Visited a LGS today I hadn't been in for a year or two. There was little on the shelves of their gun cases and not all that many long guns displayed either. Said most of what they're doing these days is gun smithing and AR builds. Chatted with the owner awhile and as I was leaving said they should call me if they got any interesting S&Ws in. He said "we had a couple last week, too bad you weren't here then." His partner pipes up and says "there's two in that box by your feet." They pull out a 8 3/8 inch 17-2 and a 8 3/8 14-3 both with 3Ts in what I'd call close to 98% condition. Looked the 14-3 over closely and the 17-2 less so as it appeared to be in equally great shape. Bought them both and they tossed in the Starlight hard case.

We've admired here a time or two that there often isn't much difference between an original S&W factory finish and a S&W factory refinish. It wasn't until I got home and pulled the stocks that I found that one had been back to the mothership for a refinish. The one with the diamond targets is the 17-2 of course; and 2nd and 3rd pictures. The last two are the 14-3. Can you tell which is refinished?

What appears to be blue wear/loss in places is just light reflection. No blue loss or wear anywhere.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Who cares. Both are great revolvers!

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

I can’t tell. Several years ago I bought a 4 screw 44 magnum (58) and it was a few years before I realized there was a date on the grip indicating it had been back for a reblue in 1980

I guess the 14-3 only because the m17 seems to have a bit of honest wear.

Going by the cylinder flutes and depth of screws the 14

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Paul
S&WCA #2726

Congratulations! Great score
I’ll guess the 17-2

I’m guessing the 14. Hope you didn’t get hurt on price thinking both original finish (not that I mind a good refinish)
And thank you for sharing !!

I discount a factory refinish very little, especially one where I can't tell without seeing the stamps on the frame that it is a refinish. Yes, I would have used it as a negotiation point had I realized it but at $750 each (plus tax) I would have bought both anyway. Hard to tell in the pictures, but holding them in hand there is absolutely no difference in the finish between the two. And the Starlight hard/dry case was a nice little bonus too.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

Great Guns!!! Congrats, and thanks for sharing...

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

I'm guessing top one in first pic is refinished. No matter. i've been all over both of them, as you were.

The one that went back for the refinish was the 17-2 in May of 1973. Doesn't look too bad for a 50 year old refinish.

Jeff
SWCA #1457