Refinish Markings??

[deadin]

.38 M&P Model 1905 (4h change?), 6 inch, MOP grips. all matching serial 247,187. Star mark on bottom of barrel flat. (None on butt). 12 72 on left grip frame at the toe. "R-P" in a square on the left grip frame at the heel. Blued extractor star, plated extractor rod and knob. The hammer and trigger look more blue/black than case. The gun is as tight as any I have ever seen. There is no play anywhere, hardly any drag line. Beautiful nickle except for what looks like some overplate couple of places on the cylinder. The only sign of buffing is a little weak lettering on the side of the barrel. The sideplate line is perfect.
I would call this a factory refinish/rebuild in 1972, but the stuff on the cylinder worries me. What would S&W have done in 1972 with a refinish on a 1918ish gun that had some corrosion on the cylinder that couldn't be buffed out?

The screw heads are perfect with no buggering....

It has been offered to me for somewhere in the $300-400 price range. (The MOP's do not appear to be factory..)

Comments??

 

[DWalt]

I think R-P probably means Refinish - Plated. Is there a B prefix to the SN on the barrel flat? I don't know what overplate means.

 

[gmborkovic]

Hello Dean, what are you looking for? A collector gun lt alnt. A shooter?
I would pass.
































m
















me

 

[DWalt]

Not sure I would pass at $300 without at least a look.

 

[deadin]

I don't know what overplate means.

Sorry about that! By "overplate" I was trying to indicate that it looks like the plating was done over existing pitting.... (I can't imagine that S&W would do this, but the rest of the gun appears to be a factory rework.)

(And no "B" on the barrel flat.)

 

[Tired Gunsmith]

We have seen a number of factory refinished OLDER guns that had plating with some pits not ground or polished off. They were mostly on top break revolvers, but also saw some on the K frame revolvers as well as two .32 autos we had them refinish for us many, many years ago.

 

[rct269]

What S&W would do in 1972 (or any other time) is exactly what the customer wanted/ordered/was willing to pay for. 'Twas ever thus!!

Ralph Tremaine

And yes, I know there are things S&W won't do now (no matter what), but today's S&W is not as it once was. It's a matter of things philosophical.

 

[05CarbonDRZ]

I doubt S&W would have had a late Teens replacement Cylinder in 1972,They worked with what they had.

 

[glowe]

I have been keeping track of factory repairs and the latest one I have come across is 1983. My guess is that the factory would not have plated over existing nickel, but it is also unlikely that it would have needed to be redone anytime soon after a factory refinish. It could be that the cylinder flaked and maybe a gunsmith simply added nickel plate ? What is curious is that you seem to indicate the raised area was small, which would not be right and the raised area should be big if covering a small area of flaking?? When you think about it, that visit to the factory was about 45 years ago and who knows how much wear it received since.

"R-P" indicates refinish - plate, indicating that the gun left the factory in 1972 sporting a new nickel finish. As I understand it, a simple "R" indicated refinish - Blue.

 

[deadin]

I may have to buy this gun if for no other reason than to take some pictures..... I didn't mean to imply that it was replated over existing plate, but more plated over pits that had not been polished out.

 

[apollo99]

For me a S&W 38 revolver that it tight and in tune for $300-$400 , offer him the $300 if he takes it walk away a happy man.

 

[S&WsRsweet]

Yes I would give up 3 or 4 hundred bucks for a good shooter maybe a working carry gun if I needed / wanted it but I would try to poor mouth more towards 300 so I could sell quick if I didn't like it ,now that's crazy I never met a M&P I didn't like .