Model 19-3 Different Colored Parts?

[midnighthammer]

I'm a newbie to revolvers, so I'm weak in knowledge here. That's why I just joined the forum.

I recently purchased a 29-2, 28-2, and 19-3. The 19-3 that I just picked up has a nice looking blued finish but a very shiny hammer and trigger, and also area on the top of the grips that is shiny. It looks like nickel finish
The 28 is blued and the hammer looks like natural steel with a purplish hue to it. I'm guessing this is 'case hardening'?

My question is, why does my 19 have nickel looking parts on it? Is this how it likely came from the factory or has someone mixed and matched? Look closely at the picture, above the horrendous non-wood grips.

 

[austintexas]

If the hammer and trigger are not nickle or stainless they probably had the case hardening polished off sometime in its life. If they are nickle then they were changed out, Blued revolvers came with case hardened hammers and triggers.
SWCA 892

 

[Doc44]

I think a former owner polished the case hardening off the hammer and trigger. Not that uncommon.

Bill

 

[ISCS Yoda]

The 19-3 that I just picked up has a nice looking blued finish but a very shiny hammer and trigger,

If they are both really shiny I agree, someone polished off the color.

and also area on the top of the grips that is shiny. It looks like nickel finish

I don't quite understand that.

The 28 is blued and the hammer looks like natural steel with a purplish hue to it. I'm guessing this is 'case hardening'?

Sure sounds like it.

 

[midnighthammer]

If they are both really shiny I agree, someone polished off the color.



I don't quite understand that.



Sure sounds like it.

I was trying to say that it's a shiny color on the frame that goes down under the grips. I will take the grips off tonight to take a better picture.

 

[midnighthammer]

Thanks for the replies. Why would someone want to polish off the case hardening? For looks? Would this affect the strength of the parts?

 

[Pizza Bob]

Agree about the trigger and hammer, but the patch of nickel (if that's what it is) on the horn of the grip frame is puzzling.

Wondering if this is, indeed, a nickel revolver that has been finished/coated with something that makes it look blued. Look on the rear of the cylinder for an "N" stamp - also on the grip frame when you take off the grips. If N's are present, this started life as a nickel gun and the blue was somehow added. The trigger and hammer still would have been case-hardened on a nickel gun, so as the others have said: polished off.

Post a pic with the grips off and let us know if you find the N's.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[midnighthammer]

Don't see any n marks

 

[cgt4570]

Don't see any n marks

Why does it look like the grip frame has been dipped in Nickel???

 

[texmex]

Someone did a custom two tone finish. Back when law enforcement carried revolvers, I knew more than one deputy whose sweat was so salty that it would corrode the back strap from his forearm touching it all the time. They may have had some areas of the revolver nickle plated, but they either did not want the whole thing or they wanted it to look different than factory. I remember several that had the hammer, trigger and cylinder release gold plated just for looks. Yours is unusual, but kind of cool. 99% sure it is not factory, but never say never with S&W.

 

[midnighthammer]

I think the mystery has been solved. When you run your thumb over the back area you can tell the nickel is higher than the blue. The handle was dipped. No N marks.

 

[GerSan69]

I've never seen that before. Maybe the trigger and hammer were also "dipped"?
I polished a trigger and hammer or two back in the 70s-80s. After grinding off the grooves on a trigger, it made sense at the time to just polish the whole thing. Then, of course, I had to "even it out" by doing the hammer, too.
I never realized it at the time, but that sure sounds like an awfully OCD thing to do....

 

[midnighthammer]

I don't like "bubba'd" stuff. I wanted a close to original 19-3, but I guess I will keep this one. The price was right. Ordered some factory wood target grips with the speedloader cutout. Might as well show off the nickel backstrap and horn I guess. The rubber grip covers the frame and most of the horn. I'm guessing a different owner added this as it seems to contradict the custom work by hiding it.

 

[stansdds]

That's certainly different! My old 19-3 has so much pitting on its backstrap that it looks like it was stippled, so I can see a department wanting blued revolvers, but adding nickel plating to the grip area to inhibit corrosion, but that's the first time I've actually seen such a thing.

 

[midnighthammer]

That's certainly different! My old 19-3 has so much pitting on its backstrap that it looks like it was stippled, so I can see a department wanting blued revolvers, but adding nickel plating to the grip area to inhibit corrosion, but that's the first time I've actually seen such a thing.

Some people pay for custom stippling like that!

 

[midnighthammer]

Factory target grips arrived and installed. Now I've got nice calico colors going on. Maybe the shiny horn won't blind me with glare.

 

[WILDPIG]

I say go with the salty cop gun and stick to it...

WILDPIG

 

[gwpercle]

I think It's Cool... I Like It !

The sweat from my hands is very corrosive to blued handgun , touching the trigger , hammer and backstrap causes rust if I don't constantly wipe those areas . If I were LEO , this is exactly what I would want done to my blued revolver. I can appreciate why this was done .
My first stainless steel revolver was a model 64 in 38 Special . .... Oh how I came to love stainless steel ...it was not nearly as reactive to my touch as a old school blue finish was .
I was first in line to buy an all stainless steel 1911 when AMT brought them out...my hands were the acid touch to the Colt 1911 and Gold Cup that I owned . I still have the AMT !
I can definitely see the why of this modification !
Gary

 

[Igiveup]

I think I could get used to the nickel on this one. I bought an M28 last month at the Reno gunshow that had a polished and jeweled trigger and hammer. After looking at it for a half hour, I resold it. Just not my cup of tea.

 

[Burley]

"Salty cop gun",. Awesome.