Have a mint 19-3 that someone inlaid the stamping with gold, and I highly doubt that it is real. How does one go about removing it so that it goes back to its original condition? Thanks in advance.
Seems slightly odd. Sure it didn’t come that way?
My first step would probably be to try some acetone and a q-tip and see if it comes out.
The Texas Rangers Commemorative was a 19-3 and it definitely came with gold inlay, but I think you would know if that is what you had. It also had a TR—serial prefix.
The SCSW claims there were some 19-3 over runs for that model that share some features of the Texas Rangers gun, but it doesn’t list specifics.
I would guess that the half-shaved trigger guard is one of those features.
Before I knew better I did a revolver with the bonanza real gold dust inlay kit about 1975. It did come off with gun solvent. The clear coating the kit comes with doesn’t hold up. I think I have two of the gold inlay kits left. Try soaking it with solvent mine came off little by little.
Here's what it looked like back in the mid 70s.