Does S&W still refinish blue guns?
Factory Re-Blue?
- Thread starter Retired W4
- Start date
OP
OK, so I guess they still do. Thanks.
If you send your gun for refinishing, be prepared for a long wait. I spoke with them recently about having a slide refinished and I was told that it would take 8 to 10 months as they just reopened their charge work area.
ezrider9
Member
About 5 years ago I sent my 19-3 in for some work and the gun needed to be reblued. It came back a nice gloss black. I asked for blueing. I was told too many nasty chemicals used in the old process.
WCCPHD
Member
I bought the gun shown here about ten years ago. It was a former law enforcement gun that had lots of holster wear. There were no other blemishes and it locked up like a bank vault. The poster child for carried much and fired little. I got a good deal on it so I bought it and sent it to S&W for a refinish. They only stripped it and reblued it. No polishing was required.
This is an example of S&W's new "bluing" process.
This is an example of S&W's new "bluing" process.
stansdds
Member
S&W changed their blueing system to an EPA friendly system around year 2000. This current blue is very black and S&W warns owners to avoid solvents containing ammonia or ammoniated compounds as these can give this new black oxide finish a plum color.
I have heard good things about Ford's refinishing abilities.
rct269
Member
The not so good things about Fords is the preparation work. There was a time when it was done by hand. The result was an exquisite finish. Hand preparation was a featured item on their web site.
That was then. This is now. As near as I can tell, hand prep is no longer even mentioned on their web site. I choose to interpret that to mean they no longer do hand prep. Accordingly the decidedly substandard work I've seen and heard about lately is no surprise.
Ralph Tremaine
That was then. This is now. As near as I can tell, hand prep is no longer even mentioned on their web site. I choose to interpret that to mean they no longer do hand prep. Accordingly the decidedly substandard work I've seen and heard about lately is no surprise.
Ralph Tremaine
Laketime
Member
I've not seen one example yet that can beat a Ford's refinish. Their nickel plating they do for Desert Eagle is the best I ever owned. I know they had trouble a few years back with a new polisher they added to speed up the work load. Now he's gone and they just tell you 6 months to 10 months wait time.
I recently spoke with S&W. They are now doing refinishing but the wait is extraordinarily long, 8 to 10 months.
I sent my wife’s dads Chief back to S&W about 9 years ago. It was one of his off duty guns. She was about to get her pistol license, It was well worn, so back to the factory where it was born, for a re-blue. They did a fantastic job. She hadn’t a clue, she thought it was in the safe and was super surprised to have it.
rct269
Member
Aside from a hand prep source, it is extremely unlikely you will find anybody anywhere that will match, much less surpass a factory refinish. I don't know how many I've seen over the years, but I've yet to see one I could say was a refinish without peeking.
I take that back! 25-30 years ago I stumbled upon a Registered Magnum with a matte finish-----and I'm not talking about the Satin Blue; I'm talking about a heavily sand blasted surface the prevailing wisdom said had been done to cope with/camouflage heavy pitting. If nothing else, it made sense. What didn't make sense, and very likely remains a mystery to this day, is how does the exterior of a gun get so bad while the interior (bore/chambers) stays absolutely pristine-------and makes it worthwhile to salvage which most certainly looked like a fugitive from a junk yard!!
Ralph Tremaine
I take that back! 25-30 years ago I stumbled upon a Registered Magnum with a matte finish-----and I'm not talking about the Satin Blue; I'm talking about a heavily sand blasted surface the prevailing wisdom said had been done to cope with/camouflage heavy pitting. If nothing else, it made sense. What didn't make sense, and very likely remains a mystery to this day, is how does the exterior of a gun get so bad while the interior (bore/chambers) stays absolutely pristine-------and makes it worthwhile to salvage which most certainly looked like a fugitive from a junk yard!!
Ralph Tremaine
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Thank you for the updated info -- I'll amend my earlier post.
If the refinish work is first quality I can stand that kind of wait, but I'm skeptical of S&W chops these days and there are several refinishers out there who can do the job as good and better.
stansdds
Member
I have a Model 19-3 that I bought cheap. It's exterior was scarred by scratches, dings, rust, and the backstrap so rust pitted that it almost looks like it had been stippled. The bore, chambers and internal parts were just fine and it shoots great. How did this happen? Likely it is a former law enforcement duty weapon. It likely spent lots of time in a holster, not much maintenance, and an officer's sweaty forearm resting on the backstrap of the holstered revolver. Seen it plenty of times back in the day's of revolvers.
murf205
Member
I just talked to one of the S&W honcho's and asked if the custom shop might still use the Carbona Blue but he told me that they do NOT still use that method at all. No wonder older guns are so expensive-they're worth it!
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Inland7-45
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I had 4 S&Ws factory refinished . The last time was in the early 80's. The work was great and indistinguishable from the original blue. One gun was a change from blue to nickel and the polish and plating was perfect.
I have looked enough Classic series guns to see that the new process does not match the color of the old process. I still have several blue steel J and K frame guns from the late 60's to mid 70's that have been carried a lot and show the usual holster wear. Given the choice between having 80 - 90% of an original 50 year old finish and a new black oxide I would prefer to keep the worn originals and enjoy shooting them.
I have looked enough Classic series guns to see that the new process does not match the color of the old process. I still have several blue steel J and K frame guns from the late 60's to mid 70's that have been carried a lot and show the usual holster wear. Given the choice between having 80 - 90% of an original 50 year old finish and a new black oxide I would prefer to keep the worn originals and enjoy shooting them.
rct269
Member
The defining characteristic of a factory finish or refinish is the preparation---never mind carbona, hot tank, or cold blue. I should say WAS the preparation, because I have no idea what the preparation is today. If the folks have a brain in their head, it's the same------no matter the cost to maintain it.
What it was was polishing with formed, leather wheels---seems like I recall reading it was Walrus hide. Whatever it was made out of, it was hundreds, if not thousands of wheels, each one formed to match a specific surface of a specific model of S&W. Think about that for a moment, and it translates to NO MARGIN FOR ERROR.
All this was described and pictured in an exhaustive photo essay (60 photos) in a Gun Digest of yesteryear (1954) titled Raw Steel to Smith &Wesson-The Story of Revolver Making-----in 11 pages.
Ralph Tremaine
What it was was polishing with formed, leather wheels---seems like I recall reading it was Walrus hide. Whatever it was made out of, it was hundreds, if not thousands of wheels, each one formed to match a specific surface of a specific model of S&W. Think about that for a moment, and it translates to NO MARGIN FOR ERROR.
All this was described and pictured in an exhaustive photo essay (60 photos) in a Gun Digest of yesteryear (1954) titled Raw Steel to Smith &Wesson-The Story of Revolver Making-----in 11 pages.
Ralph Tremaine
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Are guns sent back to S&W actually refinished in-house or farmed out to 3rd party shops? I seem to recall some shop in the northeast a few years ago that claimed they handled refinishing for S&W.
On the subject of prep, what I have never really understood is why quality "prep" that is apparently cost effective on the assembly line suddenly becomes an expensive, manual process when the gun is refinished. I understand cases where things like heavy pitting or recutting rollmarks requires special attention and skills, but what about the current factory process makes sharp edges and invisible side plate seams cost effective for new revolvers (I'm talking about the current production classics series, for example, not master polishers w/ walrus hide or other unobtainium tooling of the old days) but difficult and/or cost prohibitive for a 3rd party like Ford's to replicate?
On the subject of prep, what I have never really understood is why quality "prep" that is apparently cost effective on the assembly line suddenly becomes an expensive, manual process when the gun is refinished. I understand cases where things like heavy pitting or recutting rollmarks requires special attention and skills, but what about the current factory process makes sharp edges and invisible side plate seams cost effective for new revolvers (I'm talking about the current production classics series, for example, not master polishers w/ walrus hide or other unobtainium tooling of the old days) but difficult and/or cost prohibitive for a 3rd party like Ford's to replicate?
mauser9
Member
Interesting. Is this new process similar to the "tool Black oxide" that Ruger is using on some of their guns these days? My Ruger American rimfire has this bluing/blacking finish but it does retain a very satin glossy look.
rct269
Member
I've never heard anything about sending refinishing work out, but I have to wonder-------if I had a complete finishing department---fully equipped and fully staffed with expert craftsmen------I have to wonder why I'd be sending stuff out. Is that what they call a recipe for disaster?
I guess the easiest way to find out is to look at a factory refinished gun------does it look any different than a new one?
Ralph Tremaine
I guess the easiest way to find out is to look at a factory refinished gun------does it look any different than a new one?
Ralph Tremaine
Laketime
Member
You never know the last one of their master polishers retired in the early 80's ,and the wood shop closed around 1990.
just plain joe
Member
Last June I sent my 13-2 in for a re-blue and installation of a red ramp. They originally told me about eight months and that's what it took to complete the work.
That being said, I am very pleased with the quality of the work. There was some pitting on the backstrap from the prior owner. You would never know that that had been the case.
Smith & Wesson is slow but, speaking for myself, the quality of their work is superb.
Good luck!
JPJ
That being said, I am very pleased with the quality of the work. There was some pitting on the backstrap from the prior owner. You would never know that that had been the case.
Smith & Wesson is slow but, speaking for myself, the quality of their work is superb.
Good luck!
JPJ
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