As if the refinish wasn’t bad enough
- Thread starter jsfricks
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Tijeras_Slim
Member
I only buy the ones with a Social Security number etched in them, that way I can open a line of credit and get it refinished.
That "28318" sounded VERY familiar .... WHY does that sound so familiar to me? THINKING ....THINKING ........... Oh yeah .... my home phone growing up was HArrison 2-8418 
handejector
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At least the grips are genuine plastic. 
shovelhead
Member
I've seen worse. I turned down a Colt New Frontier revolver that someone used a Dremel and a carbide tip to deeply grind his initials into the frame. A shame too, it dated from the mid 60's.
OP
jsfricks
Member
I just picked up this 1965 Colt New Frontier from the same collection that the refinished one above came from. Sadly most in the collection had specks of rust due to poor storage. But it's my first SAA and should be a good shooter.
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Model19man
Member
At least the grips are genuine plastic.
MOTS? The good stuff..........
Got to the last picture, and, "Ouch! My eyes!".
Yeah, the plating is nasty. But there are two positives:
1) The etched numbers look like they barely go through the plating.
2) It looks like very little metal prep was done before the plating. So, the rollmarks look pretty much full and deep, edges and contours are sharp and well defined, and no dished screw holes or ruined sideplate seam!
There's some potential there!
Yeah, the plating is nasty. But there are two positives:
1) The etched numbers look like they barely go through the plating.
2) It looks like very little metal prep was done before the plating. So, the rollmarks look pretty much full and deep, edges and contours are sharp and well defined, and no dished screw holes or ruined sideplate seam!
There's some potential there!
At least the grips are genuine plastic.
What more could you ask for?
I try not to be to hard on those who for whatever reason have "engraved" their initials, SS number, whatever on a gun (or anything else for that matter). There was a lot of pressure back in the 70's to do so from police, insurance companies, and so on to do so. There is a Model 19 out there somewhere with my SS number on it. It was the first handgun I ever bought. I at least had the sense to put it under the grips where it couldn't be seen, but it's there.
I try to pull the grips on most every Model 19 I see now. Who knows? Maybe it will come home one day.
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kbm6893
Member
Why not just use the serial number as an identifier? That's what it was made for. I keep a spreadsheet of all my serial numbers for everything that has one. Electronics, appliances, power tools, yard equipment, and of course guns. Insurance pays out the lowest amount they can and without the serial number you will likely be shortchanged.
Of course that's the RIGHT thing to do. I know that NOW. But back in day, "everyone" was pushing the electro pencil idea. Police departments and insurance companies were running TV and radio adds to urge people to do it. Maybe it was just in the Richmond area, I don't know.
I was young, even dummer than I am now, and it seemed "logical" to me and a lot of other people. You could buy those electro pencils at 7-11 and any other place that sold anything at all. The "fad" died out pretty quickly, but there for a while it was "the thing" to do.
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The Electro-pencil strikes again.
Why carve an identifying number into a firearm that has a serial number? Well, if it's stolen it is likely the bad guy will grind away the serial number, but will never notice the crudely engraved identifier, right?
Why carve an identifying number into a firearm that has a serial number? Well, if it's stolen it is likely the bad guy will grind away the serial number, but will never notice the crudely engraved identifier, right?
I remember assisting my dad with engraving all of his tools. Every socket/ wrench/ etc... had his initials. The nicest 3.5 " model 1950 .357 I have owned had some sort of pencil engraved number under the stock. It did not effect it ability to punch hole accurately, but it definitely dropped the old percentage rate and value a little.
Not only that, but I read/heard somewhere that SS wouldn't even give your name to the police if they had your number. No idea if that was/is true or not.
With the right connections and know-how of pressure points, any information can be obtained from any source...
...Ben
Jack Flash
Member
I would want that one out of my house too!
handejector
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Back in the day, some large PDs even kept electric pencils available for public use at all precinct stations. Just drop in and engrave your stuff. I never did.
Working construction, I did engrave my tools. Kinda hard for a guy to claim it's his saw or hammer when it has your name on it.
In our Dept., when a gun was taken for evidence, the officer would mark the gun with an evidence number most of the time.
When I became the evidence officer, I mandated that no gun would be marked with identifying numbers, as the SN would be sufficient for that. That mandate kept some nice guns from being defaced.
Back in the day, some large PDs even kept electric pencils available for public use at all precinct stations. Just drop in and engrave your stuff. I never did.
Working construction, I did engrave my tools. Kinda hard for a guy to claim it's his saw or hammer when it has your name on it.
My PD in Central Alabama kept am electric pencil at the front desk. When I was hired in '78, we had about 80 sworn officers. When I retired in '01, it had grown to about 125 badge toters.
Eddie Southgate
Member
It wouldn't make me mad if my kin gave me one like that. I'd get the plating stripped , polish the custom engraving off and either have it re nickeled correctly or just blue it . Unfortunately everyone in my herd likes guns.
