Enough to make you cry

[dirty gary]

Found this Model 59 while hiking through some old woods that had burned a few years ago. It was so encrusted in dirt I didn't recognize it as a gun at first. Spent a few hours cleaning it to where I figured out it was a Smith. It has no magazine, no round in chamber, serial number A557XXX. I have a few S&W Autos (4516, 1006, 6906), I'm going to start looking for a 59. What a disheartening sight, I bet it was a beauty when it first fell there.

 

[sqhead]

geeeeeesh,don't get it wet,it could rust !!

 

[Jim H]

Steel rusts, alloy doesn't...

 

[ralph7]

i want to see a post where you get it back in shooting condition.

 

[GerSan69]

Can you say, "murder weapon"?

 

[roadkill45]

send it back to the mother ship, they'll fix it for free. call in S/N to local PD to see if stolen or not.

 

[novalty]

send it back to the mother ship, they'll fix it for free. call in S/N to local PD to see if stolen or not.

Seriously, you think S&W will fix/refinish that for free?

 

[bigshep85]

It is worth a shot

What do you have to lose? Knowing s&w they probably would replace it. BUT you should definately check with the police first cool find regardless

 

[vista461]

I doubt they'll fix a 1st gen for free since it from before the lifetime warranty.

 

[VTHokiesDuckHunter]

Yes, but they might like to have it. If they can clean it up and get it to feed and fire it will make for great PR. (except of course that this would not be possible for a polymer gun, which could highlight that fact)

 

[Redacted]

You could get that rust off easy with some 400 grit wet/dry sand paper. Then I would spray auto-primer on it to keep it from rusting any further. It wouldn't hurt to call S&W customer service either to have them give it look-over before you fire it. You could put a nice set of Hogue grips on there it would look brand new.

 

[sceva]

Engraved by Mother Nature

 

[PA Guns & Ammo]

I would have left the gun there and called the police. If the gun was involved in a crime, your tampering with evidence. By cleaning it off you could have accidentally removed part of the serial number and that is a big no-no.

James

 

[S. Kelly]

That should buff right out.

 

[Knightrider03m]

wow


..........

 

[125JHP]

Soak it in kroil and see if you can loosen up the action any without damaging it. As long as the frame is intact and you (or S&W) can get the slide off it might be salvageable to be rebuilt and they might do it for a reduced cost or even free but I wouldn't count on it, but I would give it a try. What have you got to loose.

If all is hopeless then paint it grey and use it for a coffee table gun or orange and use as training aid.

 

[jdh]

After you get that one going would you get my 39 back into shooting shape?

 

[blujax01]

Please call the police.

Now.

It may be nothing or it may be The Clue needed to close out a serious case.

 

[Catshooter]

All you guys prompting him to call the cops - think a little. Do you 'spose that there's just a whole lot of rifling left in the bore? That the firing pin tip will give up beautiful microscopeic lines, all un-touched by time/water?

You guys watch too much TV.


Cat

 

[Texan7505]

All you guys prompting him to call the cops - think a little. Do you 'spose that there's just a whole lot of rifling left in the bore? That the firing pin tip will give up beautiful microscopeic lines, all un-touched by time/water?

You guys watch too much TV.


Cat

Since the serial number can still be read, reporting the find to the police would, at the very least, determine if the gun was previously reported as stolen.