Best place to refinish pistols

[EX11B]

I had my house burn down a couple of weeks ago. The guns in the safe are in excellent mechanical shape. Rubber and plastic scope covers are pristine. The wood grips and rifle stocks show no damage. But the bluing my N frames. Pythons and other blued guns have the bluing gone in spots, nickel pistols look white. I know that they will never be original finish guns. What companies can you recommend for a quality refinish?

 

[ACE10000D]

I've had buddies send stuff to Ford's. Work is kind of expensive but top notch from what I've seen.

 

[EX11B]

Best place too refinish pistols

How long ago did they have their guns refinished at Ford's? I had read their quality ha slipped since he died. It looks like my insurance will be covering the costs.

 

[Spurdann]

Sorry to hear about your home. Are there any local gunsmiths in your area that might be able to help you out?

 

[taz666]

Write them off and buy new? Heat had to take its toll of some of the internals.

 

[EX11B]

I took most of my pistols to a local gunsmith to strip down and oil the internals. A couple of friends helped me field strip and oil down the guns that afternoon but my tools to completely strip them down were lost in the fire. The gunsmith is is sending pictures to someone he knows that refinishes guns for an estimate. Most of them will not warrant a high quality refinish. I am looking for options for some that need better finish.

 

[URIT]

Fogel's Gunsmithing in West Mansfield OH would be worth consideration.

 

[EX11B]

Write them off and buy new? Heat had to take its toll of some of the internals.[/QUOTE

I think the ones the safe are are good. The plastic flip up and rubber slip on scope covers look like they just came out of the packaging. None of the wooden grips or rifle stocks are damaged. Money and papers in the safe were undamaged. Based on this I think the guns are mechanistically sound. They are just have ugly finished now.

 

[rct269]

There was a time when Fords was the very best (next to the factory). Then whatever happened, happened---and the quality went straight to hell! Then whatever happened, happened again----and I'm hearing the top quality work resumed. You need to check all this out, and be happy with it before you even think about sending off your guns!

When Fords was the very best next to the factory, it was because they did the prep work by hand. It was expensive---and worth it!! Maybe they're back to that now---maybe. The prep work is what it's ALL about---anybody can do bluing (like "local gunsmiths")! The factory's prep work was done with their famous fitted wheels----hard wheels--one each for every surface on every S&W ever made---in the hands of the same folks who did regular production----and it was merely PERFECT. The last Ford's work I saw was also merely PERFECT----but that was a looooooong time back---so look before you leap!!

That's what was. I don't know what is. Given the tales about the factory's sloppy quality control with regular production, and their very apparent bent to do any and everything at the lowest possible cost, that's the last place I'd think about sending guns for refinish.

"Wiregrassguy" here on the forum has often recommended some outfit, probably in Alabama, for top quality work. You'd do well to check with him.

Ralph Tremaine

I'm going to suggest the best possible procedure for refinishing a blued gun is to strip the old finish---rather than take it off with power tools. Power tools make messes! I'm suggesting because I don't KNOW what I'm talking about for sure and certain-----other than that the very best strip.

The bluing on a gun is THE surface ("black oxide"---rust), not something applied to the surface. The process is known as "controlled corrosion".

Ask whomever you talk to about EXACTLY how they go about doing what they do. If they don't have time to spend responding to your inquiry, drive on down the road.

I'm pretty sure the outfit noted in Post #11 is that "Wiregrassguy" raves about---and if he raves about them, they're GOOD!!

One final word: A bargain refinish will cut the value of your gun by 50%!!!! "It only costs a little more to go first class!"

 

[Dave686]

What companies can you recommend for a quality refinish?

I can’t help you, but I have heard that Fords does the guns for S&W. I don’t know if that’s true or not. I’ve always thought S&W polished blue from back in the day was magnificent.

I know that the defining critical operation is the polishing prior to bluing. I had a guy blue one for me that told me that, and since he knew I was Toolmaker he shot me a low price if I did the polishing and gave him the parts to hot blue. It turned out very nice.

 

[ladder13]

APW

https://apwcogan.com/about/

 

[minconrevo]

Beware the smoke damage from the fire. It may appear innocuous however over time it will wreck electronics and cause finish damage to steel. When we had a piece of Diesel equipment catch fire in a steel maintenance building, things initially didn't look too bad. Simple soap and water won't necessarily stop the damage on steel. The professional remediation company used a product labeled Serum SR which helped significantly.

I fondly remember dealing with Horace Ford years back. He did excellent hard chrome work.

 

[EX11B]

Thanks for the recommendations.

 

[lppd4]

I had Fords strip a chrome plated model 28 and reblue it in its original style and it turned out great. It wasn’t cheap nor was it quick but the work was excellent

 

[shamuscull]

I second apw cogan. Guy can talk your ear off if you speak with him on the phone.