Does Smith do reblue on old guns

martyd

martyd

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I have a Model 57 no dash which needs to be reblued.
Does Smith refinish older revolvers, I know they do not do mechanical work?

If Smith does not do reblue can you refer me to a couple of really good folks who do rebluing?
 
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Look at their website under Gunsmithing or Performance Center, there should be a list of refinishing services and prices. They will ‘usually’ work on any model-marked gun but that is dependent on parts availability, as their policy is they will not send back a mechanically unsound gun.

Be forewarned that they recently had a pause in refinishing; it will be a different process than original (more black than blue-black), and the result will be dependent on how much of the underlying metal polishing remains.
 
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Be aware that Smith cannot replicate the original finish on your revolver: classic bluing hasn’t been available from Smith since the 1990’s. Their current method won’t hold a candle to the original finish.

In order to get refinishing more consistent with the original bluing, you need to go outside Smith to people like Fords in Florida.
 
martyd said:
I have a Model 57 no dash which needs to be reblued.
Does Smith refinish older revolvers, I know they do not do mechanical work?

If Smith does not do reblue can you refer me to a couple of really good folks who do rebluing?
Click to expand...

If you want a really outstanding job done I can recommend Turnbull Restoration. They do amazing work and you can get a quote online.
Turnbull Restoration Company, Inc.

Unfortunately I don't know if the work on S&W revolvers, you will have to check with them.
 
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I would just like to put a gentle plug in for leaving the original finish as-is. Of course, it's your gun and you should do what enhances your enjoyment of it the most ... but refinished guns are almost always a money-losing proposition. And some of my favorite guns have a lot of wear and tear on them from a lifetime of honest (or dishonest?) use.

Mike
 
ArchAngelCD said:
If you want a really outstanding job done I can recommend Turnbull Restoration. They do amazing work and you can get a quote online.
Turnbull Restoration Company, Inc.

Unfortunately I don't know if the work on S&W revolvers, you will have to check with them.
Click to expand...

I spoke to Doug Turnbull at the Spring Southern Side by Side Expo and he said they did not refinish/restore S&W revolvers. He said they are tricky to properly polish.
 
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I had this 1967 Model 27-2 refinished by the S&W factory about ten years ago. It was a law enforcement gun that had been carried a lot and shot very little. There was only holster wear and they only stripped and reblued the gun. No polishing was required.

As you can see from the photo, the current bluing process is nothing like the original. It is more black than blue.

 
martyd said:
I have a Model 57 no dash which needs to be reblued.
Does Smith refinish older revolvers, I know they do not do mechanical work?

If Smith does not do reblue can you refer me to a couple of really good folks who do rebluing?
Click to expand...

I had a department issued model 14 that had been cut from 6 inch to 4 inch reblued. They found several issues that were not readily noticeable and returned it to their specifications. As I recall, they did charge a very nominal fee. Search on "Old Faithful revisited" to see the gun and it's history.
 
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WCCPHD said:
I spoke to Doug Turnbull at the Spring Southern Side by Side Expo and he said they did not refinish/restore S&W revolvers. He said they are tricky to properly polish.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the information. I have to remember that so I don't recommend them for S&W guns again.
 
Spoke to Doug Trumbull 10 years ago when I wanted my Dad’s 76 years old rifle RE-blued. While in excellent mechanical shape the finish was tired and the rifle was starting to rust in several places. Since this will never be sold I was not concerned about collectors value. Doug quoted me $700-$800 and the wait time was 9 months +. While Turnbull is about the best in the business I did not want to wait almost a year for that price!

I called Midwest Gunworks and shipped them the Marlin. In 6 weeks I received the rifle back and was blown away by the work they had done. The rifle NEVER looked that great and their charge was $265 + return shipping ( about $300 all in). While it was out being Reblued I refinished the stock myself. Today the 76 year old Marlin still looks absolutely spectacular and I will be proud to pass it down one day.

I don’t know if MGW does Smith’s but it’s worth a phone call!
 
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