I scored a VERY nice 4" 28-2 today!

[roaddog28]

I would proceed very cautiously with rust removal. You can quickly go from "hardly noticable" to "blotchy looking".

Jack is right on this. I tried to clean light rust from my 28-2, 19-4 and 36 no dash. Most the time it does come out blotchy looking.
Light pentrating oil will remove a lot of surface rust. Whats left I would leave alone.
Regards,
Howard

 

[Muley Gil]

Shoot it. M28s are great shooters.

 

[Black Knight]

That is a fine looking 28-2. I am of the understanding that very few 4 inch 28-2s came with the target grips. I have heard that most of the 4 inch models cam with the magna grips. Yours actually looks better than mine did when I got it new nearly 30 years ago. Mine was ordered with smooth combat trigger, combat hammer, and target grips. It is one of my best shooters. I carried it on duty for 2-3 years until I could get a 4 inch 686. I still have both.

 

[phenson]

I don't think the targets came as original on mine. I finally got around to taking the stocks off and this is what I found on the inside:

Also, the label on the box is all the same ink except where the code is for the stocks:

Beautiful stocks IMO, but I think they were purchased sometime (still in the "70's) after the gun.

 

[phenson]

I just found out today that this revolver shipped July 1970. Talk about a time machine....
Oh, it has been fired about 100 times now with light 38 Spl rounds. What a joy to shoot!

 

[Retired W4]

It's an N frame. I say run some .357 magnums through it. My 28-2 is completely undeterred by magnum loads. They were definitely built for it. Enjoy!

 

[BigRix]

I know its not a Smith but I've had good luck with cleaning up rusty guns. My latest was a Colt 1908 Vest Pocket .25.

I used a mixture of gun oil, pre 1982 copper cent, and 0000 steel wool. Followed by a very LIGHT polish with Flitz. It will remove Bluing.

Be very careful around any Case Hardened surfaces. Don't get Flitz any where near them.

Your gun doesn't look too bad to me. The blue will usually be very thin or missing under the rust.

 

[linde]

. . . the owner there is bringing me some Corrosion X, and we're going to try that before we go any further with trying to get rid of the specks.

Very nice 28-2 and glad to hear you're enjoying it at the range.

I agree with those who recommend soaking the rust spots with Kroil &/or Corrosion-X first. If the rust spots don't wipe off after a soaking, I'd suggest soaking a small piece of burlap rag with Corrosion-X and rubbing the spots lightly . . . before going to the more aggressive 0000 bronze wool. MikePriwer (here on the Forum) taught me that and it works very well on the nicer finish guns like yours.

Russ

 

[Fkimble]

Very good looking 28. I purchased a 4in 28-2 last year, not quite as nice as yours but with new looking service grips. Mine was a 5 digit serial number also.

 

[JGus]

To get rid of the rust go with FrogLube (www.froglube.com). It's completely NON-toxic and won't cause any discoloration to the gun. Treat your guns with it and they become rust resistant, and if a gun does have rust apply a few times and wipe off. It's not cheap, but it works magic.
I have no idea about the chemistry behind it, but it was developed by a former Navy Seal that had rust issues with his weapons. You can go to YouTube and see an independent test between FrogLube and several other leading CLP's. As you can tell I'm a believer. I've been using it as my only CLP for the last year and it's amazing.

 

[JGus]

I know its not a Smith but I've had good luck with cleaning up rusty guns. My latest was a Colt 1908 Vest Pocket .25.

I used a mixture of gun oil, pre 1982 copper cent, and 0000 steel wool. Followed by a very LIGHT polish with Flitz. It will remove Bluing.

Be very careful around any Case Hardened surfaces. Don't get Flitz any where near them.

Your gun doesn't look too bad to me. The blue will usually be very thin or missing under the rust.

Can't help but notice the nice silver collector coins in the pic with the gun, along with the wheat pennies and $2 bill.

 

[Warren Sear]

Guys, I STRONGLY advise against using any abrasives (Flitz), steel wool, or even bronze wool to remove rust or to "clean up" a gun. It will take off blueing. Always. ALWAYS.

Soak it in oil if you have to, and then wipe it down with a soft cloth. Nothing else.

Use a few drops of mineral spirits and a tooth brush to clean up those medallions, not Flitz.

 

[therick]

Soooooooooo jealous.

 

[Snuffy2]

BEAUTIFUL Model 28

I'm late to this party, but that's what I get for fooling around with Colts. That Model 28 has a much nicer finish than any I have seen. Most of the 28s have a brushed blue finish. That one looks like high-polish.

I agree that any aggressive attempt to remove the rust specks will likely do more harm than good. Unless the metal underneath is pitted, the best thing to do is keep the gun brushed with oil and let the specks just wear off. Since they are on the edges of the cylinder, get yourself a good quality leather holster, keep the gun oiled lightly, and carry it every chance you get. The oil will soften the freckles and they will soon wear off.

BTW, find yourself a good quality natural hair bristle shaving brush (still available at fancy shops - expensive but worth it), keep it lightly oiled in a metal box, and brush your gun(s) down often, especially before putting them away. It's an old, old trick, but still the best thing you can do to preserve a blued finish.