finish on pre-18

[1mathom1]

Was the finish on pre-18 k22s different than pre-17s? Not too long ago I got a BASKET CASE 1955 vintage pre-18 for a song. So bad that any collector value is long gone so I am thinking of refinishing it and would like to get as close as possible to the original. I have seen conversations that lead me to believe the finish was not as rich as the pre-17 since it more closely mimics the .38/.357 duty revolvers.

 

[DWalt]

Postwar finishes are all the same. The difference in appearance has to do with the degree of pre-bluing polish. A mirror polish makes for a very deep and rich blue. But it's also much more time consuming and expensive. A lesser degree of polish is cheaper but produces a duller finish. The actual bluing process is the easy part.

Most will agree that re-bluing is generally not a good idea, as it destroys collector value and you will probably never get back what you paid for a professional high-polish re-blue. But it's your gun and your money.

My philosophy is that if you want a gun that looks like new, sell the old gun and buy a new one.

 

[Engine49guy]

Pre 17 and pre 18 are vague terms in this case because Pre 17 and Pre 18's continued into the 4 screw variation until 1957 when model marking began.

Post war tapered barrel 5 screw 6" and 4" K22's had a matte finish but it starts to change around 1955 IIRC when more and more they appear in bright blue (Polished).

So it really depends on your guns DOB and even then there was an overlap of guns shipping with both finishes.

There was a change in the blueing process in 70's during the 19-4 run so 19-3's have the older dark polished blue and 19-5's all have a lighter duller blue.

 

[arjay]

My '52 pre 18 is more of a satin finish compared to my '58 K-38 and pre 29

 

[Engine49guy]

Perfect example above, 1952 satin, 1958 high polish .

I have "Pre" Model 17 and 18's made before 1955 in satin and "Pre" Model 17 and 18's made in 1955 56,57 in Bright blue so it depends on your "Pre 17 and Pre 18" DOB , even then there was overlap of both finishes being shipped ,
Also the bright blue was a special order option before it became the standard finish so some early guns have bright blue finish and are original.

 

[Hondo44]

Sounds like you have an easy decision. But please recognize, even in its present condition you can still hurt the originality. When you say 1955 (I presume a 5 Screw) vintage which indicates you can go with either the satin or bright blue.

The satin may be the harder of the two to replicate properly so you might as well go for the bright blue. Smith will refinish it and you'll get a quality re-finish but you'll get the current blue which is different from the 1950's bright blue. So someone like Ford's who can replicate that period's polishing technique and blue would be a must.

Just any local blue job, believe or not, can still drag down the gun's originality and appearance. So please beware, most re-blue jobs may shine and 'look' nice, but improper surface preparation can do irreversible damage to original contours, rollmarks, edges, etc., etc.

Personally I'd rather have a basket case then an improperly done re-blue. You really don't want a re-finish, but rather a finish restoration. Because you got the gun cheap is not s justification for a cheap re-blue. It's a better justification to pay a little more and have it done correctly which you are obviously concerned about or you wouldn't have asked which finish would be correct for the period of the gun.

Hope that helps,

 

[1mathom1]

Thanks for the info and opinions.
This one is a 1955 vintage revolver and the poor old thing looks like someone tossed it under their Jeep seat. There are a few rust pits and lots of scratches that look like it slid around in sand. Grip on one side has had the checkering completely ground off and the other is not much better. Luckily the pits and scratches are not too close to the markings. It also appears that someone in it's history started a restoration and then quit.
I contacted Smith and they won't have anything to do with it so I am still weighing my options.

 

[Retired W4]

Side By Side K-22's

Here are the two finishes on the post war K-22's. Hopefully they come out well enough the see the difference. Arjay's examples came out good.