Opinions Please

[Mikebiker]

I have the opportunity to purchase this gun. It is a 5 Screw M&P 2 inch 38 Special. I believe the nickel to factory. The grips are real mother of pearl. I do not know if they are factory or aftermarket. The fit is good but not perfect. The cylinder has a few bad places where the nickel has parted ways. The 2 worst places are under the top and bottom straps. When do guess this gun was built. Is this gun rare enough in Nickel to make it worth buying in this condition?

 

[54ball]

It depends on price. $150 sure. Much more...maybe not.
That Nickel is not the original finish. Notice how thick it looks almost like it's painted on so .... not original. The Nickel job is rather poor and it's flaking off.
Grips...aftermarket.
Hammer and trigger are plated too, they should be case hardened.

I'd rather have a really worn (like most of the finish gone) honest gun, nickel or blued than a poorly done refinish. There's something about refinished guns in nickel or chrome that I really dislike.
This is my opinion...others may disagree.

 

[54ball]

The bottom gun is my 1923 1905 4th change Hand Ejector in 32-20. It's been taken care of. It has a lot of drawer wear evident on the original nickel.
I post to show what a nickel gun in good shape is supposed to look like. Notice how smooth the finish is. It does not look "thick". Notice the cased triggers and hammer.
IMG_0085 by Travis Brown, on Flickr
Untitled by Travis Brown, on Flickr

 

[stansdds]

That does not look like a factory nickel finish to me either. That plating looks to be thick and uneven, perhaps to cover up some light pitting in the underlying steel. S&W would not plate hammer, trigger, or extractor.

 

[Rlg#17]

Just my opinion, but no way is that a factory nickel job. Just poor quality all around, probably resulting from poor preparation to the surfaces before the plating was applied!

As previously stated, trigger and hammer would be have been case hardened.

Regards, Rick Gibbs

 

[raljr1]

I love nickel guns and would not buy that one at anything over a couple hundred. I have some guns with aftermarket nickel, but those are a 3rd model 44 HE and a 1917, not run of the mill pieces. Attached is a 100 year old 38 with original nickel.

 

[mrcvs]

Agreed. Definitely refinished. Trigger and hammer would have been case colored.

I would not bother with this one except if super cheap!

 

[chief38]

PASS - PASS - PASS!!! Too many issues! Will be a headache if purchased!

 

[Smithboomer]

Nope.

Too many negatives.

 

[DWalt]

It would make a good utility shooter, but has no collectible value, and never will. It is from the late 1940s. At around $250 it could be worthwhile. MOP grips are somewhat fragile, finding a pair of old wood grips would be worthwhile. The grips alone would be attractive if they are in fact real MOP and undamaged.

 

[JP@AK]

I agree. Poorly refinished, not worth more than about $150 and I would not buy it for that much.

The pearls are definitely aftermarket.

Since no one else has been specific, this one probably left Springfield in September, 1948. But it didn't look like that then.

 

[Mikebiker]

I totally missed the hammer and trigger not being case colored. What threw me is that none of the lettering or screw holes or anything for that matter shows any signs of polishing. Normally on a post factory nickeled gun the S&W emblem and Lettering show dishing around the edges. Even the locking slots on the cylinder on this gun are crisp. I was fairly certain the grips were aftermarket with no medallion and a not so perfect fit. They are the real thing and have no damage.

 

[Kinman]

Had one bad experience trying to get a revolver re-nickeled, never again. Never been a real fan of nickel firearms, saw this one a year or so ago and thought if I could get it for a good price I would...I did. It reminds me of a Philippine pirates piece, I love the water dragon on the stocks.

 

[stansdds]

I'm sure there are shops that can remove old nickel and re-plate them and make them look good, even like new. There have also been plenty of shops and people who would plate a firearm for a rather small fee, much smaller than what the quality people and shops charged.