Need a little help evaluating condition

[spork]

I am totally new to revolvers. I've been hunting pretty long and good for a decent deal and something popped up. But I am unsure what I am looking at in these pics.

Seller describes it as a used 629-8 that he purchased used and had sent in for work. I don't really have any issues with it being used, but I don't wanna be buying a worn out first either. I have looked at the various "what to look for in a used revolver" posts all over the web but everything seems to involve the timing and movement of the cylinder.

I am interested in the wear marks or gunk I am seeing in these pics. The front of the cylinder has some wearing on it like high point smoothing? I'm assuming this is nothing. But the inside of the top strap has some stuff I haven't seen in other image searches. Is it just dirty?

Any ideas how well this thing has been used up by these images? I know revolvers will last a long long time, I'm just trying to gauge if it is worth my time checking this guy out.

Am I correct in assuming that if the gun went back to S&W for any sort of repair that it would be returned with their sort of check of approval for the entire pistol?





Thanks for any help. Like I said, I know I'm not looking at a safe queen here. But I don't want something that's been beat to hell and back either. I know it's hard to judge everything by the images, but these 2 pics he sent were the most curious to me.

[Kernel Crittenden]

I don't see anything in either picture that would overly concern me, or indicate excessive wear. But two pics isn't a lot to go on.

[spork]

OK. Thanks. It's kinda looking like maybe it's just dirty internally. Externally it looks like it was ether carried in a holster a lot of riding in a truck. Nothing some elbow grease and polish wouldn't clean up.

I'm not familiar with forcing cones so these were the only other pics that I saw that weren't pure external cosmetic.

[Kernel Crittenden]

A little carbon fouling along the top strap & forcing cone, and front of the cylinder is normal. Two dozen rounds could cause that level of fouling. Again, nothing I can see in those photos looks alarming. Overall, that M629 looks to be in pretty good shape.

[629shooter]

I agree with Kernel Crittenden, it "looks" good to go.