Pristine 25-2 range trip today

[arc2x4]

Well I found a model of 1955 25.2 6" with the presentation box, and all the tools and manual at my local purveryor. The finish is perfect faint turn line. Price $750. Today I went to the range with it with rounds loaded in moon clips. Excitement is building as I take aim at the 25 yard bullseye target. Click, CLick, Click, Click, Click. Bang. Double action fast click click click Ban click Bang. Single action Click Click CLick Click Bang Bang.

UHH OH. I take of the grips and the strain screw is tight. I look at the mainspring and what they hey, somone ground it down by 1/4 of the width towards the top and thinned it out big time. The trigger on this gun is light, but it rebounds forcefully (not sluggish as it can be with a rebound spring change), so now I know why, they ground down the mainspring. Now I get home and take out the spring and realize its severely thinned toward the top, and its been bent about 15 degrees.



I just got done replacing the mainspring with a brownells bossed spring. The DA trigger is heavier but still smooth, the Hammer is falling much more forcefully now. Tomorrow I will take it out and shoot it again, and I suspect it will set off all the primers fine. Thats one thing about buying classic guns, ya never know if someone has messsed with them.

 

[Bullet Bob]

It's not just the classics. Since spring changing, lockwork polishing, and complete teardowns have become the must-do for the internet generation, I've quit buying used guns.

It's their guns, as far as I'm concerned, they are free to do with them as they will. And I'm sure many of them are mechanically competent. But I know enough of them that aren't, that I'm no longer willing to lay down the cash to find out which type previously owned the gun I want to buy.

Que Sera

 

[Grayfox]

I bought a used Model 19 2 1/2" once. Got it cheap. Took it to the range and lots of miss fires. When I took it apart I found that the previous owner had not only put in one of those cheap aftermarket spring kits, but in the process forced the side plate down and bent the rebound spring stud.
Off to S&W for repair. So much for getting it cheap.

 

[S&WIowegan]

Since the gun's externals weren't messed with, I would guess that the spring was tuned to fire only Federal primers. This is a fairly common modification. Sometimes you might even need to reseat the federal primers deeper to get ignition.

 

[TDC]

Bullet Bob makes a strong point....

98% of my P&R era collection is made up of NIB original owner guns... and I'm that original owner. The others are one owner NIB revolvers I know the whole history about. People ask me why this is so important to me and this thread answers why.

Before I get "ragged" about safe queens I also keep about 6 different duplicate S&W's of various frames, calibers and barrel lengths in my shooter rotation.

There is so much misrepresentation of what NIB or ANIB means to many people that almost every purchase on the internet can be a risk. Some people can and will claim anything if it means more money for them. Buying guns as a shooter is one thing...buying as a collectible and hoping to protect your "NIB" investment is another.

Issues like the easy clean-up and polishing of stainless guns is sure to compound their sales problem in the future. That's why I've recommended people who own collectible or potentially collectible stainless guns never polish them. For many serious collectors the polish will be viewed as a possible cover-up and that will adversely affect the guns value....

Just sayin' and JMHO...

 

[chud333]

Removal of the grips and a thourough inspection "before purchase"
cures these issues. I'll not let a few "dime store" gunsmith stories
sway me from buying the old classics that have been pre-owned.


chuck

 

[oldafsp]

I continued to buy good to excellent guns used.

The prices for ANIB or NIB classice numbered Smiths is prohibitive for my budget. Of course, being retired is not the same as being rich.

And I swap a few or sell a few non Smiths here and there to fund my collection.

I can usually fix some monkey mechanics failures without issue unless they attacked it with a Dremel tool.

I have two great K frames that the previous owners loosened the strain screw to lighten the trigger pull. One had even ground down the tip of the strain screw. Ok..a couple of dollars in parts, some cleaning and mild polishing of the internals and great shooters resulted.

 

[arc2x4]

I continued to buy good to excellent guns used.

The prices for ANIB or NIB classice numbered Smiths is prohibitive for my budget. Of course, being retired is not the same as being rich.

And I swap a few or sell a few non Smiths here and there to fund my collection.

I can usually fix some monkey mechanics failures without issue unless they attacked it with a Dremel tool.

I have two great K frames that the previous owners loosened the strain screw to lighten the trigger pull. One had even ground down the tip of the strain screw. Ok..a couple of dollars in parts, some cleaning and mild polishing of the internals and great shooters resulted.

Yep me too. I have fixed unscrewed ejector rods, endshake on an unfired P&R 629, Done a triiger job on a brand new 627PC that had the worst trigger I ever felt on a S&W revolver (it was ordered from a wholesaler at cost by club FFL). I change the sights on glocks I own new. It seems like most guns are Kits that need some work even if they are new.

BTW I put in a Brownells bossed reduced mainspring and this morning the gun fired 100 rounds loaded with wolf LP primers, some in clips some loose without clips and it fired 100% in SA and DA.
SO I am very happy with my 25-2 now. I will have to post a couple pics.