Freckling

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I am looking at a Performance Center revolver with a PC aluminum case and paperwork online which ends tomorrow. I asked the seller if the frame was freckled between the cylinder and the grip on both sides and between the front of the cylinder and the barrel or were the pictures just showing dirt. The answer was it was freckled. It is not pitted and is otherwise in excellent condition. It is a satin stainless revolver of very low production in an unusual caliber. The gun came from Louisiana which may explain its condition. Can this be buffed without ruining the finish and the gun's originality? Can S&W perform this work and how much would it cost? Thank you very much for your help.
 
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After posting the thread above, I just heard from the seller who reports, "It's under the finish, a factory flaw which happens to a ton of those S&W matte stainless guns from that era, especially once in storage."

Will S&W repair this, or is it a lost cause? Thanks again.
 
Pictures would really be helpful. I understand "freckling" on a blue gun which to me means spots in the blue but not going in to the underlying steel. Cosmetically unappealing but not much of a problem.

There is no finish per se added to a stainless gun. So if there is "freckling" it is either something that got on the steel or has actually pitted the steel. If there is truly no pitting, then you should be able to polish out whatever is on the surface. Other than that, I really don't know what the seller is referring to; pictures might help. Good luck.

Jeff
SWCA #1457
 
Freckling is nothing more than a kinder and camouflaged name for rust. It doesn't sound as bad, but that's basically what it is. While the rust (or freckling) can be removed, there will ALWAYS be the damage left behind of the freckling. It appears in the form of dark spots. It won't look terrible and if you can deal with the dark spots then you are ahead of the game. If you are an OCD person and always want the perfect look, take a pass and look for a better condition gun. The only true way to completely get rid of it is to refinish the gun and so it's probably no bargain in the first place if you can't deal with it as is.
 
Stainless steel guns do not have a "finish" in the conventional sense. The final step on these guns is a process known as "Passivation", which is a 'pickling process which removes free Iron atoms from the surface of the metal. This reduces the chances of the metal showing rust!

S&W can "re-finish" your revolver. This entails re-polishing the surface and re-passivating the gun. This will cost "about" $200.00.

22hipower is correct in that "freckling" is a condition usually only applied to blued guns. In that case the freckling, which is a minor rusting, is within the blued finish, not on or under it.

Final answer is NO, whatever is done to remove this defect removes the original surface finish of the gun and duplicates it. Whether this is considered 're-finishing" is a matter of individual interpretation. When done the gun should look exactly as it did when new, and there should be no way anyone could tell the difference!


Chief 38 is correct, that a gun that needs to be refinished is no bargain when that cost is added in. Either find a different gun or do what you can with either polishes or "Scotch Brite" pads. Just be aware that whatever is done with any abrasive removes the passivated surface exposing more free Iron atoms and makes the gun more susceptible to future surface rusting!
 
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Thanks for your help. I sent 22hipower a PM with a link to pix.
 
Op to answer your question, freckling is light rust and on a matt/satin stainless finish nope. If you try to clean it up, it will leave bright spots and not match with the finish. Also, having it refinished ruins all collector value, and to me, good amount of freckling does as well anyway. Also, keep in mind that if there is a lot of freckling on the grip frame and there is a good chance, the internals probably have it as well.

Eric

Sent from my SM-A516U using Tapatalk
 
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