Better a shiny polished stainless steel revolver, than a dull bead blasted one. I don't get that at all.
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I hate to see this start happening.
- Thread starter jrandyh
- Start date
Better a shiny polished stainless steel revolver, than a dull bead blasted one. I don't get that at all.
To each his own a gun is a private piece of property. I am surprised at this forum I always viewed as elitist s&w owners/collectors/ purists have no problem altering finishes on older vintage s&w revolvers. I'm not including all members mind you some share my view. But as been recognized a gun is a personal piece of property to with as desired. I'll keep mine as original as possible
Actually I do like shiny guns. Just not altered ones that are diminishing in availibilty. Like I said if it's a shooter go for it. Just don't try to present it as a like new gun after flitzing it. I have another nickel gun that has light scratches. Not going to polish it just shoot it. I can hardly find the last SS gun I want because they have been shined with Flitz or mothers to make them look nicer. I want an original gun. Glad I don't have many more in my must have list and all but one is blue.
JR
JR
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Budds Creek
Member
I've never developed a love of stainless steel guns. I like mine blued. I can see the benefit of some renaissance wax to protect the finish (I live in a high humidity area near the gulf coast). But as for polishing them, does it make them more accurate or shoot better? Just wondering. I'll just keep mine cleaned, oiled and in working order.
Unless it is an ultra rare gun I don't have a problem with people doing their thing with their gun. As I have said before if it wasn't for those who modified guns like the once very common 1917 their wouldn't be much interest in nice original guns. When they were sitting on the shelf of every gun shop for $150 nobody cared. Most of the mods where done to make them fit the use and desires of the owner. Sorry, but, guns are for using not collecting. I do appreciate the collectors and love to see the pristine oldies, but then again I love guns like the highly modified #3 top break that was recently shown on the forum. Collectors value might be destroyed, but I would love to carry and shoot that gun.
I have made a Brazilian into a carbine, replaced the cylinder in a 1955 5 screw target with a reamed and relieved 44 mag cylinder so it shoots longer 45 colts and ACPs, I replaced the barrel and reamed and relieved the cylinder on a 629-1 to make it a dual 45, I made a model 10 into a 357 and milled it for adjustable sights, I round butted a model 18. Made a model 28 into a 41 mag. I have a 1917 I that is my current "project gun". Some of them had issues when I got them, some didn't. I made MY guns into what I wanted them to be and I am a happy camper. As far as value goes that will be the problem of whoever inherits them. If I come across a pristine collectors item gun, I will either sell it of shoot it. Keeping it locked away in a safe except for show and tell isn't going to happen with me.
Each to their own. Enjoy em how ever you want. It was your money and now its your gun.
I have made a Brazilian into a carbine, replaced the cylinder in a 1955 5 screw target with a reamed and relieved 44 mag cylinder so it shoots longer 45 colts and ACPs, I replaced the barrel and reamed and relieved the cylinder on a 629-1 to make it a dual 45, I made a model 10 into a 357 and milled it for adjustable sights, I round butted a model 18. Made a model 28 into a 41 mag. I have a 1917 I that is my current "project gun". Some of them had issues when I got them, some didn't. I made MY guns into what I wanted them to be and I am a happy camper. As far as value goes that will be the problem of whoever inherits them. If I come across a pristine collectors item gun, I will either sell it of shoot it. Keeping it locked away in a safe except for show and tell isn't going to happen with me.
Each to their own. Enjoy em how ever you want. It was your money and now its your gun.
There's a difference in being original but go on the plastic gun sites. Everyone copies the other. They are all color filled or have some part polished. The first thing they ask is how do I color my gun. It's not how do I learn to shoot or clean my gun. Most of them can barely hit a target at 10 feet. One guy had a rusted gun from carrying against his body and asked what's this!
JR
JR
I haven't been on the AR15 site in maybe a year. Just pulled it up. It's amazing the people who would have laughed at a revolver a year ago buying them. All those common 19's and 66's are going to get a lot scarcer and that means more expensive.
JR
JR
r3captain
Member
Although I own my share of "customized" pieces, I'm pretty much a purist as far original finishes go. Maybe some like to treat their firearms like a Harley owner treats his bike. Got to give it that personal touch to differentiate who's is who's
BigBill
Absent Comrade
I have two bonanza gold kits sitting here
oneminute
Member
I like looking at the shiny stainless revolvers but I prefer to carry blued revolvers.
I have only owned three stainless revolvers. One was a 686 with the Midnight Black finish, a 640 and a GP100. I still have the GP100. I don't know why I have kept that revolver almost 20 years now. I guess because its my wife's favorite house gun.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
I have only owned three stainless revolvers. One was a 686 with the Midnight Black finish, a 640 and a GP100. I still have the GP100. I don't know why I have kept that revolver almost 20 years now. I guess because its my wife's favorite house gun.
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Budds Creek
Member
CajunBass:
You are probably right. Lots of guns out there and lots of ideas on how to care for and maintain them. That is what makes it interesting.
You are probably right. Lots of guns out there and lots of ideas on how to care for and maintain them. That is what makes it interesting.
People should watch their own vids...
If they knew how much they 'ummmed' and repeated themselves and keep saying "I'll get to that in a minute" and the info from a 12 minute video could be easily done in 5. I think they figure that the more they talk the more they know.
If they knew how much they 'ummmed' and repeated themselves and keep saying "I'll get to that in a minute" and the info from a 12 minute video could be easily done in 5. I think they figure that the more they talk the more they know.
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One man's "customized" is another man's "Bubba'd".
I am also old school, but what somebody does with THEIR stuff is THEIR business. The whole argument of "is it a safe queen or shooter" is garbage; it's whatever the buyer/owner wants it to be regardless if it makes me or others cringe. If it harms resale, then it's on the the buyer and seller to decide at the time of sale. I don't even care to have the roll marks on my Glock colored, but it's MY Glock to do with as I please.
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L Pete hit the nail on the head with waxing. In SD we'd be in and out of buildings and vehicles with extreme changes in temperatures and when a revolver cold soaked from -10 hits room temperature air it picks up a serious amount of moisture.
Here in NC, the challenge is high humidity and sweat that leaves firearms just as vulnerable. A layer of wax really helps in both cases.
Both acetone and mineral spirits will do a good job of removing the wax.
In the 1980s when really nice condition M1 Carbines, M1 Garands and 1903 Springfields were comparatively common, I encountered the same collector bias on a regular basis.
One of the ironies was that you'd find M1s and Garands to some extent, but 1903s in particular that often had highly polished stocks - to the point the cartouches were filled or even removed. These were almost always universally scorned as being refinished and no reflective of the original firearm in service condition.
The problem with that view was that per many of the pre-WWII service vets I met at the time, it was not uncommon for troops issued a 1903 to hand rub it with a coat of boiled linseed oil on a regular basis to the point that the stock shined and took on a very nice hand rubbed finish. At the time (pre-WWII) it was a matter of pride, and perhaps what may be a relatively common universal desire to make the firearm you were issued look nice. To those guys, those less desirable "refinished" 1903s reflected the relationship that existed between an infantryman and his rifle and the pride that was present in those units. They valued them much more highly than an M1903 in as issued condition.
Obviously troops had better things to do with their time during WWII. The practice also faded out in the years after WWII, in large part because weapons started being locked in arms rooms rather than racked in the barracks, but for a time it was common practice and arms in that condition reflected service practices of the time and in a much more pleasing way than, for example, the right side of a Garand stock chewed up by an infantryman in combat smacking the en bloc clip point first into the side of the stock to ensure all the rounds are fully seated.
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The amazing thing is that 35 years later, with demand for M1 Carbines, M1 Garands and M1903s higher than it ever has been, even those chewed up, Korean war vet, badly arsenal rebuilt rifles and carbines sell for a lot more than even the nicest examples did in the 1980s, even when you correct for inflation.
So I would not worry about a little polish or a little wax on a S&W. In the end, it will probably fare much bene in the market than those that have been road hard and put up wet.
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