Gun in question is a 686 stainless. Bought it recently. Lightly sanded out a few scratches. Polished that with metal polish.
Looks great. I think I could get it to shine almost as much as nickel if I had kept going.
Will this hurt the guns value?
Thanks

Yes. But it is hardly a rare collector piece, is it?
If that's the way you want your shooter to look, go for it.

If you want to preserve a NIB rare collector pistol, then don't shoot that one, or do any mods.

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Science plus Art

I myself prefer the polished look. I polished our SP 101 which was in rough shape and even needed a diamond hone be used to round off small dings from a obvious dropped gun. As it was on purchase. I never worried about light reflecting since the bright muzzle flash over comes this anyhow.
As for collecting. It is up to the owner/buyer as to what is desirable. Same with a touch up with cold blue I reckon.

My taste of course.

Wouldn't make any difference to me: I have no interest in these things. If you polished it up so it was of no interest to those who like them, you might reduce market value enough so I'd buy it.

But only if I had a buyer handy and knew I could make 25% in a week.

Polish it up if you like it polished and want to keep it.

Generally: anything you do to change a revolver from NIB reduces resale value.

I don't believe a bright polish will have a negative effect, and it may well have a positive effect. A nicely cleaned and polished gun shows that the owner has taken good care of the gun, and even gone above and beyond. Remember, you can always go back to the original finish by taking some scotch bright pads and roughing up the finish or even have it bead blasted. It's more important that you like the finish. The polishing will mostly matter to someone looking for a NIB model, and since yours already had nicks and scratches in the original finish it won't matter anyway.

I have always been a huge fan of nickel finished guns, but these days I prefer stainless since I can polish it to a near nickel finish, and still take advantage of the corrosion protection offered by stainless.

Only if you try to sell it. If you were buying it would add a premium.

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I BACK OUR BLUE

In basic terms, ANYTHING AT ALL that changes the original specifications like porting, polishing, bobbing the hammer, changing grips, replacing sights, refinish, etc. etc. will decrease the value if and when you want to sell it.

That said, it is YOUR gun and you should be able to do what you want to it to make it fit your needs. You can't always worry about loosing a few bucks down the road IF & WHEN you ever decide to sell it and you need to have it perform and look the way you want.

It's very rare for me, but I have refinished a few guns when they have gotten to the point that they bother me by being so ugly, or when more of the finish is gone than is left. If I care enough about a gun to refinish it, I am obviously not looking to sell it anytime soon and therefore don't really care about devaluing it to others - just what it does for me personally.

All I would suggest is to really think (before acting) about changing a gun to the point where it can not be reversed such as Magnaporting, or cutting metal off the gun. What you did by sanding out a few scratches and making he finish even again by polishing will technically reduce the collectors value, but like it was stated above your gun is neither rare or worth thousands of dollars so you might as well have it look good when you shoot it. Hope this helps.

If polishing your gun corrects something unsightly then any value decrease may offset but if you buy stainless and really wanted nickel then changing the appearance does nothing positive and may certainly decrease the value to most prospective buyers. I would not buy a non factory polished gun as I suspect many guys that polish guns are also self appointed kitchen gunsmiths that may have a tendency to tinker around inside where they have no training...

My opinion is as long as you don't polish so hard that it rounds off the normally sharp frame edges, or blur the stampings, it will probably have little effect on its value. Altering the gun to the point at which it cannot be returned to factory appearance will drop its value, except as vipermd noted some pay a premium for a highly polished stainless gun.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I agree with ken158. I wouldn't touch it, but it is a matter of taste for a shooter.

It's a stainless 686. Polish it, shoot it, but don't sweat "value." Make it yours. I bought a 624 wearing nasty Pachs that left an obvious wear line on the sideplate. The gun needed work inside and out. It was quite a project but ended up being a good shooter. And, it got polished to a bright finish. The wear line is still there, as shown in the photo, but a set of Ahrends retro target stocks covers it nicely.

Gila's old 624.jpg

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Tom in AZ
Respect the Dingbat

[QUOTE=wantmoresmiths;137463000]I don't believe a bright polish will have a negative effect, and it may well have a positive effect. A nicely cleaned and polished gun shows that the owner has taken good care of the gun, and even gone above and beyond.


It shows me Bubba has played with it and you don't know what else he might have played with inside! Big red flag and won't touch one at half price.

Take this for what it is worth. When looking through GunBroker or GunsAmerica web sites I skip over "polished" stainless guns. The probability it was done by a non-professional and they may have done even more to the gun. Makes it a non-starter for me.

YMMV,
Dave

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RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

I echo what chief38 said......if you like it go for it. Truth is, they're not overly collectable, and with stainless you could always go back to the "matte" look if you wanted.

As Dave said, polished guns sure make ME think twice.....

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Even older, even crankier....

I think you should only polish enough to even out the finish. I did this on a used LE trade-in which had handling marks. I don't see an advantage to high polish & lots of negatives to overdoing it. Shoot it, Love it.

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NRA LIFE
Reserve Officer 9yrs

My 66-4 was a new gun when disassembled and professionally polished to a flawless factory-looking high shine. I've had a LOT of offers to buy it.

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Virtue,Liberty & Independence

In Guns ammo some time back ( couple of years) a writer bought a stainless police trade a Model 64 or 66 and did a whole article and how he cleaned it and polished it and then posted pictures of the finished product. He told what he used and how he did it and the gun turned out looking great. So to me if it's not a collector piece and you want to make it look better then go ahead.

For guns to become collectors’ items all it takes is maintaining their originality and the passage of time. Just look at 28s. They were every working man’s utility gun, surely never to become collectors’ items. I bought my first 28, a 4” with targets, brand new for $250 and I was late to 28s. Some of our older members bought new 28s for half that. From what I read here if I’d only shot targets with it would be about a $600 revolver, $700 if I’d preserved it rather than using it. I’d be proud to own steamloco76’s gorgeous snub 66-4 and might hint that he sell it to me for a shooter, but that’s all it will ever be.

Polishing can have a lot of meanings, you can polish it that will take out light scratches and brighten it a bit but not bring it to a high mirror luster. It comes down to what type of wheels your running, polish type and how you run your parts on the wheels.

Some would say it will hurt the value, but as long as your not polishing it wrong I bet know one could know that it had seen a buffing wheel.

no it will not

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John 1:17
NRA Life Benefactor

Bill that 66-4 looks like a high polished nickel gun. If done right, the value should stay the same. Larry

Besides, life is too short to shoot ugly guns... IMHO.

66-1 with a little help from "Mother".

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Bill - SWCA #2327

Not if properly done. Ya can always re-scuff it with Scotch-Brite and make it look it just left the factory.

As stated above, the word polish can have several meanings. I like to think I "clean" my stainless guns with Mothers Mag Polish. A light cleaning with this product makes my 686-3 and Security Six look new but NOT polished and not even close to a nickel finish. Use these type products with a light hand and with due diligence and they will reward you with the nice satin finish that your stainless gun had when new.

Dude that thing is pure revolver sex right there!

I've taken a REAL likening to stag grips lately...

Just had to modify your post slightly

Guys who are good at polishing keep busy with work as some guys just can run a wheel. You have to remember those pistols saw a wheel at the factory, thus doing it right the second time should not change the polish. Ive even seen guys run pistols up to a high polish with wax based compound and fiber and soft wheels and then take them down to match factory look. It really depends on what you want, as well as starting condition of the pistol. some marks may not be able to pull out with out going to far and get low spots or roll edges.

USNRigger

For me, it would, after such polishing, rate as "no original finish remaining" and I would simply not even consider buying it, no matter how low the price. To explain, I just do not find the high polish (Colt called it "Ultimate Stainless") to be attractive, and I much prefer the satin or even bead blast, non-reflective look. There is no right and wrong. This is my preference, and there are plenty who like the look. If you do, then by all means, make it look like you like.

I thank all those who posted to this thread. Certainly a lot of good information was posted. Nice to see folks disagree and remain civil. Our government could take a lesson.
I only polished the gun by hand and it looks pretty good. Interestingly though I have a another used 686 with a brushed finish. It looks original. Then I have a nib 629 and it is almost as shiny as the 686 I just polished. So it seems there is a difference in the way they come from the factory. I realize these two guns were made many years apart.
I was going to post a picture on here but have forgotten how to downsize it to fit.

A very late post, but for me it depends on the gun. If the gun is used and hasn't been cared for like it should have been, then polishing to a shine can enhance an otherwise junky looking gun.
But that's just my thoughts.

My 686-3 6" came home exactly one year to the day before we were married in 1994. Sorta weird. It has served well , hot , cold , bumped , planes , trucks , hotels etc. Last year it was polished to 2500 grit by me (still a ways to go). She's semi-retired these days in the safe. Ready to come out of retirement anytime cuz she ain't overworked!

I don't care what anyone else thinks...it's my baby. Box , papers , not totally original...it's my baby and loved.

It has earned special attention and shiny or not performs in mud , snow , dirt and water...it doesn't care as long as it has love in the stable when the work is done. Never been to a GS , dead on. Loves 110 gr. .357's on long shots. Amazing , simple piece of American machinery. Real reliable...

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S&W SS Revolvers

Not in my book.....ImageUploadedByTapatalk1456646146.157265.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1456646200.328616.jpg
And a 681 that will be sent off to look just like the Delta.

I bought my first Smith revolver a few months ago, knowing very little about what I was buying. It's a polished model 67 (no dash) At the time of purchase I had no idea that it wasn't factory polished or that the butt had been rounded aftermarket and the backstrap stipled. I did know enough to recognize that it locked up tight and the timing was good and I wanted a kframe smith. I paid, what I think was a reasonable $350, and have no regrets. I would not sell it unless I could make a fair profit or trade for something I wanted more. I understand the collector point of view, and would not alter an original gun in excellent condition, but I have no problem making a gun my own, by polishing or refinishing or doing whatever to make it shoot better for me if it's less than 90% to begin with. I suppose most every Smith revolver might be "collectible" some day so where does one draw the line? Most guns don't come from the factory fitting each of us perfectly..........we do something to make them work better for us, unless our interest is entirely in collecting unaltered guns or making a profit.

I bought a Super Redhawk from a dealer years ago. We have a tool shop where I work... they use felt Bobs and brushes with diamond compound... no buffing wheels. I put a mirror finish on that gun that shined like the sun...with no rounded edges-all still crisp & sharp. A couple trips to the range in the middle of sunny days made me realize the error of my ways (that and the .434 chambers made me unhappy with it). I sold back to the dealer I bought it from. He gave me $5.00 less than what I paid. Next gunshow, I see my old gun in his case, now advertised as a factory custom bright finish...and as a new gun, and an increase of $150.00. Gunshow after that it was gone. Point is, it can add value.

The fact is, yes anything you do to any S&W will affect it's "collectible" value. But, it is seldom stated that some things done may "ENHANCE" it as a shooter, and raise the value.

Only you can determine if you feel the the changes you make to a S&W are beneficial to YOU.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Over 8 years ago I wanted to buy myself a special 60th Birthday present. I thought a Model 60 would be cool, but not just any 60…

I found a very clean example:


I sent it “home”: S&W P.C. for a factory High Polish:


Then it went to the master: Wayne D’Angelo for his engraving ART!

The “value” will be in my oldest grandson’s appreciation when he inherits it.

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Bill - SWCA #2327

That's a beautifully tasteful series of improvements on that gun.

What a great way to turn a run-of-the-mill revolver into a true family heirloom!

If I didn't know what to look for or check in a used revolver before I bought it and had to go off just by the amount of polish on the stainless finish....I wouldn't touch it either and I'd buy new with the lifetime warranty. But.......knowing what to look for does not take a brain surgeon and if it checked out and was half price, I'd step on your toes to get to it. Even a Bubba can always use the correct pad to return it to the original luster if all you gauge a gun on is it's amount of polishing.

686s are a dime a dozen and will be for quite some time. They are generally thought of as shooters, not safe queens. If it's been shot, odds are a little elbow grease and polishing done correctly ain't gonna significantly affect it's value in either direction.

I don't think it hurts the value at all unless it is a LNIB safe queen.

Attached Images

640-1-new-stocks.jpeg.jpg (201.3 KB, 59 views)

I just don't like 'shiny' guns. And a finish that's been polished off could be restored with the right methods. Like somebody else said, these are utilitarian guns, polish it or paint it dayglo orange if that's what you want. When you decide to sell it, I'll consider its value to me and only to me.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"