Model 29 Bluing

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nooch450

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Hey guys,

I've got a Model 29-10 that has been in my dehumidified safe for 99% of it's life. Never carried and only fired maybe two boxes of ammo.

I pulled it out recently to show someone and I noticed there was some dull spots on it. (First two pics) I did some reading and people recommended using Renaissance wax as polish to shine it up. I tried it out and it did help a tiny bit (last pic) however it's still not as nice as I think it should be.

I don't remember this ever being this way before I put it away last. Either that or I didn't notice...

Any recommendations as to how to get it to shine up or be consistent?

You can clearly see the difference where the SMITH vs WESSON are stamped into the barrel.

Thanks in advance.

Loving this forum so far.
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Yes I tried that before I tried the wax. I'll try it again to see if it helps. Won't hurt.

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llowry61 said:
Was the gun ever waxed? Just spit-balling, but looks like some type of residue.
Click to expand...
The only waxing ever done was the Renaissance wax that I tried to clean up the dull spots with...

The gun was purchased new by me and by reviewing pictures of the gun that I have from when i first got it I can tell it always had some slightly dull spots in those areas however I think they got worst as time went on for some reason.

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From the pics it looks like someone (?) tried to remove the bluing on the gun. I bet it would look great if it were the shade under the "Wesson" all over.
That Ballistol spray really does protect the wood, leather, & metal of guns and firearms from rust, etc., when it's time to lay them down for a winter time sleep. Spray it on an old cotton tee-shirt rag and wipe it down. Its primary ingredient is mineral oil, so it won't hurt anything.
 
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I would call Smith &Wesson and tell them what is going on with the finish. They will probably refinish the gun nicely on their dime.
 
oil rub

on guns worst than yours; i a copper pad and scrub.
 
Yes I bought this gun new.

I am going to try a bit of FLITZ under the grips to see what happens with the bluing. If it has any negative effects I will stop and contact Smith and Wesson about it.

FLITZ claims that it's safe to use on factory bluing.

The guy in the YouTube video had success with it and I've also read success stories on forums with it.

I've also read people saying not to use it and that it'll ruin the bluing however I can't find any examples of that happening so I think it could be a silly rumor....

There's only one way to find out...

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I have used Flitz on over 100 Smiths and Colts and have NEVER removed any bluing down to bare metal! If anything the rag turns brown removing left over bluing salts from the original process. BUT... apply with a very soft rag and light finger pressure only. Polish the same way with a very soft, clean rag like a micro-fiber.
It has also been my experience with any Smiths made after 1990 that the bluing will not polish out to a bright finish.
Just my 2 cents worth;
Mike
 
mmande said:
I have used Flitz on over 100 Smiths and Colts and have NEVER removed any bluing down to bare metal! If anything the rag turns brown removing left over bluing salts from the original process. BUT... apply with a very soft rag and light finger pressure only. Polish the same way with a very soft, clean rag like a micro-fiber.

It has also been my experience with any Smiths made after 1990 that the bluing will not polish out to a bright finish.

Just my 2 cents worth;

Mike
Click to expand...
Mike,

Have you tried the FLITZ on the newer production blued Smiths like the one I have here with good results?

Do you think that milky haze you see in my pictures will be helped? I'd like to get the gun to look consistent at a minimum if possible...

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Richard Simmons said:
Not sure what to do about the bluing but if you're storing it in the case you should stop!
Click to expand...
It has been in the case, and the case has been in the dehumidified safe.

What should they be a problem?

I will keep it out of the case if needed.

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After you fired the two boxes of ammo, you didn't clean the gun with Hoppes #9 (or similar cleaner) by any chance did you? Ammoniated cleaners can ruin the finish on the guns that are blued the environmentally friendly way, which being a 29-10, yours certainly was. Just a thought - no hint as to how, or even if, it can be restored.

Adios,

Pizza Bob
 
nooch450 said:
It has been in the case, and the case has been in the dehumidified safe.

What should they be a problem?

I will keep it out of the case if needed.

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Click to expand...

Not sure how they were stored but I've seen a lot of photos of guns stored in display cases with the flocked interiors where the flocking deteriorated and fused itself to the gun.

The lined cases obviously won't do that but I'm pretty sure a lot of collectors don't store them that way. It is after all a "display/presentation" case not a storage case.

Here are some additional comments/opinions on the matter.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-re...presentation-cases.html?182750=#post135870111
 
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I'm surprised no one mentioned this, but this looks like the spotty clouding I sometimes get on a Nickel gun when it sits for awhile.

If so, it will polish right out. I also used Flitz on plenty of blue guns. I use my finger to apply usually.

When you waxed it with Red wax, you kind of "sealed" in whatever was under it.

Worst case it doesn't polish out, and the you get to deal with the mothership. Good luck if it comes to that!

If you DO wind up having to deal with them, I would leave out the whole "I tried to fix this myself" part.... :)
 
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Pizza Bob said:
After you fired the two boxes of ammo, you didn't clean the gun with Hoppes #9 (or similar cleaner) by any chance did you? Ammoniated cleaners can ruin the finish on the guns that are blued the environmentally friendly way, which being a 29-10, yours certainly was. Just a thought - no hint as to how, or even if, it can be restored.

Adios,

Pizza Bob
Click to expand...
Actually when I did clean the gun I did use Hoppes #9. I was extremely careful to only get it inside the barrel and wherever there was fouling that needed to be removed.

I've heard about this causing damage before so I did a test. I actually took a dab of Hoppes #9 and tested it underneath the grip. I let it sit for a few minutes and then wiped it off and it showed no sign of damage. I then proceeded to actually put some on the shiny spot on the barrel to see if that's what caused it. I let it sit for a minute and wiped it off and it did no damage...

Maybe if you left it on there for a really long time and rubbed it really hard it might do some damage but getting a little bit on there and then wiping it off didn't do any harm it at all.

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I have seen similar milkiness in the bluing on some of the current production "classics," but never this extreme.

This is also the first time I've ever heard of an otherwise decent bluing "turning" while in storage.

  • How old is the gun?
  • Is the other side of the frame as bad? Does the "good" area in the middle of the barrel go all the way around?

If the underside is worse than the top, it may suggest the lining material is reacting with finish. If this is the case, the cylinder may show bands of discoloration where it's coming in contact with the lining (or bands of normal finish in the portions that were inside the frame).

I would not recommend flitz or any other abrasives (e.g. Mother's Mag Polish) on the newer "classics" series guns. The finish on these is no where near as durable as the pre 2K bluing.
 
nooch450 said;
"Mike, Have you tried the FLITZ on the newer production blued Smiths like the one I have here with good results?"

My newest Smiths have all been stainless steel so I don't know about the new blue ones. Maybe that's why people are saying to stay away from using it.
I'm still confused about your picture. Why is the area that says "Wesson" a bright, shiny blue and the rest of the gun a dull blue? Was it that way when you last put it away?
Mike
 
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So the Amazon truck came today and brought the tube of FLITZ polish that I ordered.

Well it was a success!!!

For anybody wondering if FLITZ will damage the bluing on the newer style Smith & Wesson revolvers. The answer is NO it won't if used carefully. I first tried it under the grip and saw no adverse effects so I went on to trying it on my dull milky spots. I did use it in moderation and I didn't put alot of pressure while using it with a clean cotton rag. I didnt sit there and go crazy with it as I was worried. It did shine up those dull areas very easily.

I recommend this solution to anyone who is seeing some mild milky bluing on their newer Smith & Wesson revolver.

So I came to some conclusions during my testing.

1. Hoppes #9 will not "instantly damage the bluing on your new Smith & Wesson revolver"

2. FLITZ polish will not "instantly damage the bluing on your new Smith & Wesson revolver" in fact it will touch up the shine on your gun if used carefully and sparingly.

However!!! I would definitely not unnecessarily be dumping loads of either product all over your gun and getting aggressive with it because I'm unsure what COULD happen if you were to get carried away.

You can see the results in my pictures. I tried to take a few pictures at a few slightly different angles so you guys could see the results better.
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nooch450 said:
So the Amazon truck came today and brought the tube of FLITZ polish that I ordered.

Well it was a success!!!

For anybody wondering if FLITZ will damage the bluing on the newer style Smith & Wesson revolvers. The answer is NO it won't if used carefully. I first tried it under the grip and saw no adverse effects so I went on to trying it on my dull milky spots. I did use it in moderation and I didn't put alot of pressure while using it with a clean cotton rag. I didnt sit there and go crazy with it as I was worried. It did shine up those dull areas very easily.

I recommend this solution to anyone who is seeing some mild milky bluing on their newer Smith & Wesson revolver.

So I came to some conclusions during my testing.

1. Hoppes #9 will not "instantly damage the bluing on your new Smith & Wesson revolver"

2. FLITZ polish will not "instantly damage the bluing on your new Smith & Wesson revolver" in fact it will touch up the shine on your gun if used carefully and sparingly.

However!!! I would definitely not unnecessarily be dumping loads of either product all over your gun and getting aggressive with it because I'm unsure what COULD happen if you were to get carried away.

You can see the results in my pictures. I tried to take a few pictures at a few slightly different angles so you guys could see the results better.
9032e1525fb72c8274c5c880dbec444d.jpg
f8406becafd40981089a95939c733823.jpg
b80d297cff2d86f9f37549b4c67dfc24.jpg
7fafc0bf1b8d0f66402193f3e53333d4.jpg


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Click to expand...

It's what I suspected. Same as the way the Nickel gets cloudy sometime when sitting. Flitz always clears it right up.

NOW Ren Wax it.

And as for those saying Hoppes damages bluing.... ahem- ok.
 
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As a casual observer, I'm inclined to say something was ON the finish rather than in it------------and I'm happy for you that it came off.

"Endeavor to persevere!!"

Ralph Tremaine

And as an aside, let me suggest the use of "PRE-LIM" as a cleaner-------rather than ANYTHING else. (!!) (PRE-LIM is the surface cleaner made by/recommended by the Renaissance Wax folks.)
 
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Wow what a difference. Good job on cleaning that up. I turned down buying a new 29-10 just 2 weeks ago for the same thing . The finish right out of the box was dull and cloudy just like the OP's gun .
 
When you we're polishing it was there residue coming off on the rag ?
 
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