I recently picked up a 27-2. Seems it’s about a 1971 or 72.
Some wear, couple of scratches on the side plate and a couple of minor rust/blue wear spots but otherwise in great shape.
I put some nice target stocks on it.
Here is the GB listing.

Just a moment...

Any advice on the scratches or other spots?
I’ve watched a couple of vids.
Vans blue? Steel wool etc.
Shot it the other day. All good.
Be nice to get it as good as I can.

Unless you really know what you’re doing, leave it as is. Good chance any attempt to repair with cold blue will look worse.

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213th FBINA

Some finishes respond well to cold blue - the matte blue of 1911 slide tops and front of the frame. Same thing with High Standard pistols. And some of the older Smiths, around the high rub areas - OK. But that high polish stuff, especially a long scratch on a big flat surface = nope. You'll end up with an "oil slick" type puddle around the scratch, and the scratch itself still very visble.

Two choices.....leave the finish as is, and use some choreboy copper wool and kroil to get the rust off (be gentle) then keep it oiled, or....the ultimate way to fix finishes is to have it engraved and reblued by a reputable firearm restorer. I like the choreboy/kroil option myself.

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Even older, even crankier....

You might be able to pick up a replacement sideplate.

Otherwise you got a decent deal on what appears to be a good revolver!

Several points-----------------

1. Don't go anywhere near a blued finish with steel wool!!

Steel Wool removes rust. Bluing is RUST----black oxide by name. The bluing process is known as "Controlled Corrosion"-----'nuff said!!

The ONLY wool to be used on a blued finish is Bronze Wool.

Touch up bluing: I once had a new in the box gun with a sliver of "in the white" metal on the top strap (maybe 1/16" wide at the widest point) where the bluing didn't take for whatever reason---right next to the sight tang channel. I fussed and fumed about that for a spell---then decided to fix it. "In the white" metal is white metal---never mind what the cause----such as a scratch.

Given a scratch, it stands to reason the bluing adjacent to the scratch has been disrupted. Give it a good going over with Bronze Wool (0000 if you can't feel the disruption---000 if you can.) Then get a Birchwood Casey Touch Up pen---and start in. Step One is read the instructions. Step Two is follow the instructions----EXACTLY!!!!

I did what I'm telling you to do----several applications-----on an as new Bright Blue finish. It got better with each application---don't remember how many, but probably 3-4---following the instructions each and every time!!

I stopped when I could no longer tell ANY difference between what was and what now is.

That gun sold for $2,000---to a WORLD CLASS NIT PICKER, who examined every square inch---and the examination included the sniff test.

As it happened, that gun was one of two---both brand new in the box; and he had his choice of either. He chose that which had been repaired.

I rest my case.

By the way, when using Bronze Wool for cleaning, use it with oil---any kind of oil, as the oil is only to reduce friction, and to carry off any crud in solution.

Ralph Tremaine

As an aside, you'll find the Bronze Wool does a nice job of blending the touch-up blue with the original.

Oxpho Blue from Brownells is another cold blue product that does a nice job---blends almost automatically. Read what Brownells has to say about it in their catalog---probably online as well(?).

Edited once again to add this caveat: There are several comments following which recommend various polishes/rust removers, and whatnot. My comments apply to HIGH condition guns in need of tender loving care. These other comments apply to cleaning/improving beaters----that because these other products contain abrasives, Abrasives remove any and EVERYTHING they contact----including the original finish!! Then there are what I'll call solvents which are used to REMOVE bluing-----and of course any and everything else they may contact-----known as "strippers". They do a FINE job of stripping----right down to bare metal! Proceed in accord with your own objectives--but proceed forewarned.

I would try to soak it in Ed's Red for several days, gently using the bronze wool during the soaking period to remove as much of the rust as possible. then shoot it, a lot!

As an observation, the 6 inch guns normally shipped with a Patridge front sight. It appears, by the proud pins, that the Patridge has been changed to a red ramp. Or it was ordered that way, and the factory installed the red ramp prior to shipping, or maybe returned to be changed. To me it
appears to be a factory install. The model 27 is my favorite!

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

Welcome to the Forum! Basically, you bought a nice 6" Model 27-2 revolver. Unfortunately, it was not well cared for and shows some damage and rust. The sideplate scratches are pretty serious but they're only cosmetic. There are some good cleaning and touch-up bluing recommendations above, but if it were mine, after removing the stocks, I'd start with a gentle cleaning with some Flitz polish and a microfiber cloth for the majority of the surfaces- frame, barrel, front sight, cylinder, etc. Some folks use a pure copper penny or copper/bronze wool with some quality gun oil to remove rust from pits. Wipe off and follow up with some Renaissance Wax or Johnson's Paste wax. Give it a good buff and you'll be surprised how nice the finish looks. 27-2s are not rare, and refinishing would not significantly increase the value. Bottom line- except for cleaning, I would leave it as is and take it to the range. Enjoy!

A great cleaner and light rust remover for a blued revolver is Turtle Wax Chrome Polish and Rust Remover... follow the directions to clean and remove rust then give it a wax job ... Ren Wax or pure carnauba auto wax ... then see what it look likes .
I thought the model 58 in my avatar was going to need a reblue ...carried by a motorcycle cop for 15 years in Louisiana weather...lots of fine surface rust and "freckles"... but the can said "removes rust" so I tried it ... rust is a form of bluing and after the surface rust is removed , underneath is almost like a blue ... Cleaning carefully and a wax job left it OK ... not perfect but presentable and good looking !

I don't have any magic fixes for scratches ... I have never tried to fix one ... But do try a careful cleaning with Turtle Wax Chrome Polish and Rust Remover ...it is sorta magical !
Good Luck ,
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member

The side plate is a carefully fitted part on guns that age. A used plate might not fit the same way the original did, and a new one, if you found one, would need fitting, then reblued. I'd just clean that one up and shoot the heck out of it.

I can't think of the last time I saw a Baughman ramp front sight on a 6" M27-2 of that period.. Seems like most have the Patridge front sight and the 3-1/2" and 5" had the ramp.

The scratches on the side plate are pretty serious for a cold blue to make them disappear or even improve them much at all.
The use of a cold blue especially on a flat surface like that generally ends up being more of a visual let-down than the original scratches were.

Once in a while a cold blue will 'take' on a part and you will get a beautiful blue. But most times attempts to fix a scratch ends up in the 'I guess it's better than nothng' colume'.

A bit of rust down in the scratches can be gone after with plain oil. Let it work for a while. A long time if you want to. It's not like it's going to rust the part away before your eyes.
Keep using normal cleaning procedures and most if not all will loosen and come out with that.

As far as going after it with steel wool, or bronze wool.
Take your pick, neither will remove bluing if used correctly.
Always use with oil, never use it dry, especially the steel wool., and use the finest grade steel wool 0000 grade for this.
Light pressure, don't scrub, just gently allow the oil and steel wool to do the job of removing that rust which is loosened and floats away with the oil.
I have used 0000 steel wool with oil on blued firearm surfaces for over 50yrs, 30+ as a full time restoration business and have never damaged a one firearm.
If I thought it would do damage, I certainly would not use it on any Parker, H&H, Purdey, Colt SAA, AH Fox or any other arms I've worked on.
I've never had nor used a bronze wool in that time. But it is certainly up to the job at hand.
If you feel more confident useing Bronze for this, then certainly you should use it. It will do a fine job as well.
But 0000 Steel Wool w/oil used correctly is not a blue-remover

Yes Bluing in most of it's applications is a form of Iron Oxide. But they are not all applied the same nor is the surface finish always the same.
The steel alloy and heat treat of the metal makes a difference in how it responds when applied as well.

It makes a difference when choosing how to go about saving what is still there while trying to remove red-rust that has accumulated.
There is no miracle touch-up blue no matter what the marketers tell you.

Thanks for the info.
I guess I’m looking to make it as close to factory as I can, or just get the best out of the finish.

A word or two of hearsay:

Sideplates were originally fit by "swaging"----as in "Cut to suit, and beat to fit!" As I said, "hearsay"-----not a word of documented fact! The process, as it was told to me goes like this: The "cut to suit" sideplate was laid into the frame, and WHACKED with a Babbitt bar. Needless to say, the whacking was done by a HIGHLY SKILLED craftsman, who knew (exactly) where to whack, and how hard-----and they only whacked it once! As I sat and stared, and pondered these words, I decided any attempt to replace a sideplate was a job for Superman!

Now if simply covering up the hole is the objective, then I reckon pretty much any sideplate for the frame size will work fine, but if anything even remotely approaching the original appearance is desired, then we're back to calling Superman!!

Ralph Tremaine

Given the ease with which a sideplate may be bent, I'm inclined to an intermediate tool between the sideplate and the Babbit bar was employed (to distribute the force of the blow). Another given: Whacking anything with a Babbit bar illustrates the epitome of imperfection----I'm also inclined to suspect the Babbit bar went the way of the Dodo bird in short order, to be replaced by a press---also with an intermediate piece---or with a press nose-piece made to order for the different size sideplates.

As an aside, given this whammity-bamming "swagging" fitting of sideplates is fact, it strikes me it was fact with top-breaks bearing pretty much round sideplates. "The phrase "pretty much round" translates to no weak links.

What I'll call the junction of the main segment of a hand ejector sideplate and its nose is a weak link-----that's where it's going to bend if/when one is prying the sideplate off----rather than using the tap-tap routine instructed by S&W---ever since there's been hand ejectors. It's also where it's going to bend (albeit in the opposite direction) if it's forced into place for any reason.

Now, given weak links work both ways, that's no doubt why the whammity-bamming fitting of sideplates gave way to a press------applying equal pressure all across the entire piece------that is assuming the whammity-bamming tale is fact----rather than a tale passed down over the years.

You have a classic vintage 27-2. It has wear and signs of use all over. The previous owner or owners used it well. Nothing wrong with that. I would clean it and check any rust so it cannot continue. Then just enjoy it as is. Here is mine…with plenty of wear. Presumably an SFPD 27-2. Letter has not arrived but the SFPD stamping is consistent.

Just use it, forget trying to “fix” the minor finish issues.

Someday, years from now after you have shot and carried it a lot, you could consider a factory reblue or a hard chrome refinish from a skilled refinisher.

I’d clean it up and leave as is. It’s as close to the factory finish now as it ever will be. Any changes only go further away from original. If you want a perfect clean specimen just pony up a few hundred more and get one of them.

The only use of a babbit bar I'm familiar with is to "adjust" the windage and/or elevation of a fixed sight hand ejector revolver.

My guess is that a hydraulic press has been used to press the side plate into the frame and then excess metal is trimmed and polished to achieve the near invisible fit of side plate & frame that we are used to seeing.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I can't argue with that (^^^^^^)!

The mere thought of using brute force and awkwardness to accomplish such a task makes my teeth hurt!

Like I said, hearsay.

Ralph Tremaine

I agree, Gil...Discussion of swaging......Ben

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Cogito, ergo BOOM!...

Well folks, a little cold blue touch up has mad a world of difference.
The bare metal can’t be seen in those scratches now.
It’s looking a lot better.