I just bought a 4" Model 29-3 (serial No. AYD11**) and it has some sort of satin or matte looking finish, but it is definitely marked Model 29, not 629. The seller swears it is a nickel finish, and he bought it used. The price was right ($450), or so I thought. I was looking for a shooter anyway. It almost looks to be "in the white"?, but I'm just not sure. So, was it re-finished? or was there ever a factory electroless nickel finish on an M29? I'll get a picture up as soon as I can. Also, anybody ever seen grips like these before? Any information or insight is appreciated.

I'll try to take a better picture tomorrow. Anyway , here it is.

[img] [/IMG]

Looks like hard chrome finish, looks like stainless right? If it is, you got a good deal and a nice shooter on top of it.

+1 looks like you got you a nice shooter. It was probably refinished when the bluing or nickle wore down. You have a competition cylinder release on it. The price is awsome so I say who cares, It looks great and probably shoots great also.

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M.J.Hanna

I have the 3rd ed. of SCSW (2006) - a chrome finish is listed as shipped to the John Jovino Co. in the 80s (would have to confirmed by factory letter). Don't know if later edition has any further information on this? Numbers? A re-finish seems more likely to me, but I guess its possible?

my guess is its armoly a oilfield coating used in the 70 s and the grips look like mustangs

Looks like Meatlife finish to me. I had a Model 29 years ago that I had finished in Metalife.

The finish looks exactly like my 4" electroless Python. In fact I thought my Python was stainless until on a hunch I checked. Is "electroless" a generic term or a Colt term? I think it's the same as Coltguard. Your gun looks really cool. I'd have bought it, too.

In the seventies, Dayton Electroless Nickel showed Colt how to do this finish. I have a 1911 with the frame finished by Dayton Electroless Nickel that has 100,000 rounds through it and it still looks like new. It is not quite as hard as Metalife and the bead blasting used before plating is a bit coarser but it is a VERY good finish. Has a rockwell hardness of about 57 as I remember and is completely rust free. Even the slide to frame is not worn. Good stuff...

Dale53

"Coltguard" was Colt's name for electroless nickel, an industrial term.

If it was a Jovino the barrel would have been cut down as that is what they are known for. The Jovino Effector...

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M.J.Hanna

You got a really good buy. How do you like the grips? Is there a trade name on them somewhere?

Look for a B or N in the ejector rod pocket under the barrel. If it has either, your gun came blue or nickel respectively.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Looks similar to this which is Metaloy, on a Mod 19. Wears like iron.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Yes, thanks Hondo. I did see a letter in a triangle, and some other markings. I'll double check and provide details tonight. My camera won't seem to focus for those up-close shots?

andyo5: They are Mustangs - not to my taste at all. They are currently listed on GB, if you are interested. I'm shopping around for some targets or maybe Spegels. It's currently wearing Pachys. Shot it last night offhand at 15 yds - it liked my .44 Spl reloads.

BTW, I have corrected the date on my camera now. And the boolit holes outside the 2 targets are old (really). I only had time for four cylinders full to check function.

H. Richard,
It does look alot like that. Where did you get that done? The seller had lived in Calif. at some point in the past. thanks for the post.

Checked out the markings under the grips. On the rt side is a circle with a '1' in it, a triangle with a 'B' in it, and '3425' below. So, from this I presume it was originally blue, although the SCSW says a rectangle rather than a triangle?

On the left side, is stamped an 'A2' and '3818x' and then some goofy symbols struck off to the side that look like Chinese writing?

I'm guessing that one of the 4 digit numbers refers to the manufacter date and maybe the other is finisher's mark or something. When did they stop matching grips to guns? Any help would be appreciated.

Hondo:

Oops . . . need to read more carefully - ejector rod pocket? When you say pocket, Is that inside the shroud? where the Model and Serial No. are stamped? or under the star on the back end?

Yes, inside the shroud; a very small B.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

bubba
your gun shipped as a blue finish 29-3. At some point in it's life it has been hardchromed which is great for a using as you cant even bead blast the stuff off. I believe Magnaport did a lot of these for people (not really as a run or anything like Jovino).

Incidentally, the hammers and triggers in the stainless Smith's are not stainless, but the same hard chrome.

thanks, 29! So I guess Hard Chrome is a Chromium alloy application process and it sounds like it's more durable than electroless Nickel.

One more question: to replace the 'competition' thumb latch (cylinder release), with a factory part, would a K or L frame latch fit??????? or do I need an N frame one exclusively? Anybody got one? or interested in a trade?

I'll just tote it in the woods and shoot the heck out it - that's what I wanted it for anyway. thanks for all the help.


BTW, I didn't see anything in the ejector rod pocket.

If you don't mind the new style thumblatch, your best bet for a matching finish is a new one from a stainless gun. I think that Comp latch you have sells for $30-40. Advertise a trade on this forum in the sales category.
Oh yeah, K and N are the same size.

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Jim
S&WCA #819