This gun came out of a collection belonging to a man who has been dead for over 40 years. It is an unfired 1960 vintage 25. I'll let the pics tell the rest.

Anyone ever seen a label like this?

Looks pretty clean here

And here

But this is where things go bad

And here


The gun laid in a wet box for an unknown length of time. As it stands now it is a shooter, but I have though about having it refinished.

Any thoughts on who could fix it right???

This gun came out of a collection belonging to a man who has been dead for over 40 years. It is an unfired 1960 vintage 25. I'll let the pics tell the rest.

Anyone ever seen a label like this?

Looks pretty clean here

And here

But this is where things go bad

And here


The gun laid in a wet box for an unknown length of time. As it stands now it is a shooter, but I have though about having it refinished.

Any thoughts on who could fix it right???

That is enough to make you cry.

What a shame.

+1, What a shame! Can the cylinder even be refinished to look right? How is the bore? I hope you can save it. Greg

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After you die, who's to blame?

I would LOVE to own that gun!
dont have to worry about range time, Or the occasional nick or scratch!
If it needs to be sold, Please email me.
Peter.

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Need 1/2 moon Chiefs special

Try Gene Willams for refinishing.
Princeton, TX.
972.734-6699.
Beruisis

Put out a call for a replacement barrel and cylinder. I've seen both for sale on this forum in the last two months. It ain't pristine anyhow, so what do you have to lose?

I can't repeat in print what I said when I saw the pic's. What a crying shame. I wish you luck with it.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

WOW THAT SUCKS!! But the good news is if the bore is good then you have a mighty fine shooter.

+1

This is all that can be done, at least for the cylinder. The pitting is too deep and/or extensive to be made to go away.

The muzzle can probably be refinished and not look too bad.

Ohhhhh man!

Can anyone tell me about that box label???
The SN# is in silver crayon on the bottom of the box, but I have never seen a label like this.

If it would have been my gun, I would have cryed, may anyway .

I'd pull the grips and sell them to recoup some $$, put a set of Hogues on it and enjoy shooting it.

29aholic-If the rest of the gun is O.K. and the only parts bad are the ones you've shown, how about incorporating the bad parts into some engraving? Certainly an engraver could cut deep engraving that would mask the bad parts with some deep oak/acorn engraving (or some other theme that appeals to you). That would be my first thought after checking into replacing the cylinder and barrel.

E-mail coming at you.

Now that is a clever idea. If it turns out to be doable, it has the possibility of increasing the value of the gun rather than decreasing it.

Bill

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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

"effector" Project waiting to happen!

My first Model 53 .22 Jet was like that, except the pitting was also extensive on the right side of the frame and the sideplate. I paid $250 when a decent used one was $600. I wanted it to shoot, and shoot it did.

I also had a 7-1/2 inch non-Registered, pre-WWII .357 that had layed on wet cloth for a good while. A prior owner had it refinished but it still looked like hell. It shot like a rifle, too. I bought it at a garage sale for well under $100 in about 1975 and sold it a few years later when a fellow at the range offered me $300.00 cash right there and then.

If the bore and chambers are good and you can stand the appearance, they aren't total losers.

Still makes you want to cry a little, though.

Makes a grown man want to cry. At a local gun auction couple of years ago there was a 4" Blue Colt Python that looked like that.. One side had just a like wear/bluing gone when turned it over 30% of blue was gone. Owner said his brother had carried it under the seat of his farm truck. He still got $550 for it.

Good luck on getting it fixed up..

Joe

I would leave it alone and shoot it as is. like was said before you dont have to worry about getting nicks and scratches on it.but still what a shame.

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God save the SOUTH

I couldn't leave it alone.I'd have to find a cylinder and have the barrel shortened.

Seems like S&W co could supply a new cylinder for it if it's sent to them..TIN..

I have an early colt woodsman in such condition. one side looks like a safe queen and the other looks like a minefield. got it from an old guy who let it lay on the floor of his pickup.

What about a basic cleanup, glass bead blasted and reblued. That would keep those parts from developing the red rust....Notime2