Smith & Wesson Factory Refinishing Wait Time?

SWFan27

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I am thinking about sending my S&W Model 19-9 back to Smith and Wesson to have them do a high gloss blue refinish job. Have any you guys done this before? If so, were you pleased with the results? And how long was the wait time?
 
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Based on a semi-recent experience, I would anticipate a 2-3 month turnaround time.

However, they may not make the gun more polished than it currently is. And my above-mentioned experience was (for the first time) disappointing; the metal finishing was not up to par.
 
Based on a semi-recent experience, I would anticipate a 2-3 month turnaround time.

However, they may not make the gun more polished than it currently is. And my above-mentioned experience was (for the first time) disappointing; the metal finishing was not up to par.
Thank you, Murphydog. That is good information. S&W just told me 3-5 months. And that there are additional labor charges on top of their $275 cost noted online. Not sure if it is worth it for a 19-9 that is going to be a shooter and not a safe queen.
 
Thank you, Murphydog. That is good information. S&W just told me 3-5 months. And that there are additional labor charges on top of their $275 cost noted online. Not sure if it is worth it for a 19-9 that is going to be a shooter and not a safe queen.
Shooter and not a safe-queen? Let that finish tell the story of its use. ;)

If you decide to reblue it one day, there are great shops out there that can do it by the old methods with excellent results (Glenrock Blue, to name one).

Alternately, there are better finishes than blue if your pistol should see a lot of holster time out of doors and really need something tougher against the elements -- DLC and Hard Chrome, for instance.

What additional labor is S&W assessing beyond their listed price for high gloss blue?
 
Shooter and not a safe-queen? Let that finish tell the story of its use. ;)

If you decide to reblue it one day, there are great shops out there that can do it by the old methods with excellent results (Glenrock Blue, to name one).

Alternately, there are better finishes than blue if your pistol should see a lot of holster time out of doors and really need something tougher against the elements -- DLC and Hard Chrome, for instance.

What additional labor is S&W assessing beyond their listed price for high gloss blue?
I was wondering about the additional labor charges myself. I did not ask the girl I spoke with too many questions after that. Plus, shipping costs. My LGS can ship it to a place out of state where they do the old school bluing, but they have an extremely long wait time. I think I will just shoot the heck out of my new revolver for now. It is pretty enough from the factory. If it gets beat up enough, maybe I will send it off in the future.
 
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I was wondering about the additional labor charges myself. I did not ask the girl I spoke with too many questions after that. Plus, shipping costs. My LGS can ship it to a place out of state where they do the old school bluing, but they have an extremely long wait time. I think I will just shoot the heck out of my new revolver for now. It is pretty enough from the factory. If it gets beat up enough, maybe I will send it off in the future.

I believe the customer service rep was informing you that they would correct any mechanical defects while the gun was there, which would be in addition to the refinishing charge. With a relatively new gun without many rounds through it, you could reasonably presume that cost would be zero.

If your gun is new or nearly so, agree with shooting it enough so it actually needs a reblue. :). Enjoy!
 
I believe the customer service rep was informing you that they would correct any mechanical defects while the gun was there, which would be in addition to the refinishing charge. With a relatively new gun without many rounds through it, you could reasonably presume that cost would be zero.

If your gun is new or nearly so, agree with shooting it enough so it actually needs a reblue. :). Enjoy!
Thank you again for the information and clarification. I just brought it home new from the store on 12/28. It shoots as good as I am capable of shooting and functions fine. I guess my Birchwood Casey bluing pen has me covered until it needs refinishing.

It is a new Model 19-9 Classic. It is a fantastic revolver even though it is new production. I started thinking it might be worth it to me to trick out the stock finish. But it sounds like the Performance Center's high gloss blue might not look much different than my stock finish.
 
I would not bother with a refinish since it is a new production revolver and will be a shooter, not a show piece, at least not until significant wear finish occurs or you see signs of corrosion.

If you want a highly durable refinish for corrosion protection, you could send it to a shop to be plated. Nickel plating is good, a nickel-teflon plating like NP3 is better, a hard chrome plating is the most expensive, but also the most durable finish for a firearm. For a durable, corrosion resistant black finish, Melonite might be a good option.
 
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