I'm not a fan of refinishing vintage firearms, especially when the prices of those with the original finish are on the rise. It is your firearm, so do as you wish. If you are set on refinishing in a corrosion resistant finish, hard chrome is expensive, but the best choice.
I am considering a Hard Chrome finish for my Highway Patrolman
- Thread starter Bloodhound
- Start date
45NUTT
Member
Your toy, your choice. APW would charge $340 to hard chrome it. $275 to re-blue it. Doesn't seem too expensive to make your revolver look the way you want it.
While the price of 28's is on the rise, it's the collectable niche that is rising the most. Yours is used but taken care of. Again, make it what you want. There is nothing wrong with (and I don't care for this often derogatory term) shooter grade firearms. Hell, they were all made to be shot.
While the price of 28's is on the rise, it's the collectable niche that is rising the most. Yours is used but taken care of. Again, make it what you want. There is nothing wrong with (and I don't care for this often derogatory term) shooter grade firearms. Hell, they were all made to be shot.
SGT ROCK 11B
Member
I bought a used Python that was hard chromed, and it was my service revolver until the 686 came out.
Your 28 looks good. My 14 and 15 service revolvers are 60 years old and I would think they look like "Safe Queens" instead of a fighting revolver.
Mahovsky is half the price of most of the others, with equal quality by many reports. He is some 84yo or something like that, so how much longer is he going to work his skill?
I am of the “your gun - your choice” crowd and I favor working guns. I saw this model 29-3 last year and snapped it up. It had been magnaported and hard chromed. The gunsmith who had it knew the original owner and said he believed it had been done by Mahovsky. I thought perhaps it might have been done by MagnaPort while it was there but they don’t keep records by serial number. I think it looks great. I had a PPK done by Armaloy back in the early 80s. I passed it on to my buddy’s daughter when she graduated from the Police Academy. But my buddy decided to carry it and somehow rusted it.
My 28 is still the original blue.
Firearm Plating -Mahovsky's Metalife
My 28 is still the original blue.
Firearm Plating -Mahovsky's Metalife
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I think your 28 is a fine example of honest wear and working gun. As such I wouldn't do a thing to it other than clean, shoot and enjoy;-)
Do it. It's your revolver.
I wanted to create a SHTF revolver. I had my gunsmith hard chrome my 28 and add night sights. I inherited mine. It's a no dash made in 1955. My uncle was an IL state trooper. I think he would approve. It's a tool. Just like anything else.
Do not hard chrome the hammer or trigger. You'll lose that smooth action.
I've not shot other 28s, but the trigger on mine is amazing.
I'm hoping I don't receive any hate, but if I do - that's ok. My uncle always stressed the importance of making your tools work for you. He was a furniture maker after retirement. I've been a woodworker for 25 years. Adapting tools to make them more efficient in use is a smart thing to do.
I have a couple hand saws made in the late 1870s. They're not pretty, but they work. I've filed the handles so they fit my hands better. I view this as the same thing I did to my 28.
I wanted to create a SHTF revolver. I had my gunsmith hard chrome my 28 and add night sights. I inherited mine. It's a no dash made in 1955. My uncle was an IL state trooper. I think he would approve. It's a tool. Just like anything else.
Do not hard chrome the hammer or trigger. You'll lose that smooth action.
I've not shot other 28s, but the trigger on mine is amazing.
I'm hoping I don't receive any hate, but if I do - that's ok. My uncle always stressed the importance of making your tools work for you. He was a furniture maker after retirement. I've been a woodworker for 25 years. Adapting tools to make them more efficient in use is a smart thing to do.
I have a couple hand saws made in the late 1870s. They're not pretty, but they work. I've filed the handles so they fit my hands better. I view this as the same thing I did to my 28.
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OP
Bloodhound
Member
I thank you all for your input. I am still thinking about it...and will likely think some more on it in the upcoming months. I spent a bunch of my "play money" on a rifle project, so am forced to hold off on 2 pistol projects.
So in the meantime, I'll shoot it and enjoy it as is. Thanks again
So in the meantime, I'll shoot it and enjoy it as is. Thanks again
The main rule I have learned on this forum is ALL S&W firearms REGARDLESS of their condition are “collectible”’and should not be modified in any way.
My rule is I own firearms for my personal enjoyment which means I have shooters and some that are infrequently or unfired.
In regards to the Model 28 I carried one for a while and had issues with rust on the backstrap. As it was a Department issue gun the only thing I could do to clean it frequently. It was common back then for leo’s to have their personal 28’s hard chromed or electroless nickel finish.
I have a 4” barrel factory nickel Model 27. If I was to acquire a Model 28 I would (will) not hesitate to have it either hard chromed or electroless nickel. It will make a excellent choice for carrying outdoors.
Wyatt Burp
Member
I’m not into stainless but in 1999 I bought a 4” stainless Colt Python in a pawn shop for $475. I ignored it for a year and a half then bought it. I’m surprised no one else grabbed it. But later I discovered it was actually electroless nickel which makes sense since it’s a 1980 gun and stainless came out in ‘82. So E-nickel was an option for about two years. At Colt Forum we have a theory that a Texas company called Nitex run by an Ed House did the finish for Colt. I still have that Python.
To the OP’s Model 28. If you do plate it I’d leave the trigger and hammer case colored.
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StrawHat
Member
The round butt grip and grips panels are a nice touch. Why is the cylinder a brighter blue than the rest of the gun?
oink
Member
Get it plated if you want. Just make sure it's done right. Peeling plating looks real bad. I see nothing wrong with getting it plated if you're ok with the expense. I'm sure it'll look great and be protected. I shot a borrowed 28 in academy until I got my 66. It was parkerized which didn't look great but was functional.
StrawHat
Member
Because, what you can not see in that image is the original barrel has been bored and rifled to accept a 4f caliber bullet and I fit a new Model 1955 ACP cylinder to the frame, making a blued version of the Mountain Gun but back in the 80s!
Kevin
Go 4 it
Originality is only important to the next owner. Did you buy it for the next owner? I buy my firearms for my use and enjoyment. If the next guy doesn't like it, he can just keep looking.
A wise man once asked me, "Is that the only one they made?"
Originality is only important to the next owner. Did you buy it for the next owner? I buy my firearms for my use and enjoyment. If the next guy doesn't like it, he can just keep looking.
A wise man once asked me, "Is that the only one they made?"
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If you chrome it - make sure you bring your polarized sunglasses with you to the range - HA HA - lol. It will have quite a glare outdoors.
If I still owned a M28 Highway Patrolman and had to refinish it, I would do a high gloss traditional bluing job such as a M27 has. That's just my personal preference. Good luck in whatever you decide and please let us know how it turns out.
If I still owned a M28 Highway Patrolman and had to refinish it, I would do a high gloss traditional bluing job such as a M27 has. That's just my personal preference. Good luck in whatever you decide and please let us know how it turns out.
smoothshooter
Member
Chrome is going to glare like crazy in the sunlight and can make the sights hard to see.
Also, unless it’s just to be used as a range toy, and you plan on carrying it out in public, a flashy gun might draw too much unwanted attention.
I personally would be embarrassed to be seen carrying a chromed gun out and about.
smoothshooter
Member
Chrome is going to glare like crazy in the sunlight and can make the sights hard to see.
Also, unless it’s just to be used as a range toy, and you plan on carrying it out in public, a flashy gun might draw too much unwanted attention.
I personally would be embarrassed to be seen carrying a chromed gun out and about. But that’s just me. You do you.
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