Old S&W model 36 finish options.

[Kymasabe]

Hello there, got a question I hope you all can answer. I have a model 36 revolver that I bought years ago at a pawn shop. Whoever had it barely shot it, was in excellent mechanical condition. However, whoever had it, left it laying around in a tackle box or tool box or whatever and something spilled on it at one time and ate most of the bluing off the gun. I paid $200 for it, out the door, and while she's a great shooter, is one ugly gun. I really didn't care and have been keeping it clean and oiled for years and it works fine. But recently have been thinking about having it refinished. Other than having it reblued, what are my other options?

 

[ArchAngelCD]

There are multiple options available including DuraCoat. you can get a DuraCoat finish applied to a revolver for ~$125 in almost any color or set of colors you want. Another option is hard chrome or even have it parkerized. There are also a bunch of other spray and bake finishes I can't remember the names of right now but IMO DuraCoat is a pretty good finish.

If you change your mind about having it reblued I suggest sending it back to S&W, they do a GREAT job on their products.

 

[Radagast]

Reblue, cold blue, parkerize, nickel, hard chrome, roguard, cerakote, there are a few others.
doing a search on the above terms should give you a fair bit of info.

 

[Guillermo]

It sounds like the gun is in good shape except for the finish so I would not DuraCoat or parkerize. Those rougher finishes, in my opinion, are for guns with the surface pitted or otherwise damaged.

If that is truly the case, I would go back to blueing.

If it is damaged, parkerizing is a very tough finish and can cover up minor pitting pretty well.

All that said, I might leave it like it is. There is something lovely about an old looking gun.

 

[Al Thompson]

Hard chrome would be the finish I'd get. Have APW bead blast it - it will look like stainless steel.

 

[bannockburn]

If it were mine, I would have it hard chrome plated. It is a very hard, tough surface finish that holds up extremely well over the years. I have guns that were done by Ron Mahovsky with his SS Chromium Metalife finish, and they still look as great as the day I got them back from him.

 

[Kymasabe]

Here's what she looks like now: Actually, she's a little cleaner than shown in the second pic. A little more Hoppe's and a brass brush cleaned her up a little more.

 

[Guillermo]

Were she mine, the old girl would get a parkerized finish

 

[xXxplosive]

What a great gun and she deserves a new makeover for sure.......

 

[rcmodel]

I would send it back to the S&W Performance Center for a complete factory refinish & check-up.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...4_750001_750051_757909_-1_757776_757751_image

rc

 

[Creature]

Do what I did...send it to Mac.

http://www.shootiniron.com/

He will strip it down, parkerize it and then TUFFGUN coating on it. I have a S&W Model 36 that looked like a beater like yours but was mechanically brand new. It is now impervious to sweat and needs virtually no oil or grease. I carry it concealed in the hottest of summers and never worry about it corroding.

Here's my little beauty (before):


And after:

 

[bluetopper]

If you are fortunate enough to have a local smith who does a great job of hot bluing at a good price I would highly recommend that, and not have to send it off. That's what I had done to this model 15 I found mistreated in a pawn shop.

Too...I would also recommend the job Mac does at www.shootinirons.com