Pre-27 barrel markings- fix or leave alone?
- Thread starter Resipsa
- Start date
Thank you all for the revolver compliments and taking time to give your suggestions and bluing/polishing advice.
I just signed up to Smith and Wesson Forum today, and I must say that this was much more enjoyable than trying to convince my fellow Chicago Bear fans at Windy City Gridiron that we need to draft Calijah Kancey at pick 9 for our defensive line.
I will continue to look in to read and learn from all future suggestions. I have no intentions to act, until I am completely informed.
Until then, I'll enjoy it as is.
I just signed up to Smith and Wesson Forum today, and I must say that this was much more enjoyable than trying to convince my fellow Chicago Bear fans at Windy City Gridiron that we need to draft Calijah Kancey at pick 9 for our defensive line.
I will continue to look in to read and learn from all future suggestions. I have no intentions to act, until I am completely informed.
Until then, I'll enjoy it as is.
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Let me add my welcome to you, Resipsa...
...Ben
...Benrincar
Member
Welcome to the Forum. I have a Pre 27 31/2 Inch serial number S7579x. It appears to be refinished. I still love it and it is very accurate.
Rpg
Member
Welcome to the forum!
Beautiful revolver.
I'd not fiddle with the finish. I certainly wouldn't let Mother's Mag in the same room as your revolver. It can get away from you before you know it and then you've created a situation that needs a complete refinish to make it right.
The original finish can not be duplicated by Smith. The finish they use now is pretty dismal in comparison. There are a few small shops that can do a good job polishing and refinishing to come very close to original Smith finish, but you're looking at another $500 and you've got a refinished gun for $$1,250 that's worth less than you paid at the auction.
Clean the finish with Hopes 9, then clean all oil and other stuff off using alcohol and apply several coats of Renaissance Wax.
I hate cold blue. I won't have it in the house, let alone use it on my guns. Your gun is too nice to wreck with cold blue.
You don't want to create a family story where your kids enjoy telling about when Dad (or grandpa) wrecked the formerly excellent revolver trying to improve the nearly perfect original finish. At least take great photos of the gun before you start trying to improve it so the kids can appreciate what a mess you've created.
Beautiful revolver.
I'd not fiddle with the finish. I certainly wouldn't let Mother's Mag in the same room as your revolver. It can get away from you before you know it and then you've created a situation that needs a complete refinish to make it right.
The original finish can not be duplicated by Smith. The finish they use now is pretty dismal in comparison. There are a few small shops that can do a good job polishing and refinishing to come very close to original Smith finish, but you're looking at another $500 and you've got a refinished gun for $$1,250 that's worth less than you paid at the auction.
Clean the finish with Hopes 9, then clean all oil and other stuff off using alcohol and apply several coats of Renaissance Wax.
I hate cold blue. I won't have it in the house, let alone use it on my guns. Your gun is too nice to wreck with cold blue.
You don't want to create a family story where your kids enjoy telling about when Dad (or grandpa) wrecked the formerly excellent revolver trying to improve the nearly perfect original finish. At least take great photos of the gun before you start trying to improve it so the kids can appreciate what a mess you've created.
A last thought I forgot to mention.
DON'T let anyone use steel wool on your blue revolver.
If you want to do something like that use bronze wool. It won't harm the finish, and it won't leave tiny bits of steel on your revolver that can turn into rust.
DON'T let anyone use steel wool on your blue revolver.
If you want to do something like that use bronze wool. It won't harm the finish, and it won't leave tiny bits of steel on your revolver that can turn into rust.
Rpg
Member
I'm not a big fan of polishes. Flitz is less aggressive than Mothers Mag so is a bit safer in terms of getting away from you. So is Simichrome.
If you really want to fiddle with polishing, and cold blue, I'd get a beat up blue Model 10-5 Smith (Smith made literally millions of model 10's) and play with the finish to your heart's content. You won't be wrecking a scarce gun.
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Inland7-45
Member
- Joined
- May 16, 2021
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This is a very nice revolver from Smith and Wesson's
Golden Age. If this were my revolver and I wish it were I would leave exactly as it is. I would enjoy shooting it and showing it while preserving its remaining originality. There is always a risk that after trying to coverup or remove these types of blemishes that the problem will be even more noticeable. A very knowledgeable colletor of Colt Government Models once showed me a like new in box second year production .38 Super Govt Model. On the left side of the slide there were 2 pits that were a few mm in diameter and about an inch and a half apart. Some one had cleaned the rust spots and at the same time removed some of the finish around each spot leaving a silvery scratched area that doubled the diameter of each blemish. While the 2 rust spots were an imperfection in an otherwise perfect gun they were probably not too noticeable. Probably much less noticeable than the attempt to remove them . This devalued the gun and I took this as a good lesson to leave well enough alone.
While the blemishes on the left side of the barrel are an issue, the rest of the finish is spectacular and it also has a very nice set of magnas and a pinned front sight. These details show the lavish care that was taken on the high end revolvers in those days. I have a Model 27 that was made in 1973. It is very nice but the guns from 20years earlier are nicer.
Welcome to the forum and thank you for sharing your photos of this jewel.
Golden Age. If this were my revolver and I wish it were I would leave exactly as it is. I would enjoy shooting it and showing it while preserving its remaining originality. There is always a risk that after trying to coverup or remove these types of blemishes that the problem will be even more noticeable. A very knowledgeable colletor of Colt Government Models once showed me a like new in box second year production .38 Super Govt Model. On the left side of the slide there were 2 pits that were a few mm in diameter and about an inch and a half apart. Some one had cleaned the rust spots and at the same time removed some of the finish around each spot leaving a silvery scratched area that doubled the diameter of each blemish. While the 2 rust spots were an imperfection in an otherwise perfect gun they were probably not too noticeable. Probably much less noticeable than the attempt to remove them . This devalued the gun and I took this as a good lesson to leave well enough alone.
While the blemishes on the left side of the barrel are an issue, the rest of the finish is spectacular and it also has a very nice set of magnas and a pinned front sight. These details show the lavish care that was taken on the high end revolvers in those days. I have a Model 27 that was made in 1973. It is very nice but the guns from 20years earlier are nicer.
Welcome to the forum and thank you for sharing your photos of this jewel.
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Well thank you Inland! I've had the grass is greener thing happening. Several times I was overbid on cream puff 5" Model 27-2, going for over double what I eventually ended up paying for mine.
I was wanting the 5" target, the front sight with the red in it; along with the target trigger, hammer, and grips.
It's nice to hear that mine is wanted more than by just me. I do love its age, and looks; and it performs wonderfully.
And thank you for that extremely on-point life experience.
I was wanting the 5" target, the front sight with the red in it; along with the target trigger, hammer, and grips.
It's nice to hear that mine is wanted more than by just me. I do love its age, and looks; and it performs wonderfully.
And thank you for that extremely on-point life experience.
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Here is a 1956 model of my 1950 revolver, about to be bid this Sunday night for $1,175.00 more than the $850.62 I paid. The 1956 one has it's original box.
Just a moment...
https://gunbroker.kcaguns.com/gunbroker-showimages/4938
Just a moment...
https://gunbroker.kcaguns.com/gunbroker-showimages/4938
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It is hard to tell from pictures what caused that in the barrel finish. A safe way to check the finish would be to apply hops9 to it and rub it down with a microfiber towel. If it was a chemical reaction in the finish then there is no correcting it.
Me, I would carry and shoot it. If the finish still bothers you send it to fords or turnbull and have them refinish the entire gun correctly.
Me, I would carry and shoot it. If the finish still bothers you send it to fords or turnbull and have them refinish the entire gun correctly.
Thank you Detroit. It's not going to bother me. Just wanted to know.
Here is my revolver, without the markings, final bid this evening sold for $2,025.00 on GB.
Just a moment...
Here is my revolver, without the markings, final bid this evening sold for $2,025.00 on GB.
Just a moment...
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After looking at it again. It looks like the finish started to rust and someone took flitz to it. The spots look like a pantina like pattern and it's now showing the carbon steel. Get some renaissance wax after you clean it with hopes
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