea what you need...i would highly recommend him to anyone looking for those hard to find items or just need a great quality part...he is very knowledgeable and very personable...very glad to have met him and hope to do more business with him...thought you all should know as we all need a great source of parts and even better person to just talk about what we need..thank you Paul

I bought a stainless smooth trigger to put in my 642 from that guy. Hope it is one that fits as advertised.

If you're going to put $$ into a refinish you might consider getting them to restamp the marks . Go cheap or go all the way .
OP , I cringe a bit when I see the shallow almost non-existent markings on your gun .

Regards
George

I just saw a thing on the TV news a day or two ago where a polcie chief/county sheriff somewhere had put the word out for anyone who had a gun in their home but wanted to get rid of it, to come turn it in to the local cop shop. Instead of destroying these turn-ins, they were selling them via the bid process to a gun shop for resale. That way, the guns go to new owners and the police get some much-needed extra funding-- a win/win. Good to hear.