RM Condition

[DARE]

Have this old gun.
When I 1st starting posting about it ,Terry Lester asked me the condition to list in the database. He said from the one picture he saw he thought maybe 96%.
Have been noticing how sub par my photography is, say compared to RK Mesa.
So here are a couple of hopefully better photos. Would be interested in what y'all think the condition is.
The grips are not original, but now are correct.
Do you need more photos? Do I need to work some more on the quality?
Thanks for the help.
PS: I think the photos look better than the gun. There is a little wear at the end of barrel on both sides. I see some little nicks and scratches and imperfections in the blue that do not show.

 

[Doc44]

I think 96 percent is a decent estimate without actually seeing the Magnum. That is great condition for a revolver that is approaching ninety years of age.

Bill

 

[AJ]

Nice looking piece!

 

[gmborkovic]

Hello David, a real beauty. Im a grip and bare frame kind of guy.
How about some pics of grips inside and frame with Sn.
Your photos are great.

 

[spin132]

Great looking magnum JADARE! Don't get too down on yourself due to your photography skills, most of us pale in comparison to RK Mesa's photos!

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

 

[mikepriwer]

David

I assume that this is a blue gun, but to me, it does not look blue. It looks more grey. Also, there is a reflection coming off the barrel. I think both of these issues suggest that you have too much light. Natural daylight, without direct sunlight, works best for me. LED light is not good, as it brings out any brown tones in the blue.

Regards, Mike Priwer

 

[Ruger 13]

I see some specks in front of the left grip. 90% IMO without more detailed pictures.

 

[DARE]

Mike and Mike, I like it.
Here are pics of the inside of the grips and the SN. No SN on the grips. Guess they were sold as a an accessory rather than on a gun? Since they would not match my gun, think I prefer that.
A couple of pics on the back porch in the shade. Maybe that will make the lighting better.

 

[DARE]

One more.

 

[gmborkovic]

David, pics better. Sn. has glare. Whats the Reg.#?

 

[gmborkovic]

Too slow! Mike

 

[DARE]

SN 47138, REG #657

 

[luvsmiths]

I would call that in low 90's at best.
it's very hard with pictures, as you can see yourself by first and second set.
It doesn't appear to have a lot bluing wear, so I would not call 80s anywhere.


Nice gun. Lot's of History.

 

[mikeruns]

Nice clean revolver, I'd say 85 to 90% for a very good to excellent shooter. Always a collector piece as a reg'd mag, it is what it is. Looks like some curved wear grooves on the cylinder from bolt and light muzzle wear from holster and maybe a shiny scratch above the cylinder latch if that is correct in photo...looks well loved and clean for sure...cheers

 

[rct269]

A proper light box is the name of the game.

Mother Nature's light box is (as noted above) "Natural daylight, without direct sunlight". That said, ANY DIRECT LIGHT is your enemy.

Ralph Tremaine

 

[cgt4570]

A proper light box is the name of the game.

Mother Nature's light box is (as noted above) "Natural daylight, without direct sunlight". That said, ANY DIRECT LIGHT is your enemy.

Ralph Tremaine

Exactly! I got a relatively cheap light box with 2 diffused little tripod lights and 4 different velcro backdrops for next to nothing on eBay several years back. My 10+ year old digital SLR with macro lens picks up hairs on a gnat's ***.

 

[RKmesa]

Love your RM - for me it is hard to give guns percentage grading. I'd rather just point out and photograph any concerns that I have. Some people's 99% is my 96%. I once bought a RM that the seller evaluated at 95%. I have never been able to find where he came up with a 5% deduction. It is my nicest RM (condition wise)...



...so... I don't put a lot of stock in the %s.

I have found that when it comes to photographing anything, it is all about light and shadow. Diffused light is your friend. A lot of my photos are taken outside in the bright AZ sun under a light tent (that diffuses the light for a very even lighting).

This is the kind of setup I use (except that the lights that came with it were not bright enough - hence the reason that I use the outdoor sun as my light and the tent as a diffuser).

[ame]https://www.amazon.com/LimoStudio-Camera-Cellphone-Studio-AGG1071/dp/B00DOGIKXG?ref_=ast_sto_dp[/ame]

The next thing to remember is to wipe down the gun well with a microfiber cloth, as any oil or fingerprints will show up in the photos.

Last thing is to make sure that neither you nor your camera are reflected in the mirror surfaces of your gun - shoot it at a slight angle and it will reflect the white top of your light tent.

The camera can also make a big difference, but what I have noticed recently is that the phone cameras are really getting pretty good. If you hold the the phone steady, get the light right, and don't have too busy a background, most anyone can take pretty good photos.

 

[JohnRippert]

To me that looks around 90%, maybe low 90's.

 

[LPD256]

No matter the percentage, it’s a very nice gun. I’d be proud to own it regardless. Enjoy.

 

[lestert357]

Some people's 99% is my 96%.
...so... I don't put a lot of stock in the %s.

Neither do I…..and some people’s 90% is my 96%.[emoji1]

 

[s&wchad]

Love your RM - for me it is hard to give guns percentage grading.

Same here….
JADARE’s RM is lovely and I’d be proud to own it!

 

[Thinnes]

Never bought a gun that wasn’t 100% … in my eyes. Even my 80 %s with pitting under the grips are 100%. Know what I mean, or is it just me? Fantastic gun Jadare. Dave

 

[murphydog]

This is the pitfall of trying to assign one number to a revolver with various complex surfaces, potential wear points, etc.

In an ideal world, there would be a set series of images under set lighting conditions and angles to judge such matters, perhaps by an automated program. Short of this, however, I think having such images are better to judge finish than a number.

 

[mikepriwer]

David

That made a big difference in the pictures. The gun is definitely blue! As you now know, from others comments and your experimenting, lighting is always an issue. In these improved pictures, there is still some glare on the barrel. I'll offer a few more suggestions.

First, pay close attention to what you see through the camera, before you take the picture. Look for glare, in particular. We have a southern exposure, which provides a lot of sunlight all year around, except for those gray days we have here in Oregon - frequently! If I see glare, I move the table back away from the window. If I still see it, I lower the window blind more. They provide a lot of diffusion.

Second, I'm using a Google Pixel 3 phone for all my pictures. It does have a very good camera. I made a simple framework to hold the camera, which lies flat in the frame. This provides the stability for the camera. The frame has two adjustments: vertical and lateral. These, combined with the cameras magnification, make it easy to capture detail.

Third, instead of tilting the camera slightly, I tilt the gun just a bit, into or towards the window. I find that, looking at the image on the camera screen before taking the picture, lifting the butt of the gun will bring out the roll markings much better. I use a piece of 3/8" to 1/2" dowel to hold the gun in the titled position. This is usually visible in the pictures, when I do this.

In my woodworking shop, I always follow the axiom of "Measure twice, cut once". My comments here, about taking pictures, follow that guideline: Get what you want on the camera screen first, then take the picture.

Regards, Mike Priwer

 

[DARE]

Thanks

Thanks for the feedback and the kind words.
Always learn a lot from you guys.
Thought the range of opinions was interesting, from 85-96%.
Appreciate the photo advice. Should be able to improve my photography.
Probably need to see a gun in person for an accurate grade.

 

[bob in texas]

RM condition

I can offer my opinion of this RM as I had the opportunity to have seen/held it in person, this was at a gun show in Paris,Texas. This was before the owner joined the forum, still had the modern stocks that were shown in his first posting, and none of us knowing the history of this fine revolver, it needed a good detailing, and the loving care it has since received. I probably insulted the owner with my offer, but he was a gentleman and took no offence.

The transformation is remarkable, sure it has a couple of marks (character as we like to say) but who wouldn't after 85 years. In my opinion if I was selling it 90% to 95%, but then the history adds to it greatly, you can't put a % on history.

As I said before, just my opinion.

Bob

 

[DARE]

I have a buddy that says, "it's a small world, but I would not want to paint it".
Many thanks to bob in texas. He turned me on the Forum.
I have learned a lot and had some fun.

 

[handejector]

Thought the range of opinions was interesting, from 85-96%.

Yep, it gets laughable at times. From the pics you posted, your gun rates 96-97% rather easily. Pics of the rest of the gun might lower it.
MANY people DO NOT understand how much surface area is on a gun, and it ALL counts.
If they see an 8-3/8" Mod 29 with ten pinpoint freckles, they call it a 90% gun. It has 10 blems doesn't it, so it has to be 90%, right?
In fact, that 29 with ten tiny freckles would actually rate 99.9% because 10 freckles is less than 1/10 of 1 percent of the total surface area of that huge gun.
A 90% gun shows a LOT of wear. An 80% gun is a doggy.

How that finish was lost also means a lot, so that is another big detractor for the system for me.
Think about that- A Reg Mag used by someone for decades that is 92-93% because of smooth holster wear is a LOT better than a 95-96% Reg Mag that laid in the box on a shelf in the basement for 20 years after grampa died and is an otherwise mint gun except for the wide stripe of brown rusty pitting down one side of the cylinder.

Below 98 or 99% I usually don't even try to use the system. People just don't get it. I just describe flaws and take lots of pics.

 

[DARE]

Outside, shady side of the house, cloudy day. Probably the best I can do until I get a tent.

 

[Nightowl]

Whatever!! I sure would be proud to own it and show it off at the range!!