Refinished #3 Frontier Double Action 44-40

[rtucker]

Did Smith and Wesson refinish older guns in the 1960's. I have a pristine #3 Frontier Double Action that is in exceptional condition or has been refinished. I have a friend that goes to Tulsa both times each year and he has become an acquaintance of some of the most knowledgeable Smith & Wesson collectors in the United States. He took this pistol with him to let some of the experts look at it and they determined that it had been sent back to the factory to be refinished. The case colors and the bluing a really nice and the nickel is really good. The grips do not show a lot of wear. I was asking for any information that someone may have on the factory refinishing done in the 1960's. The 965 on the grip frame and the star on the grip frame are surmised to be September 1965 as the refinishing date.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Yes it was refinished by the factory in 1965.

 

[Books]

Here is another (lettered) example of a much later factory refinish.

A second model SA 38; left the factory in May of 1889 and was factory refinished September 1975.

 

[RMFnLA]

I like that!

 

[first-model]

I had a .44 Double Action (bought from a forum member back in 2016) that had been factory refinished in 1952. It was one of the finest refinishing jobs I had ever seen.

I traded it earlier this year for a Freedom Arms revolver. I love the FA, but I do miss that .44 DA.

Mike

 

[rct269]

I'm told S&W's refinishes are--or at least were --quite possibly the finest in the industry---typically indistinguishable from new production work (in the absence of service/refinish markings to the contrary). I've had two done, one in 1960, another in the 1990's somewhere, and I can't argue with that.

I've seen several others of the same quality---and only one where a rework was obvious---and that one was on a total, rolling disaster which should've never been released from the junk yard in the first place!

Ralph Tremaine

 

[mmaher94087]

One of my .44 DA Wesson Favorites has an assumed factory blue refinish from 10/19. The star on the butt really does not tell me what was done but because of the condition, I can only speculate that it was refinished. In 50+ years of collecting, I have only seen one Wesson Favorite that did not have a star on the butt. It was a nickel revolver, and I did not think it was worth the asking price, star or not, not worth it to me.

 

[JSR III]

Simple answer is yes. Unfortunately they would also upgrade (or so they thought) the roll stamps using the ones currently being used. Dr. Jinks put a halt to this IIRC in the 70's because it was taking collectible firearms and altering them into some distant cousin.

It is one thing to have a refinished (repainted) 1800 or early 1900 firearm but totally different to have one with modern markings. Not quite a frankengun but definitely not a true representation of what it was originally built as.

 

[rct269]

WAY back when I was schooled in the meaning of the star, it went along these lines: It is a factory service mark. The type and extent of the service is unspecified, BUT each and every item so marked was refinished---regardless of need as a matter of course.

Now, on the one hand, that doesn't make a lot of sense; so think of it as "a matter of company policy"----a tried and true response to pretty much anything one does not wish to explain or justify. As time passed and things changed, real honest to God refinishing marks came into being. Based upon a pitifully small amount of actual knowledge, I have come to believe these later refinishing marks were/are applied as instructions to the finishing department---this based on the markings on exactly one gun I sent in---in "4 60". I know what I instructed was to be done. I know what was done. I know what the markings are---as in 2+2=4---all day, every day.

Ralph Tremaine

 

[JSR III]

Ralph, my understanding of the * marking was simply that the gun was returned to the factory for "some" type of work. Replacing the hammer or trigger would earn the gun a * but it did not necessarily mean that the gun was refinished.

Again, that is only MY understanding and most likely Dr. Jinks is the only one that could clarify this as I believe that he was Service Manager as well as the Historian for a period of years...

 

[rct269]

Yep! He is THE MAN!!

Ralph Tremaine

 

[iby]

Yep! He is THE MAN!!

Ralph Tremaine

I have never seen him post on this forum??

 

[Kinman]

I have a 1st Model D.A. in .44 S&W that was refinished by the genius's at the factory back in the 50's, at least that is from memory. It is my most highly prized S&W.

 

[mrcvs]

I have never seen him post on this forum??

Dr Jinks posts on the private side of the forum. You can even ask him questions over there. Makes SWCA membership all the more worthwhile. You should join!

 

[iby]

44 da

This is what one looked like when (almost) new.

 

[stanmerrell]

I like the refinished guns done at the factory. They look nice and seem to have the original spirit of what they once were. I'm not surprised at their high values.

 

[Exmilcop]

I have one that was sent back to Smith & Wesson but over 100 yrs. ago (Aug.1921). The finish is worn but I don't know what kind of life it led after leaving the factory. Of most importance, the mechanics are excellent. The bore is so-so, but some solvent, brushing, and elbow grease have made it look a lot better.
PS: the foresight is my own addition.

 

[glowe]

I used to follow factory return stamps and found that guns returned to the Service Department ranged from 1911 to 1983. 1983 date was mid-1983 (7 83) and it was a K frame. Never saw a stamp later than 1983.