Rebluing, what does it do to the value?

jonh1373 · Aug 18, 2015

Two part question.

I have read a bunch of posts on what re-bluing does to the collector value of a classic S&W revolver, but what about shooter grade values.

Part one: My guns are all shooters, but I also like them to look nice. If you have a little used model 19 that needs refinishing, maybe the value as is would be $4-500. If you put $200 into refinishing would it be a $700 gun or because it has no collector value would it still be a $4-500 gun? Wondering if I would get my money back should I decide to refinish and ultimately sell a refinished gun.

Ethics part of refinishing. If you sell a gun that has been refinished do you advertise it that way or is it up to the prospective buyer to ask? Hopefully one would not set out to deceive a buyer, but with that in mind what should be disclosed at the time of sale? Again, this would involve shooter grade guns and not a collector piece. (If someone were to buy a gun as a collector piece I would hope they could tell the difference between a shooter and a collector grade.)

bruner1981 · Aug 18, 2015

Rebluing only decreases the value. Rebluing a $500 gun, if you try to sell it, you'd likely still get $500 out of it, if not less. You would not make your money back. It's really up to your own preferences.

If you do decide to reblue and then sell, definitely advertise it as refinished. The buyer may think it's original, overpay for it, and when they discover the reblue, they would want their money back, and you would be responsible for false advertising. The general consensus around here is if you want a nice looking gun but have shooter grade guns, sell the shooter and buy a nicer one. The only thing you really get from a refinish is a nice looking gun with no collector value left. In the end though, it's your gun, do what makes you happy. Hope this helps!

22hipower · Aug 18, 2015

I have had several guns refinished; not only S&Ws. Frankly have never been satisfied with the refinish results; and no, you won't get your money back. I doubt that I'll ever have another refinished. Upgrading to the quality you want is good advice. Good luck.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

S42N8 · Aug 18, 2015

If refinished, would be at best a $4-500 gun.

If resold, most definitely list a refinish as such. Aside from the legal reasons, why try to pass it off as an original? Nobody needs the bad karma.. or damage to your reputation.

Now, the contrarian view. If you really like the gun, and refinishing it makes you happy, why not? Life's short. If it's a truly rare gun, refinishing it is a loss to the collector community... but those are rare exceptions. Less'n you enjoy the chase of "the better" gun, do what you want -- it's your gun, your choice. If you find the better gun later, buy it...and enjoy shooting your gun in the meantime. FWIW.

Full disclosure: I refinished a 3.5" S-prefix pre-27. Love the way it shoots, looks, and feels. Shoot it frequently, with a smile. I'll be keeping it long after my safe queens are gone. I have other guns I shoot better, but none I like more....and nobody's gonna care about a refinished .357 when I pass. Yes, it's a shooter-value gun, and when I'm gone, the phased plasma rifle will be all the rage.

357-RevolverGuy · Aug 18, 2015

If the model 19 was bought for less than $400 and you get it factory reblued I think it would be worth at least $550. I'd save the paperwork too so that if you ever decide to sell you can show it was reblued at the factory and on what date. But if it was reblued by some local gunsmith I don't think it would carry as strong a value.

Laketime · Aug 19, 2015

I had two L frames re blued by a local guy.Neither gun had been pre polished,just broken down and dipped in the tank.Both looked new again without any rounded edges from polishing.I forgot that both had been reblued when I traded them both off years later.And two different dealers didn't notice it either.I didn't make any money,but I didn't lose any either.

6string · Aug 19, 2015

Rebluing, like a lot of "improvement" expenditures, is generally a no recoup situation. It makes more sense to sell the gun for its honest value and combine the cash you'd spend for the work and buy a better piece.
Most refinish work is fairly obvious and unsightly. The really fine work is hard to find and quite costly. However, even a mediocre job can fool a neophyte. It's best to disclose this sort of thing if known, rather than take advantage of someone. Besides, if a refinish is something one feels inclined to not mention, that is just one more reason to not do it.

Best Regards!

kbm6893 · Aug 19, 2015

I have a reblued Model 10. I have far more into the gun now than it is worth (650 bucks), but I don't care. The gun looked awful before the blue job and I love how it looks now. I would have taken a loss on selling the gun before the blue job. Then buy a new nice one and pay shipping and FFL again. It was just easier to send in the gun to be refinished.

My son will get it one day. He loves it already.

MichiganScott · Aug 19, 2015

A factory reblue has always been considered different than one done by Bubba. A refurbed single action done by Turnbull will always be worth more than one done Bubba, although not worth as much as an original in the same condition.

So the answer to the OP is, "It depends".

Bill Bates · Aug 19, 2015

When it comes to a shooter grade; unless you make an absolute steal on the original purchase price of a firearm a refinish will never ad value beyond the cost of the refinish and original purchase price. When you're done you still just have a shooter grade gun.

Many polish and tossed in the blue tank type refinish will actually lower the vale because they are so poorly done. You know that type of re-blue; it is the one you can see from across the room.

There are some real artist out their when it comes to re-finishing / restoring that can and do fool experts. That type of refinish is usually pretty darn expensive. They still don't add value beyond the cost of the work unless someone is being less than honest and trying to represent them as an original finish gun.

I tend to look at guns somewhere south of 50% condition as candidates for a restoration. Even then it is a tough call. I do like a gun that was well used and well cared for over its life but shows the scarce and marks of a good life. Refinishing that can ruin some of a nice old guns charm.

H Richard · Aug 19, 2015

Think of it like maintenance, if you wore the paint off your car would you have it repainted to protect the metal? Probably not, just trade it off. With a working gun, protecting the finish is like maintenance. You will never recover the cost, but you may bring it back up to close to what it was worth with finish.

Tom_R · Aug 19, 2015

If a good or desirable gun has been refinished well, to me it will have value, and I would not shy away from a Shooter that is re-finished.

It's a matter of personal preference.

Take this 1911 for example. It dates from 1918 I beleive. It was a gun that belonged to the Father of a good friend of mine. His father was one of the nicest guys, and was an amazing guy in a lot of ways. When he passed my friend left this to my brother and I. It had no finish on it, a set of WWII Plastic Grips, and sat in my safe for over a decade as an after thought.

I had it refinished, and put a really nice set of Double diamond Colt Grips on it, and this is one beautiful gun.

Purists will look at me cross-eyed and shake their head, but if I could be restored to how I looked and felt when I was 17/18, and if cars can be restored to their former glory, then so can old guns, if that is what YOU want to do with them. They are just things, not artifacts/relics or the key to the Universe...

Just my $0.02, there is no wrong answer here.

(Ignore the Burt's Bees Stand)

Engine49guy · Aug 19, 2015

Is your gun a Model 19 or is it a 19-3, 19-4 etc?
Can you post some pics ?

If the gun has sentimental value another option is to send it off to be engraved and reblued.

A shooter is a shooter but if you have grandpas first year Combat Magnum which is a rusty pitted mess having it professionally engraved and refinished would be an investment in a family heirloom IMO....
totally your call but forget refinishing a common gun to up its value.

mauser9 · Aug 19, 2015

Great replies here and I agree. Depends on the rarity and collector value of certain models especially. Most want original finished guns in very good condition. I would vote for a factory reblue if necessary. Big difference in rebluing a Python and a 10/22

kraynky · Aug 19, 2015

Tom_R said:
If a good or desirable gun has been refinished well, to me it will have value, and I would not shy away from a Shooter that is re-finished.

It's a matter of personal preference.

Take this 1911 for example. It dates from 1918 I beleive. It was a gun that belonged to the Father of a good friend of mine. His father was one of the nicest guys, and was an amazing guy in a lot of ways. When he passed my friend left this to my brother and I. It had no finish on it, a set of WWII Plastic Grips, and sat in my safe for over a decade as an after thought.

I had it refinished, and put a really nice set of Double diamond Colt Grips on it, and this is one beautiful gun.

Purists will look at me cross-eyed and shake their head, but if I could be restored to how I looked and felt when I was 17/18, and if cars can be restored to their former glory, then so can old guns, if that is what YOU want to do with them. They are just things, not artifacts/relics or the key to the Universe...

Just my $0.02, there is no wrong answer here.

(Ignore the Burt's Bees Stand)

I am in total agreement. However I am not a collector. Most common firearms that are used and worn are not what collectors are looking for anyway. I received an old Ted Williams .22 rifle that used to belong to my Dad. My BIL had borrowed it many years before, and it rode around in a truck toolbox and behind a truck seat for several coon hunting seasons. I stripped it down (wood and metal) and re-finished it, for me. I'm tickled at how well it came out. Yes, it looks restored, but it's not nearly as ugly as it was when I got it. So re-bluing/restoring is just a personal decision one must make on his/her own. Just don't try to pass it off as "original". Love 'em and Shoot 'em I say!

msinc · Aug 19, 2015

It is a personal thing...and it depends on the gun and the persons skill level or ability that is doing the work. I am not advocating "don't ask, don't tell" but if a gun is properly {big word with a lot of meaning here} done there is zero chance I am going to accept less money because someone believes it should be given to them at a reduced price. It is what it is and again, done properly should not be given away. You can best believe, and I have seen it all my life, the very people who advocate reduced prices on refinished guns don't reduce the price when they steal one and resell it!!! They are usually the same ones that wont offer up the fact that it's even been refinished unless the potential buyer asks...and then they still probably wont tell the truth.
I am not talking any improper work here...rounded edges, improper final surface prep, sand or buff over top of pits and leave them, no. I am talking about a real gunsmith that knows how to refinish a gun so you cannot tell whether or not it was ever done or original. The bluing is a very small part of this type of job...the sanding, polishing and surface prep is where the work and of course the expense lies.
So, with this in mind, no...in most cases with most guns if you are having this level work performed you will not recoup your money, but you will have a very nice new looking gun to shoot. I don't know about the rest of the world and don't care for that matter but life is just too short to spend it shooting an ugly, worn looking, rusted, pitted gun when it could look as new.

chief38 · Aug 19, 2015

IMHO if a gun is in really bad shape (I mean butt ugly) re-bluing does not really hurt value since it was a "junker" and not worth a whole lot anyway. Most of the guns we shoot on a regular basis are just production guns and not worth a fortune anyway, so I see no real reason to own a regular run of the mill ugly gun when that is easily rectified.

That said, NO I would NOT refinish a collectible gun such as a Registered Magnum, a Python, etc. but when talking about Model 10's 15's, 19's etc. I doubt it makes any real difference. As long as the new finish is as the original was done I see no major reasons not to. (Again - NOT a Collectible gun).

I have re-finished only 3 guns in my lifetime. Two were SAA Colts that I used for 20 years of CAS / SASS matches and anybody who shoots those matches for any length of time knows that guns do get a bit beat up in the heat of competition. I sent then back to Colt and they came back looking better than they did originally! They are gorgeous and anyone who sees them drools over them!

The other was a circa 1940's Rifle that I inherited from my Dad and the bluing was so worn that I could not keep the rust from coming back - no matter how many coats of cold bluing I applied.
I sent the gun off to Mid West Gunworks where they duplicated the original Factory Finish (actually a little better than Factory) and it will now be a family heirloom that will be in great shape for a long time to come.

As far as guns that I have bought and will buy........ unless there is a very specific reason (a Historic example or very very rare one) I would NEVER buy a gun that needed to be refinished from the get-go. Just no reason to start sending a new purchase out as there are always better ones available.

poordevil · Aug 19, 2015

I have a model 36 I bought new in 1983 as a blue gun for $210.00. About 2010 my daughter had it in her car for a long trip. Water spilled and to make a long story short, it developed some shallow pitting on the cylinder. Plus, the gun was used a lot and had missing blue all over it.

It might have fetched $250..-$300.00 in that condition. I sent it to S&W and had it Nickeled and it came back looking New. It was flawless. Now I would not take less than $500.00 for it, if even that. Did the refinish increase its value? I would say Yes. However it is not a collector gun but it is worth more than I paid for it and worth more than it was with its pitted cylinder.

ben_g1 · Aug 19, 2015

John, it's your gun and your money, do what "YOU" want. If you like your shooters to look nice, nothing wrong with that.

Here's two refinished Smith's that were refinished by S&W.

The nickel was refinished back in 1978. The blued one was a new gun sent back to the factory (1969) before it was ever sold (long story).

Be careful as they'll look so nice you may not want to shoot them.

kihnspiracy · Aug 19, 2015

That is the decision I am facing. I have a 29-2 from 1969. Has a sweet trigger pull and is very accurate. The finish sucks. The original owner obviously did not believe in using the right tool for the job at hand. At one time he must have used a screwdriver too big for the sideplate screws. 2 of them are buggered up. I just need to find a gunsmith that can do that deep blue luster like the original factory finish.

Rebluing, what does it do to the value?

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