How to tell if a gun has been altered?

[Berserker]

I was going to open up my L frame 696, 44spcl, last night, out of curosity and lube it. I saw one of the side plate screws was rounded a little.

I have fired this gun enough not to be concerned about reliability. Nice trigger, but I dunno if it is special.

How can you tell if the main spring is not stock? The hammer spring you can count coils??

I do have hollow ground screw drivers, so hopefully I don't round any screws. Where do you order replacements, if I were to need them? Midway?

Jerry K's book is on my wishlist at Amazon, soon as finish Sixguns.
Thanks.

 

[MichiganScott]

All the buggered screw means is someone let a screwdriver slip. It could even have been done during factory assembly. Midway sells replacements.

 

[sourdough44]

One small mark one one screw may not be a big deal. I bought a gun a few years back, long distance, used. Right away I noticed all the receiver screws were moderately buggered up. That alone wouldn't be that big of a deal, but in this case the gun itself had SERIOUS issues.

The honesty of the seller factors in too.

 

[les45]

For new screws, check with John Lebac on this forum. His forum name is "judge". Good prices and fast shipping.

 

[chief38]

Berserker

First off the best way to tell is a gun has been altered is just experience over the years. not trying to be cute here, but there are aftermarket springs that have the same number of coils as the Factory Springs, and some even go as far as to grind flat the last coil on each side to look Factory. The only real way to know you have a Factory spring in a gun is to replace it with one that you know really is.

The springs in a S&W Revolver are not all that expensive and it certainly won't set you back too much.

Screws are also easily replaced and inexpensive and the best screwdriver bits & handle are available from Brownells. Their "Law Enforcement" style handle seems to be about the best of the bunch IMHO.

After a while in the hobby most experienced and mechanically inclined collectors can usually look and handle a gun and tell if it's been monkeyed with. Unfortunately, LOTS of people who are really unqualified, do open up their revolvers in an effort to "improve" things and usually wind up doing more harm than good.

I am NOT trying to discourage you or anybody else from learning and doing........ just do the research, reading, and asking BEFORE you have at a fine revolver. If you want to learn I would suggest that you do so on a model that parts, screws, triggers, hammers and springs are widely available because any good Gunsmith will certainly make (and learn from those mistakes) mistakes along the way. A smart man learns from his previous mistakes, the rest repeat them.

Chief38

 

[Berserker]

I am not worried about the gun. Just curious why the side plate was off. Most people don't ever take it off. Curious if a trigger job has been done. Though it doesn't feel like anything special to me, but I am not pro.

I have had the gun for over 10 years, I am not concerned, but curious in general.

 

[gm272gs]

The first thing I do when I buy a used revolver is take the side plate off and completely degrease, clean, and lubricate it. Many people don't know how to do this properly (or don't want to take it to a gunsmith to have it done), and consequently revolvers almost never get thoroughly cleaned. I also wait until a spring goes bad, and then replace all of them at the same time. If the springs are working however, I leave them be.

 

[Berserker]

I read here today, where someone wrote a stock K frame has so many rings. So I was just wondering if there was a way to tell by looking at it if it was the original set up.

 

[WR Moore]

The sideplate screw closest to the trigger has to be removed to allow the yoke/cylinder to come off. Really picky folks do this periodically during really thorough cleaning.

 

[chrisf8657]

If it is a modern S&W the rebound spring will have a blue coating on it if it's factory.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[Berserker]

The first thing I do when I buy a used revolver is take the side plate off and completely degrease, clean, and lubricate it. Many people don't know how to do this properly (.

When I bought my new J frame recently I opened it up to look for shavings, and mostly just curious.

The guns I have owned I bought in the past I have not. I want to go further with my care.

Like I said, I am just curious if I can thell by looking. I bought a 1956 K frame, which seems to have a nice trigger. Is it custom, or were those just nice guns, or wear over time?

 

[Berserker]

For a long time all I did was put light coat of oil on my guns. I am now seeing the value of heavy oil for lube.

I have a 1975 Remington 700, that the safety is so loud, I was thinking of buying another gun. I lubed the trigger, and it made a big difference.

 

[WR Moore]

Ya gotta watch that heavy oil in really low temperatures. Shouldn't be an issue with a safety, but you don't want a hammer to fall in slow motion.

 

[Berserker]

I have been doing lots of shooting in the teens. But not with fresh oil, except for my Glock.

Have to find out.