Rescued a SW 28-2 blued 6"

[leadcounsel]

Today I traded for a Smith and Wesson 28-2 blued 6" .357 magnum. Pictures may follow...

First question, not sure how I did on the trade. I think I probably came out behind in the trade in value, but got something I'd prefer to have.

I purchased a Ruger 10/22 with heavy barrel in Archangel stock with some accessories for $200, which was a great deal, a couple years ago. I traded that gun (value of which I placed around $500, maybe I was off) for the S&W 28-2.

The 28-2 probably lived it's life as a duty or training police gun. Sadly, it appears to not have been well kept. It egregiously has a "T" electro-penned in the right side of the frame and on the bottom of the hardwood grips. :banghead: The gun looks like it may have been a training gun that was rarely cleaned, and has fouling and carbon in the chambers, front of the cylinder, rear of the cylinder housing, and barrel chamber.

The hammer and trigger appear to be of different metals altogether and have demascus style discoloring. I believe the trigger is aftermarket and is wider and has serrations.

Now for the good. Tight lockup, excellent and smooth trigger in DA and SA, very crisp, cylinder rotates smooth and no wobble or bend, many lifetimes remaining in this old workhorse.

Wonder what others might think of the average value of a 28-2 as I've described, probably 70% conservative grading, maybe 80%.

I'm going to go shoot it, that's a given. Wondering if I should put some cash into this to 'beautify' it. Not wanting to spend much of course, but a beatblast and ceracoating perhaps... or rebluing...

Or clean it well, leave it as it is - a workhorse with a bit of history.

What are your thoughts?

 

[1KPerDay]

Nicely done!

 

[Twiki357]

It looks pretty good in the pictures. As for the value in the trade, in my area, I would say that it was just about even or that you came out a little ahead on the deal.

 

[StrawHat]

The hammer and trigger in the photograph are factory issues. S&W casehardened the hammer and trigger on the blued (and nickeled) revolvers. I have a 4"variant of the M28-2. I liked nearly everything about the revolver. It is often referred to as the Poor Man's M27, but in reality, it was a great handgun in it's own right. You made a good trade, as long as you are happy.

 

[Sam1911]

Yeah, that's the factory case-hardening on the hammer and trigger. They're supposed to look just like that. (Not Damascus. That refers to a method of making steel where two different kinds are folded and hammered together to make many layers. That would be pretty, and cool, and interesting, but not cost-effective or something the factory would have done.)

I'd say you did JUST fine. That's a great shooter and a good one to add to your collection. For a 10/22? I'd trade!

 

[PabloJ]

Today I traded for a Smith and Wesson 28-2 blued 6" .357 magnum. Pictures may follow...

First question, not sure how I did on the trade. I think I probably came out behind in the trade in value, but got something I'd prefer to have.

I purchased a Ruger 10/22 with heavy barrel in Archangel stock with some accessories for $200, which was a great deal, a couple years ago. I traded that gun (value of which I placed around $500, maybe I was off) for the S&W 28-2.

The 28-2 probably lived it's life as a duty or training police gun. Sadly, it appears to not have been well kept. It egregiously has a "T" electro-penned in the right side of the frame and on the bottom of the hardwood grips. :banghead: The gun looks like it may have been a training gun that was rarely cleaned, and has fouling and carbon in the chambers, front of the cylinder, rear of the cylinder housing, and barrel chamber.

The hammer and trigger appear to be of different metals altogether and have demascus style discoloring. I believe the trigger is aftermarket and is wider and has serrations.

Now for the good. Tight lockup, excellent and smooth trigger in DA and SA, very crisp, cylinder rotates smooth and no wobble or bend, many lifetimes remaining in this old workhorse.

Wonder what others might think of the average value of a 28-2 as I've described, probably 70% conservative grading, maybe 80%.

I'm going to go shoot it, that's a given. Wondering if I should put some cash into this to 'beautify' it. Not wanting to spend much of course, but a beatblast and ceracoating perhaps... or rebluing...

Or clean it well, leave it as it is - a workhorse with a bit of history.

What are your thoughts?

No need to :banghead: I kinda like the 'T-erminator'. Actually the T is quite alluring. If you wipe off the dust it looks to be in top shape.

 

[evan price]

Target trigger, target hammer and target stocks...Needs nothing more than a good thorough cleaning, pop off the sideplate and clean the insides, give the walnut grips a bit of Murphy's Oil Soap, lightly lube the internals, and put it back together and shoot the crap out of it for a lot of years. To ceracote or somehow do anything to it would be your choice, but that gun looks grrrreat as is and to do anything more than preserve it would be a mistake....the "T" thing isn't a big deal, that gun in its fired condition won't attract a top dollar collector anyway. I'd value it in the $400-$500 range, easy.

Consider the initial to be like a beauty mark on an attractive member of the opposite sex...it's the differences that make it uniquely yours.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

Yup, the hammer and trigger are casehardened, which is standard with any blued S&W.

For goodness sake, just shoot the thing. Forget about rebluing it, it is fine. Forget about doing anything else like beadblasting or coating it with anything. You have a good gun, just clean the chambers and bore and shoot it just like it is. I'll let you in on a little secret. A lot of guys will tell it's a terrible thing to have carbon deposits in the chambers from shooting 38 Specials. As long as 357 Mag rounds will still chamber and eject it is no big deal. And don't worry about the carbon rings on the face of the cylinder. No matter how many times you clean them off, they will reappear every time you shoot it. Just learn to live with them. Once you have enough revolvers you won't even think twice about carbon rings on the face of the cylinder.

You did fine in the price department, any used N frame Smith is going for at least $500 in this neck of the woods.

About taking the sideplate off and cleaning the insides; buy this book before you try:

http://www.gunbooks.com/sw.html

Whatever you do, don't try to pry the sideplate off. Do it the proper way. Remove the grips. Hold the gun side plate side up in your outstretched palm. Hit the grip frame with the wooden handle, not the head, of a hammer. The sideplate will work its way loose from inertia. Keep your thumb lightly over the sideplate to keep it from jumping onto the floor when it frees itself. Now look inside at how complicated they are. Don't try messing with anything until you get Kuhnhausen's book. You can find it on Amazon if you don't want to use the link I posted.

 

[Sam1911]

Oh, yeah...ceracoating or whatever? Just DON'T do it. Some guns have to look a certain way. An S&W revolver needs to wear the finish it came with -- or perhaps a very nice hard chrome treatment. If you want it refinished, send it to S&W, or to one of a couple specialty houses that does that work right. Or, to a high-quality hard-chrome company.

DON'T get some sprayed-on finish applied. It's just WRONG on a wheelgun and you'll turn your $500+ treasure into something you'd have a hard time selling for $250. And once that finish starts to wear (and it will), you'll be quite mad at yourself. It will look a LOT worse than it does now.

 

[md2lgyk]

Though I have many guns, I currently own just one revolver, an S&W 28-3 manufactured in 1985. Bought it LNIB three years ago for $500 - looked like it had never been fired. It was more or less an impulse purchase, but I love the thing. I put aftermarket target stocks on it, and would love to have a target trigger and hammer, if I could just find them.

 

[bainter1212]

You definitely did well on that trade. The N frame is a great gun that keeps going up in value all the time. Like others have said, it needs to be blued to maintain it's value. A quality rebluing or good hard chrome will maintain the value, but it looks like the finish it's wearing now is pretty decent.

Mine looks just like yours, except SFPD is stamped on the barrel. I believe it was a San Francisco police gun in it's previous life

 

[1KPerDay]

Leave the finish alone, IMO. It looks like honest wear and is in much better shape than a lot I've seen.

 

[PabloJ]

Yes, leve the 'T-erminator' alone. It looks like a good one that could be used in same manner as seen in movie 'The Streets of Laredo' where large meat-head was put down by hit to side of the head. I bet 300 beast would drop as thou struck by lightning!

 

[MikeJackmin]

Unless you have _exactly_ the right screwdrivers, I'd advise you against any disassembly.

If you think the lockwork needs cleaning, simply remove the grips, the hose down the insides with your favorite aerosol cleaner/lubricant. (Anything marketed for guns would be fine, just don't use WD40, it can dry into a sticky varnish).

You have a very nice gun there. Enjoy the heck out of it.

 

[ATCDoktor]

I got these two 28's in trade about 4 years ago (trade goods cost me about 400 bucks).

Both are former LE guns and show what could be considered "considerable" surface wear.





The 6" model has had some "work" done on the action and the trigger has been ground down ("contoured" if you will) to remove it's serrations and the hammer sides have been polished but does not appear to have the case hardening removed.



The 4 inch models cylinder is almost completely denuded of bluing and the barrel sides show a good bit of holster wear.







Both have worn grips and SSN's electropenned into the frame (under the stocks) and most assuredly are not the most beautiful revolvers I own.

Just like you, I have considered refinishing these guns not so much from the point of view of aesthetics but for the sake of longevity of use (I don't want their condition to worsen).

I consider them to be in much worse condition than yours (finish wise) and so fay I haven't been able to muster the resolve to refinish them.

It always comes back to cost versus reward.

Presently it costs me close to nothing to keep them lubed and properly stored. Their finish (or lack thereof) matches their stocks and I really hate seeing a gun with a new finish with stocks that show years of wear.

I shoot them quite often and both have had thousands of rounds through them since I have had them with no issues.

My guidance would be to (at present) give your 28 a good cleaning, keep it well lubed and shoot the devil out of it.

If it turns out you don't like it you could sell it and find a considerable market for it vice one with a proprietary finish.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[rondog]

Clean it up well and love it! You came out way ahead on that deal, IMO. Don't even think about refinishing it, or then you'll be way behind on the deal and ruin the value of that fine S&W.

 

[788Ham]

Choot it 'Lizabeth, Choot it !

 

[Boxhead]

Good gun and a fair deal. I do not believe the hammer and trigger are original though. I have never seen a 28 with the wide Target versions.

 

[Walkalong]

I do not mind honest wear on a blued gun.

 

[DPris]

There were apparently a few 28s sent out with target triggers & target hammers.
Even if not original to that gun, they're still not "aftermarket" parts.

Ceracoating would NOT "beautify" it in any way.
If you want to make it look gorgeous, S&W is still capable of doing a very nice bluing re-finish. If you want, they'll make it look better than new.
I have a 29 & a pre-27 that were both re-done at the factory & look magnificent.

I think I'd agree with the majority to just shoot as is. Don't see anything wrong with it at all.
Denis

 

[PlayTheAces]

Trade wise you did fine, and considering you really only have $200 in the deal, I'd say you did spectacular. The 28-2 is a great gun. I've been shooting mine going on forty years now.

Personally I'd leave it alone, shoot it and enjoy it. Nothing wrong with honest wear, and judging by the photos your looks to be in good shape. If you do decide at some point to refinish it, I'd send it back to the factory. They'll do it up right.

 

[Jaymo]

I wouldn't take 2 of those Ruger 10/22s for a 28. That is one hell of a .357.
I'd clean it and lube it and shoot the hell out of it.
IF you want to get it refinished, send it to Smith & Wesson for rebluing. They will make it look like brand new again, and that godawful "T" will be only a bad memory.
You already said that it is mechanically excellent. That's what really matters.
You should see some of the guns I've rescued.
That is one of the finest .357s made, IMO.

I'm thinking about trading my NIB 10/22 Magnum + 2 spare factory mags + 3 25 round mags for a nice Smith revolver.
I can load any of the revolver rounds cheaper and easier than I can buy .22 Mag ammo.

You did fine on that trade. You'll feel better after you clean and oil it.

Carburetor cleaner works well on steel guns.
I have a retired-Army, Vietnam vet friend who won't use anything else to clean his AR15.
He says it removes powder fouling like nothing else.
I'm inclined to agree with him, after using it to clean several of mine.
I go one step further, and clean mine with brake cleaner, after a thorough cleaning.
The brake cleaner removes ALL traces of oil or carb cleaner.
It requires oiling the gun very soon afterward, to prevent flash rusting, but the oil adheres better to a degreased surface, anyway.
I'd remove the grips, and spray the gun-inside and out- with carburetor cleaner.
Really hose it down. Then, I'd clean out any lead or copper fouling.
Then, I'd hose it down with brake cleaner.
Then, I'd hose it down with whatever gun oil you like.
I like Tri-Flow lube in the trigger spray. It's the same thing as the old Break Free CLP.
It's $28.00 for the trigger spray, but it goes a long way.
Get some good, cotton shop rags while you're at it.

BTW, those colors on your hammer and trigger are from the color case hardening process that S&W uses.
It's normal, and it's beautiful.

My favorite trigger for a DA revolver is a wide, smooth trigger, like my 586 has. More comfortable for an extended shooting session than the grooved trigger.

I know a retired GA state trooper who wore out his 28 twice, and had to have it rebuilt by the armorer.
To be fair, it takes a LOT of shooting to accomplish that and he did a LOT of shooting. And, I mean a LOT.

One of the best things about S&W revolvers is that you can get parts and service for them very easily.
The J, K, L, and N frames have been around a long time and continue to be popular.
Popularity is a good thing, when you need parts, service, or accessories for a gun.

 

[ElToro]

i will take every 28 for $200 i can get my hands on. thats a great deal. that about what they were going for 15 years ago. you could always get a new sideplate if that T bugs you enough. otherwise. leave it as is and shoot it. the N frame is so overbuilt for the .357. you can get generations of service out of that sidearm. just shoot it.

 

[Jaymo]

^
This.

 

[Walkalong]

i will take every 28 for $200 i can get my hands on. thats a great deal.

Don't you know it. I shot mine a little today. Great pick up.