Could this be one of the two M27SS mentioned in the S&W Catalog????

[THREEDFLYER]

Well, I think what we have here may be one of the two M27SS made that is marked 27-2 circa 1979.......whatcha think??

I have requested a ship date from Mr. Jinks, and maybe a hint from him.....stay tuned!!

[STCM(SW)]

You seem to always catch on to some interesting ones!

[6518John]

Wouldn’t the hammer and trigger be case hardened instead of whatever material or coating they have/are?

[SVT28]

Is it stamped model 27 or 27-2? I usually take the SCSW pretty literally since it’s been revised so many times. When it says marked 27, do you think they meant that literally or was 27-2 what they meant to say? What finish is the extractor? It looks like finish is the bead blasted finish similar to say, a 625-2. Maybe the lighting/photo is confusing me and it’s actually a brushed stainless finish.

I’ll be tuning in for updates

SVT28

[BC38]

I'm mostly posting to subscribe to this thread, but FWIW the finish also looks a LOT like the hard chrome on this old N-frame .455 Webley HE to me...

[mod29]

My guess is that's a hard chrome finish.

[GerSan69]

If better photos or closeups were available, I'd hazard a guess. I will say, though, that the odds of being hard chrome vs. a unicorn greatly favor the hard chrome.... but you knew that.
I'm very interested in what Mr. Jinks has to say.

[murphydog]

It is possible and of course Roy will know.

But leaving us hanging without saying if the gun's SN falls into the 1979 production range is just plain mean.

[s&wchad]

I certainly hope you found one of the two known unicorns!

A lot of guns were hard chromed by companies like Robar, Metalife, Metaloy and Armaloy, so the odds are against it. I’d also expect the current owners of the two auction guns to know exactly what they have and you’d think they would have acquired some supporting documentation at time of purchase.

[gkitch]

Looks stainless. Looks original and not hard-cromed. I'd bet on good news in the letter.

[ken158]

We all know what you want it to be - but sorry, it is no doubt hard chrome. The process fools many into thinking stainless steel. On another note, there is no way an Olympic auction gun would ever end up on the streets in the used condition that gun represents.

[handejector]

Hard Chrome.

[Jessie]

I agree with the hard chrome. Seems to be quite a bit of pitting and use for a stainless gun that would be one of two ever made plus some of the lettering is washed out a bit.
Imho

[THREEDFLYER]

Originally Posted by murphydog

It is possible and of course Roy will know.

But leaving us hanging without saying if the gun's SN falls into the 1979 production range is just plain mean.

I have requested a ship date from Roy......

[Doc44]

If the Model 27-2 is made of SS there should be an S stamped in the extractor rod shroud and a V stamped on the rear surface of the cylinder. I examined three different models made of SS and each was marked in this manner.

Bill

[RCL-09]

I hope it is a SS piece, but it looks exactly like my hard chrome 57 which I could have sworn was a mismarked 657.

[minconrevo]

Hard chrome finished guns mimic the prep done to the base metal, to a large degree. SS S&W finish looks different from HC; yours is a nicely done HC.

[mojave30cal]

Looks SS to me.

[pharmer]

Armoloy (sp?) was very popular in the last quarter of the 20th century. Joe

[double-dipper]

Pull the stocks open the cylinder lets have a good look around it. its ether SS or hard chrome. post more pics.

[rbmac52]

Original or refinish, that gun is a looker, and I'd love to have one just like it!

[Engine49guy]

Originally Posted by Doc44

If the Model 27-2 is made of SS there should be an S stamped in the extractor rod shroud and a V stamped on the rear surface of the cylinder. I examined three different models made of SS and each was marked in this manner.

Bill

Like Bill said look for the S or V stamp,
IIRC these were applied so the factory could distinguish SS cylinder / frames from carbon steel parts prior to bluing or nickeling as they looked the same.

[Muley Gil]

My wife's M65 has the "V" stamp on the rear face of the cylinder. If the M27 doesn't have that, as Doc44 said, I really, really doubt you have a stainless revolver.

[AlHunt]

Sadly, I think not. If you can get the pic expanded, look at the yoke joint. There's something going on with the finish that just looks more like some kind of damage rather than grime. I could be wrong, but it'd be the first time today,

[stansdds]

Looks like hard chrome to me. If the price is right, it would made a great field revolver, hard chrome is the most corrosion resistant finish you can put on a firearm.

[M29since14]

Another hard chrome vote. Sorry.

[flundertaker]

What amazes me is that with all the knowledge, experience and relationships represented in the forum and in the SWCA that there still exists guns, highly sought after guns, with whereabouts unknown. How does this happen? Sold or passed down to a uninformed or uncaring relative who doesn’t have any curiosity or internet connectivity who sticks it in a dresser drawer and forgets about it? Or are there certain guns whose worth or provenance is well known but for whatever reason the current owner keeps it a secret and doesn’t show, discuss or acknowledge his or her ownership or whereabouts. Seems weird but possible I suppose.

[glenwolde]

Originally Posted by flundertaker

What amazes me is that with all the knowledge, experience and relationships represented in the forum and in the SWCA that there still exists guns, highly sought after guns, with whereabouts unknown. How does this happen? Sold or passed down to a uninformed or uncaring relative who doesn’t have any curiosity or internet connectivity who sticks it in a dresser drawer and forgets about it?

Maybe there really were all those "boating accidents".....???

[Oldsalt66]

My heart says stainless, but my brain says hard chrome.

Good luck.

[Bullet Bob]

"...whatever reason the current owner keeps it a secret and doesn’t show, discuss or acknowledge his or her ownership or whereabouts. Seems weird but possible I suppose."

Have you met the internet?

Doesn't seem weird at all to me.

[Hapworth]

As usual, anything's possible with S&W. That said, I strongly suspect if S&W put a stainless Model 27 out, it would have the factory standard "brushed satin" finish, which is much more reflective than the 27 pictured.

I vote hard chrome.

[THREEDFLYER]

Roy says it shipped 1976 and not stainless which I believe we have already established.....But I really like the finish and the 5" is a desirable barrel length.

[RCL-09]

Originally Posted by THREEDFLYER

Roy says it shipped 1976 and not stainless which I believe we have already established.....But I really like the finish and the 5" is a desirable barrel length.

Still a great piece and one I would like to have. My hard chrome Model 57 is my best field gun.

[RKmesa]

Originally Posted by THREEDFLYER

But I really like the finish and the 5" is a desirable barrel length.

I too really like it. It's a 5" barreled Model 27 what's not to like...

Thanks for sharing,

[1sailor]

I see you already got the info you wanted. Sorry it's not stainless. An easy test would have been to test it with a magnet. Stainless is non magnetic.

[Dieseltech56]

I have a T/C contender that is hard chromed and it took me years to realize even though I knew the serial number was before they made stainless guns.

[lihpster]

Originally Posted by 1sailor

I see you already got the info you wanted. Sorry it's not stainless. An easy test would have been to test it with a magnet. Stainless is non magnetic.

Magnet sticks to my 686+. It's a little weak but it sticks. Depends on the stainless alloy.

[jcelect]

Originally Posted by 1sailor

I see you already got the info you wanted. Sorry it's not stainless. An easy test would have been to test it with a magnet. Stainless is non magnetic.

400 series is magnetic because it has carbon in it to strengthen the SS.
jcelect

[AveragEd]

There are two grades of stainless steel, 300 and 400. True stainless is 300 grade and is not magnetic. Stainless blended with carbon steel is 400 grade; it is used in firearms where the extra hardening of carbon steel is needed and is magnetic.

Ed

[Tom S.]

There is one other possibility. If you nickle plate or chrome plate something that has been sandblasted, it will give a semi bright finish like stainless, depending on the media you use to do the blasting. The courser the media, the duller the finish, the finer the media, the brighter the finish. Learned this from time spent in a GM nickle plating plant.

[153]

I recall a contest or drawing by S&W back in the late ‘70s or early 1980’s, in which the prize was a Model 27 made of stainless. This was before that model was available in s/s. The winner got to designate the barrel length of the revolver.

Anyone else remember this?