28-2 Question

[fyimo]

I saw a 28-2 with a 6 inch barrel with an N pre fix serial number at a gun show that had an amazing bright high luster blue on it. I stood there just staring at and then picked it up and the dealer starts telling me it's the nicest one he had ever seen and that you can't find them in this condition any more. So I said you certainly can't because they never made them this way with a high luster blue finish and unless S&W let one slip through the QC department this was probably refinished. Then I said it's certainly a beautiful revolver and walked away.

Later I was thinking and wondering if someone could have ordered the gun that way. Anyway, I was just wondering what your thoughts were on this as I think that would have had to have been a big slip up by S&W if they shipped it that way.

 

[vrichard]

I also have a 6in.28-2 ser.#N2203XX new with box that has a finish like you describe.
Dick

 

[fyimo]

I also have a 6in.28-2 ser.#N2203XX new with box that has a finish like you describe.
Dick

OK, then maybe they could special ordered that way or some did slip through the S&W QC process and were error revolvers. I saw about 10 other 28-2's at the show and they were all the flat matt blue. In fact this was the first high luster blue I've seen on revolver stamped 28-2. He was only asking $550 so if it is factory original he had it under priced. He didn't have the box or paperwork so it would be hard to prove unless you lettered the revolver and it was a special order.

 

[j38]

Over the years I've seen quite a variation in the finishes on M-28's. Most have worn a dull matte finish, but several have been of a higher polished finish - not as shiny as a M-27, but a couple of notches above the usual. I don't know if they were ordered that way or served as a practice platform in training the factory folks how to finish guns.

Jerry

 

[fyimo]

Over the years I've seen quite a variation in the finishes on M-28's. Most have worn a dull matte finish, but several have been of a higher polished finish - not as shiny as a M-27, but a couple of notches above the usual. I don't know if they were ordered that way or served as a practice platform in training the factory folks how to finish guns.

Jerry

Yea I've seen a few that are a little more polished but this matched the high luster blue on a Model 27 finish in every regard. In fact I thought he may have tagged it wrong because I turned it up looking for the top strap checkering. No top strap checkering and stamped 28-2 on the crane.

 

[diamonback68]

I've seen some, not many, as j38 describes, but I'm betting on a re-finish on the one you saw. I've never seen any that matched the deep blue of a 27.

 

[snw19_357]

How did the 'edges' look. Those (of course) were bead blasted like the top strap and if refinished, those tend to get polished too.

 

[fyimo]

How did the 'edges' look. Those (of course) were bead blasted like the top strap and if refinished, those tend to get polished too.

Thre lettering was chrisp and the edges looked good to me and it looked like a S&W revolver with a high luster blue like on a 27. I'm still stumped because if it was redone it was done really well.

 

[Nightowl]

Somewhere I have heard or read that Smith would not upgrade the model 28 finish to the model 27 quality. I have also heard that the difference was in the extent of the polishing as they both went into the same blue tanks. However, we still get reports such as yours where the quality of blue is much higher than the standard 28 blue. It would seem difficult to reblue a model 28 to 27 bright blue and not leave tell tale signs of the polishing process. Maybe some were polished more than normal and look bright blue?