Hello first post here! I recently purchased a brand new Model 58-1 from galleryofguns.com and when I saw the gun in person I was shocked to see that the barrel wasn't blued like the rest of the gun. The barrel and ejector housing have a flat black thing going on and I don't know if this is how it's soposed to be or not. Ive looked at may other new model 58's and the barrel looks nice and shiny blued like the rest of the gun. I sent an email to S&W to see what they say. In a way it's kind of different and cool but on the other hand I spent over nine hundred bucks and I want all my blueing! What do you guys think?

While I can't imagine what went on with that one, it would sure look great with the matte finish all over.

Have you taken this up with the seller?

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

I ment to say galleryofguns.com not gunbroker. It was soposed to be brand spanking new from the manufacturer..

You might try giving it a nice rub down with Renaissance Wax to see if you can get it to shape up.

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Son of a Gun...Smith

If it came through Davidson's, their warranty would/should apply:

www.galleryofguns.com - Our History and Mission - Sell top brand guns with the best price. Your satisfaction is our commitment

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

Looks to me that S&W did a last minute change on the barrel. Maybe it was supposed to be something else. I would send it back. I rather have a nice blue barrel then a Glock looking barrel. You bought your revolver from S&W because of the blueing then you should get the whole gun in blue.

James

The front of the frame where the barrel screws in also appears to be dull. Strange.

Maybe it's a factory mistake and will be collectable at some point in time.

If guns were like currency, a ton of mis-stamped w
smiths would be worth a lot. I doubt that one would reach a level of collectability based on the barrel finish. That looks like a factory mistake that QC missed. Id call s&w and get them or who you bought from to replace the whole thing. Id personally be whole lot more upset after dropping close to grand...

Maybe it's the light, but I swear above the cylinder release/IL the frame looks beveled, like it's a not-so-good polish on a reblue. The blue itself doesn't look factory, but again, could be the light. The strange matte blue on the barrel is another flag. I hate to say it, but I think it's been refinished.

I don't know if S&W sells "factory blem" guns, but someone may have gotten one for a discount and then sold it off as a new gun........

I recently saw a new factory 27 that had several different levels of polish on the gun. Weird. The GS sent it back without it making it to the sales floor.

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Geoff. Since 1960.

Is S&W "forgetting" how to make a blued gun?

They make so much in stainless, that only the "Classics" are blued anymore..........they charge more for the "Classics" than ever before, and they are coming out looking like this?

I am one of the biggest advocates of the "new gen" S&W revolvers, but even I wouldn't pay $800 for something that looks like that. The two 10-14's I bought have very nice bluing.

I agree. Unusual finish. I'd send it back and get it replaced with a revolver that is one uniform color, whether it be blue or matte.

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SV,14,17,21,28,29,39,66,586

If that did indeed actually leave the S&W plant in that condition someone needs a serious butt kicking. That is pathetic. I find it hard to believe that is a "new" gun. But with what's been going on at S&W in the last year I suppose anything is possible. I would almost bet that is a refinished gun that someone slipped into the supply chain.

My one experience with Davidson's Gallery of Guns warranty was completely satisfactory. The FFL looked at the problem, sent it back that day, and the next day (24 hours) I had a new gun. No hassle.

I don't vote for refinished. Note that even the first 1/4" of the barrel has not been polished by a buffing wheel. The only way to get this appearance would be to remove the matt barrel, polish the frame and cylinder and blue them, then reinstall the matt bbl- why go to all that trouble to make a mismatched gun? I hate to say it, but I believe this gun left the factory looking like this.

None of that barrel has been on a polishing wheel. It is bead blasted with fine grit. If S&W were going to high polish the whole gun (like the frame is) they would not bead blast it first. The first 1/4" of the barrel is just a darker blue (as is the crane and the frame where the barrel is threaded in). I think someone replaced the barrel and I don't think it was S&W. Someone is trying to pull a fast one. Considering the price of an actual "new" gun there is certainly some incentive for someone to try this (and I am not accusing the dealer of anything shady). PLEASE let us know what S&W says when they see this. Of course after seeing the infamous "Japle" gun on all of the gun forums (6 shot cylinder bored with 7 chambers) I don't know what to believe anymore from this company.

Well here is what Ive gotten back from S&W as of now:

Thank you for contacting Smith & Wesson. Other than the top rib of the barrel (which is a matte finish for anti-glare), the barrel’s finish should match the frame’s. Go ahead an e-mail a few pics and I’ll have them looked at. Thanks very much, and have a great day.




The cylinder also has the wear look of being rotated numerous times to produce the silver line. Other than that it looks unfired to me but who knows. I bought this gun more to collect rather than fire hundreds of rounds through it so it's kind of ******.

Edit: Heres a couple shots of the cylinder

Second email from S&W:

The pictures came through a dimensionally distorted on my end, but I see what you mean about the barrel finish. I would go ahead and ship the gun in and we’ll see if they can polish the barrel up to meet the level of polish on the frame. The “turn ring” is normal. It will always already be there because the revolver is cycled many times during fitting and then a few more during test-firing. You could ask them to try to minimize it also, but I’m not sure how much they can do for that.



Go ahead and use our warranty shipping system. We can send you a pre-paid, pre-addressed Fed Ex shipping label that you can use to return your gun to us. You may request a shipping label on our website – a link is below. Alternatively, you may give us a call at 1-800-331-0852 to set up the shipping label. Thank you very much, and have a great day.

While l hate to have to return anything it appears S&W or at least the person you are in correspondence with is trying to make good on the situiation.Would be interested in the outcome.

I agree with that....

and it just keeps getting better and better.

I have never handle a model 58 but in a 1968 Ruhr-American catalog they lis a model 57 in S&W bright blue and the model 58 in S&W blue I had always assumed they were like a model 28 with a satin blue. Jeff

I think I would try and exercise Davidsons satifaction guarantee and either get another gun or my money back. I wouldn't be happy spending $900 for a re-blued weapon that I wanted to keep as a collectors item.
Sal

What you have here is a CLASSIC, not the good ol original production... So what you see is what you got. I would have bought a nice used one made back in the day... and been happy... in fact that's exactly what I did...

David

I had no idea that S&W still made model 58's until I saw the IL on this one. I know little about the newer S&W's...and not much more about the older ones.

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C & L

I'm like Cocked & locked I thought it was an old one someone had kept for 40 years, Whats next bringing out a updated model 53-7 or something like that? Jeff

Thanks for stating the obvious. What I see on smith & wessons website and pictures of "CLASSIC" new model 58's is not what I got.

I don't feel like hunting down a used one and the bright blue finish on the newer model looks better than your good ol original in my opinion, thanks for the useless post Dave.


Yeah why would you want a brand new version of a classic gun with a cool history behind it? You guys crack me up

Looks to me like a great opportunity to polish the entire gun to a mirror finish then apply a beautiful American "blue" like that seen on the old Colts. S&W blue - even the original isn't nearly as attractive as an authentic "rust blue."

I had been thinking about accepting the new lock, and buying one of those new Classic 58's.
Think I'll monitor the used market for an original model 58 instead.

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It is....what it is!