Question about "High Polish" finish on '50s-era revolvers

[DCWilson]

Can someone enlighten me the term "high polish" as it applies to blued revolvers of the post-war era? I don't know if this refers to an extra-cost finishing option for any revolver of that period, or whether it is the "standard" blue finish for the company's top-line revolvers.

I just bought a Pre-Model 23 that looks very much like the ones in this thread:

http://smith-wessonforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5401039...261014872#9261014872

Mine is serial number S1442xx, which I hear from an informed source puts its shipping date in mid-1956. SCSW-3 says there is a premium for the "High Polish" finish on this model, and I'm not smart enough to know what that is without seeing a couple of different guns side by side. The one I just paid for looks awfully polished to me, so I presume it is a high polish finish.

Mine does not have the cokes seen in that other thread. It comes with diamond Magnas.

I overpaid for the gun by probably 10-15 percent, but I was willing to because the store had done a bunch of PPTs for me in the last year. Every one of those is a money-loser for them, so I didn't mind doing a transaction that leaves a few dollars on the black ink side of their ledger.

The gun is in California's 10-day purgatory at the moment. (I've GOT to get that C&R license!) As soon as the revolver is in my hands, I'll put some photos up. I think this one will deserve a letter. There were only about 6,000 of these .38 Special N-frames produced on the 1950 model.

David Wilson

 

[S&W-Keeper]

I have a pre-15 from 1952 that has a, I believe they call it a satin blue finish, I was told by the older Gent that I bought it from that you could get a high polish model for $3.00 more.

 

[Art Doc]

I have a revolver about 500 units below your serial that shipped October of 1955. Yours could easily be late 1955.

I have two 1950 44 Target Models with one being the satin blue and the other bright blue. I have also heard this was a $15 option at the time. The letters on both make no mention of the difference and Jinks said the factory records generally don't specify if satin or bright blue was the finish.

 

[GLL]

Here is Tom's high polish and my satin blue post-1950 Outdoorsman

...and a high polish 1950 .44 Target compared to a satin 1950 .44 Target.

Jerry

 

[DCWilson]

Thank you all. The Pre-23 I am buying had an almost black appearance in my gun store's environmentally sensitive low light levels, but rotating it with store's front window in the background showed high reflectivity all over. High polish, I bet.

Jerry, the comparison photos were particularly helpful. Thank you.

David W.

 

[Hill2]

I have a follow-up question. My M37 no dash is shiny black. The S&W "letter" reports that it was shipped "blue finish" in 1959. Would "high polish" be noted in a letter or on a box? Thanks, Hill

 

[mtb1bkr]

Hill2, most likely neither. The records just say blue most of the time.

Bill

 

[Hill2]

Thanks for the response. I was thinking that I was missing something obvious here. Hill

 

[Pontiaker]

Originally posted by DCWilson:
Can someone enlighten me the term "high polish" as it applies to blued revolvers of the post-war era? I don't know if this refers to an extra-cost finishing option for any revolver of that period, or whether it is the "standard" blue finish for the company's top-line revolvers.

The C&R wont do anything for you as far as the 10 day wait. You need to have a COE to get out of the wait and most shops dont know this and will still make you wait the ten days. I have my C&R and if you read through all the junk and talk to some other CA FFL holders you will find this is true. Its also all over Calgun.net if you want to rear more about it. Nice pistola!

I just bought a Pre-Model 23 that looks very much like the ones in this thread:

http://smith-wessonforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5401039...261014872#9261014872

Mine is serial number S1442xx, which I hear from an informed source puts its shipping date in mid-1956. SCSW-3 says there is a premium for the "High Polish" finish on this model, and I'm not smart enough to know what that is without seeing a couple of different guns side by side. The one I just paid for looks awfully polished to me, so I presume it is a high polish finish.

Mine does not have the cokes seen in that other thread. It comes with diamond Magnas.

I overpaid for the gun by probably 10-15 percent, but I was willing to because the store had done a bunch of PPTs for me in the last year. Every one of those is a money-loser for them, so I didn't mind doing a transaction that leaves a few dollars on the black ink side of their ledger.

The gun is in California's 10-day purgatory at the moment. (I've GOT to get that C&R license!) As soon as the revolver is in my hands, I'll put some photos up. I think this one will deserve a letter. There were only about 6,000 of these .38 Special N-frames produced on the 1950 model.

David Wilson

 

[john traveler]

The M37 is an aluminum alloy frame with steel barrel, cylinder, and action parts.

The black finish is anodizing, or an electrolytically produced hard aluminum oxide finish, with a black dye imbedded in the pores and sealed. The factory still calls it a "blued" finish like the steel frame guns that really are blued.

 

[SRT]

Originally posted by DCWilson:
Can someone enlighten me the term "high polish" as it applies to blued revolvers of the post-war era? I don't know if this refers to an extra-cost finishing option for any revolver of that period, or whether it is the "standard" blue finish for the company's top-line revolvers...Mine is serial number S1442xx, which I hear from an informed source puts its shipping date in mid-1956...David Wilson

Perhaps this excerpt from a January 1982 Roy Jinks factory letter, on a Model of 1950 .44 Target, shipped in 1955, will shed some light on your finish question:

"Firearms manufactured in the early 1950s had the low luster blue finish. When Smith & Wesson installed the Harper Buff Machine the finish was changed to the high luster blue finish that has been available on the deluxe models. The date of this change is unknown."

 

[tac803]

If one has a satin finish in mint condition and polishes it, does that affect the collector value? My M&P was made around 1952 and doesn't have a mark on it except for a slight drag line around the cylinder. I'm fighting the urge to go at it with flitz 'cause it could be shinier

.

 

[john traveler]

Any polishing on an existing blued finish, including using Flitz, will rub through the bluing and degrade it.