Cold Blue?

[ARMinSC]

I bought this SMITH & WESSON .38 SPECIAL Mod. 10-8 .01 no reserv : Revolvers at GunBroker.com off GB and looking at the pics it seems the finish needs a little attention. How is Cold Blue? Does it hold up well? Is it a fairly easy process? I think I got it for a really good price and I sort of bought it for a project gun anyway. Should I just send it to Smith for a re-finish?

 

[bountyhunter]

I find cold blue to be pretty weak. It rubs off pretty easily.

 

[chief38]

If you find a cold blue that REALLY works, you will soon be driving a Rolls Royce! In all my years in this hobby, I have yet to find one that holds up if the gun is actually handled, fired and cleaned.

If you're going to cold blue a "safe queen" and not really shoot it, it might be passable, but with regular use it will wear off in short order.

chief38

 

[srgvaz]

I use cold blue for the occasional touch-up, and it does very well on bare metal spots and dings, but unless you have allot of free time (no job) and a shop area I wouldn't attempt a complete cold blue job. If you follow the directions and some of the suggestions found online it will take a long time but it can produce good results. Even then it takes allot of practice to get metal to turn color with desirable results. You can find some videos on u-tube just keep in mind those people have done that a few times and they make it look easy.

 

[dant]

as said above, we too in all of these years have NOT found,seen or used ANY 'cold blue' that holds up, they are ONLY that a temporary 'cold' application to hide.cover a blemish, may protect it for a short period of time and the first time you wipe ANY cleaner on it, it will come off..........
if you want it done "right" then contact a shop who does this type of work, get references, try and see some of their work, ask past customers, whatever it takes...and if ANY doubt or cannot find one, then by all means contact the manufacturer (maker) and get the low down direct from them, after all they built it in the first place and will go over the entire gun in the process, check it out for you.....NOTE ,some OLD or obsolete guns they may NOT have the "parts" or not work on them, they will tell you up front.....good luck, nothing wrong with having something "nice", too many 'charactors' already out there.......

 

[DUNTOV]

I bought this SMITH & WESSON .38 SPECIAL Mod. 10-8 .01 no reserv : Revolvers at GunBroker.com off GB and looking at the pics it seems the finish needs a little attention. How is Cold Blue? Does it hold up well? Is it a fairly easy process? I think I got it for a really good price and I sort of bought it for a project gun anyway. Should I just send it to Smith for a re-finish?

S&W will glass bead & blue for $150

 

[n4zov]

If you apply cold blue to your S&W it will look exactly like somebody applied cold blue. It never matches anything, wears off easily, and looks worse than the bare metal IMHO. If you want a nice looking gun, let somebody (preferably S&W) do the refinish or just leave it alone.

 

[jpage]

If You have kids in the house, get rid of it when You're done. The stuff is incredibly poisonous.

 

[OKFC05]

Ironically, cold blue was used on expensive doubles and looked good.
However, the old factory cold blue process is neither quick nor easy.
The instant cold blue is about like any other "instant" product.

 

[GyMac]

S&W will glass bead & blue for $150

This sounds like great advice, with the rust you have in places. I have two that were refinished that way, they were probably police trade-ins. They look really nice and I've even been complimented on them.
Chris

 

[ARMinSC]

S&W will glass bead & blue for $150

This is what I will do. Thanks everyone.

 

[westcoast362]

Cold blue also leaves a smell that is unmistakable. It will stay on the gun forever.

 

[daa9mm]

Oxphoblue creme from Brownells work's extremely well for touch up. It will darken even existing blue if you leave it on the gun without wiping it off soon after applying it.