Interesting revolver, thanks for sharing! It looks like it was rescued fairly well....definitely not a collector but one heck of a shooter grade gun! I have to be honest, I'd be a bit tempted to Fitz that one.....
Refinish
- Thread starter DARE
- Start date
This is the second place I always look.
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OP
Thanks, Bruce. I tried to take a better picture of my gun. I can see that yours looks much better.
Think I see the 3rd lock on yours. So your gun is a Triple Lock?
Think I see the 3rd lock on yours. So your gun is a Triple Lock?
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OP
Thanks for all the feedback. I learned a lot from this thread.
Signs of refinish;
1. Side plate fit.
2. Fit between yoke and frame.
3. Pins polished flat.
4. Crispness of markings.
5. Hammer and trigger blued.
6. Dishing under screw heads.
7. Compare the gun with known not refinished examples.
Signs of refinish;
1. Side plate fit.
2. Fit between yoke and frame.
3. Pins polished flat.
4. Crispness of markings.
5. Hammer and trigger blued.
6. Dishing under screw heads.
7. Compare the gun with known not refinished examples.
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Consider adding to your list.....
- metal disruptions such as nicks, dings, scratches, and pitting under the finish.
- checking on the stocks being worn out of proportion with the metal.
It takes a keen eye and practice to discern a good refinish job. I am still learning too. I have seen some well re-done pieces (in my opinion) get by some very knowledgeable collectors. I suspect that sometimes there is a fog that we as buyers develop that prevents us from seeing some warts because we wish them away. The problem is that no matter how hard we wish, they don't go away. Many gun safes have a spot way in the back where these mistakes live. I have been very fortunate to have been educated by members of this Forum. It has been amazing what other educated eyes have revealed to me on pieces I have evaluated for purchase. Fortunately I still have some memory left, and I keep an eye open for those little things in my searches.
Another thing to consider - if we are buying online, are there enough high resolution well focused pictures available to make a good overall assessment? And, if a seller doesn't mention a specific thing that is important to you, ask until you get an answer. Some sellers conveniently leave out important details when they are not favorable.
- metal disruptions such as nicks, dings, scratches, and pitting under the finish.
- checking on the stocks being worn out of proportion with the metal.
It takes a keen eye and practice to discern a good refinish job. I am still learning too. I have seen some well re-done pieces (in my opinion) get by some very knowledgeable collectors. I suspect that sometimes there is a fog that we as buyers develop that prevents us from seeing some warts because we wish them away. The problem is that no matter how hard we wish, they don't go away. Many gun safes have a spot way in the back where these mistakes live. I have been very fortunate to have been educated by members of this Forum. It has been amazing what other educated eyes have revealed to me on pieces I have evaluated for purchase. Fortunately I still have some memory left, and I keep an eye open for those little things in my searches.
Another thing to consider - if we are buying online, are there enough high resolution well focused pictures available to make a good overall assessment? And, if a seller doesn't mention a specific thing that is important to you, ask until you get an answer. Some sellers conveniently leave out important details when they are not favorable.
I would also add dishing under screw heads or screw bases not flush with frame. On your example, this is evident with regards to the sideplate screw between the hammer and the recoil shield.
A general dullness of the finish relative to other examples from the era.
A general dullness of the finish relative to other examples from the era.
Yes, that's one of my TL's.Thanks, Bruce. I tried to take a better picture of my gun. I can see that yours looks much better.
Think I see the 3rd lock on yours. So your gun is a Triple Lock?
Here is a beater Outdoorsman.
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Mark,
You might remember it better with these grips. I acquired the correct grips after you worked on it.
That explains the wear of the bluing around the stock circles and frame. Always learning, but the white in these areas didn’t look like anything I’ve seen under a wood stock and the edges are sharp and crisp. Great gun great story
Inland7-45
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Refinished 1917
It is obviously refinished but that doesn’t matter. It is a 100 year old + S&W. So the important issue is whether or not it is mechanically sound. As long as it is safe to shoot enjoy it the way it is. The best way to do that is to get a few hundred Starline .45 AR cases. The Lyman Cast Bullet Book and the Speer manual both have some good data for .45 AR with lead bullets. These are great guns and this calibers is easy and economical to reload.
Here is one of mine. This one was factory nickeled in the late 70s. It looks like the side plate might not be original. The frame was also stamped with the full address line during the rework. I added the wonder sight a few years ago. Collector value $0. But it is fun to shoot and will do until I can find a 6.5 “ pinned barrel 1955 Target. I also have a Brazilian M37 and a few Colt 1917s.
Good Luck with yours.
Trying to learn how to spot a refinish. Here are some pics of my .44 HE 2nd model from 1926. Have been told that this gun is definitely refinished.
1. Side plate fit. Not very good on this gun and am told that no original finish gun has a side plate that fits like this one.
2. Pins polished flat. One I was told to check is the one under the left grip. This one does not look flat to me. Does not protrude as much as my .357 Magnum from 1935. The two pins forward of that, over the trigger do look flat. My .357 Magnum I only see one pin there and it is flat. Is the most forward pin on the .44 not there on the .357? No other pins on the gun look flat.
3. Fit between the yoke and the frame. That looks okay to me but I see a little blue difference. The blue is a little darker on the yoke than on the right side of the frame. Is the difference in blue a refinish indication?
Hope my photography is good enough to illustrate the problems.
If you can see other signs of a refinish in the photos would like to hear about those. If you need photos of other areas of the gun please ask.
It is obviously refinished but that doesn’t matter. It is a 100 year old + S&W. So the important issue is whether or not it is mechanically sound. As long as it is safe to shoot enjoy it the way it is. The best way to do that is to get a few hundred Starline .45 AR cases. The Lyman Cast Bullet Book and the Speer manual both have some good data for .45 AR with lead bullets. These are great guns and this calibers is easy and economical to reload.
Here is one of mine. This one was factory nickeled in the late 70s. It looks like the side plate might not be original. The frame was also stamped with the full address line during the rework. I added the wonder sight a few years ago. Collector value $0. But it is fun to shoot and will do until I can find a 6.5 “ pinned barrel 1955 Target. I also have a Brazilian M37 and a few Colt 1917s.
Good Luck with yours.
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