Bead Blasted Finish

wood714 · Jun 10, 2017

I'm sure most saw my thread where I bought a 65-5 LS a couple weeks ago.

I just found another 65-5 Lady local, but this one has the carry bag, and everything that came with it.

If I bought it, and polished the bead blast off, I'm guessing it would really hurt the value?

I've polished up a matte finish taurus in the past, and it took all of an hour and a half.

Would bead blast be the same or would it involve sanding?

I was looking for a regular 3" 65 just because they weren't bead blasted, but I really like the shrouded ejector rod.

Frank46 · Jun 10, 2017

I'm thinking you'd probably take a hit when it came time to sell. Some folks are fans of highly polished stainless steel handguns others are not. Just my 2 cents worth. Frank

wood714 · Jun 10, 2017

Frank46 said:
I'm thinking you'd probably take a hit when it came time to sell. Some folks are fans of highly polished stainless steel handguns others are not. Just my 2 cents worth. Frank

I'll be 60 in August. I surf with sharks, and ride a Harley on the roads will cell phone junkies, and lost tourist. I doubt I'll live long enough to sell it, not that I ever plan on parting with it.

Maybe I should just wait for a regular 3" 65.

TAROMAN · Jun 10, 2017

If you have regrets, fear not, as S&W can refinish your Ladysmith to include its lasered logo.
They did mine:

Blackbarry · Jun 10, 2017

My take is that too many people fail to see the value in customizing their firearms to their specific esthetic and functional satisfaction. When we go out to dinner, a movie, a concert, or on a vacation, what do we have to sell and retrieve in a few years? Absolutely nothing. So why the incessant concern for devaluing a firearm by customizing? Do we expect our enjoyment for free and maybe a profit later on? Just my $.02

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My 66-4 with polished cylinder

Tyrod · Jun 10, 2017

What is it about bead blast finish you don't like?

Dante221 · Jun 10, 2017

Well

Tyrod said:
What is it about bead blast finish you don't like?

I had a Ruger GP100 Wiley Clapp with the Matte SS finish and HATED it.

What a PITA to clean

wood714 · Jun 10, 2017

Tyrod said:
What is it about bead blast finish you don't like?

Always thought it made a gun look cheap...kinda like someone sprayed it with aluminum spray paint.

I have a flawless 65-5 Lady that I wont be shooting, if I bought this one I'd shoot it, and probably carry it. If a bead blasted gun gets handling, and holster wear on it, seems it would be hard to fix. On a polished one you can just polish it back up with some Mothers.

riverrat38 · Jun 10, 2017

One thing about a bead blast finish is that I lose some of the functionality of stainless steel, the ability to "buff out" shallow marks with polish and a Scotch Bright pad. The bead blasted finish would need to be re blasted. This makes the very practical stainless guns more like blued or plated revolvers. If I have a gun that fussy, I think I would prefer a blued finish. My new M66-8 snub is bead blasted, and I might polish and rub with a 3M pad to get the finish that I like. Polished with a slight haze. I am not very interested in resale value, except for the "break in" period, when I am deciding whether or not I like the gun. If I don't, I will trade it in, and would like it as close to new as possible at that time.

Best,
Rick

colt_saa · Jun 10, 2017

Unless the firearm in question is 100% original, with all papers and accessories, and still unfired since leaving the factory, it would not change the value at all for me as long as it is a good job.

A used gun is a used gun.

Make it the way you like it and don't worry if it only goes up 20% instead of 30% when it is time to sell.

girvin02 · Jun 10, 2017

I'm all for customizing your firearm to your liking. As inspiration, here's my 65-5 that I sanded to try to duplicate a factory "brushed" finish. I also changed the trigger/hammer from case color hardened to flash chrome hardened pieces, because I prefer the look.

Bill In Texas · Jun 10, 2017

Congratulations on your new purchase!

justintyme · Jun 10, 2017

If I was going to carry it, I would just carry it and not worry about the bead blast finish until it picked enough marks then polish it if that's what I wanted. As someone above me mentioned it can always be bead blasted again

Tom_R · Jun 10, 2017

Set it up the way you want it and don't look back.

It's not a holy relic. It's a 357 Magnum and whether it is matte or shiny nothing will change that.

Carry it, shoot it, enjoy it.

CH4 · Jun 10, 2017

Blackbarry said:
My take is that too many people fail to see the value in customizing your firearms to your esthetic and functional satisfaction. When we go out to dinner, a movie, a concert, or on a vacation, what do we have to sell and retrieve in a few years? Absolutely nothing. So why the incessant concern for devaluing a firearm by customizing? Do we expect our enjoyment for free and maybe a profit later on? Just my $.02

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My 66-4 with polished cylinder

Exactly!

What make are those grips?

Hapworth · Jun 10, 2017

wood714 said:
I'll be 60 in August. I surf with sharks, and ride a Harley on the roads will cell phone junkies, and lost tourist. I doubt I'll live long enough to sell it, not that I ever plan on parting with it.

Maybe I should just wait for a regular 3" 65.

From a purely collector's standpoint, yes, any change from factory condition reduces value, especially when it's the finish.

That said, from your post above, you should do exactly what you want with it because you plant to check out early and keep the revolver until.

If you're looking for another reason beyond your preferred finish to get a standard 3" Model 65, it has the heavy barrel -- which tames .357 recoil nicely -- whereas the 65-LS has the medium taper barrel, which also handles .357 well, but the HB does so just a little better.

wood714 · Jun 11, 2017

Hapworth said:
From a purely collector's standpoint, yes, any change from factory condition reduces value, especially when it's the finish.

That said, from your post above, you should do exactly what you want with it because you plant to check out early and keep the revolver until.

If you're looking for another reason beyond your preferred finish to get a standard 3" Model 65, it has the heavy barrel -- which tames .357 recoil nicely -- whereas the 65-LS has the medium taper barrel, which also handles .357 well, but the HB does so just a little better.

I'd rather have a regular 3" 64 or 65, but all the ones I'm seeing are either pitted bad, or are around $800 plus shipping and FFL charges on both ends.

Trust me...I've been looking.

black1970 · Jun 11, 2017

I realize this is probably the wrong thread but-I purchased my second 65 LS this spring. It came with the hard red case with all the paperwork and the shipping box with the end label. But the LS grips were missing. Long story short I am needing a set of original LS grips for it. Any help? I have already posted in the classifieds but no luck.

TeaDub · Jun 11, 2017

wood714 said:
I'd rather have a regular 3" 64 or 65, but all the ones I'm seeing are either pitted bad, or are around $800 plus shipping and FFL charges on both ends.

Trust me...I've been looking.

I chose to bead blast my recent purchase of a 65-3 with the 3 inch barrel. No pitting at all but some fairly heavy holster scuff marks. It was a Police trade in. My dealer got in several I was able to choose the pick of the litter. Mechanically very nice.

I bought it as a shooter and the bead blasting makes it look nice and even. It's my first K-frame after 30+ years of owning Smith revolvers. It definitely won't be my last. It's a pleasure at the range.

Bead Blasted Finish

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