To restore the color .38 S&W Special CTG

CTG is an abbreviation for "cartridge" - it's not a model or type of gun. That looks like a Heavy Barrel Model 10. It also appears that the entire gun needs refinishing.

Looks like a common M&P/M-10 issued to many law enforcement agencies. Open the cylinder and look at the numbers under the crane/yoke. A picture would be helpful. Shows info for this model. These are great shooters but due to the quantity, condition determines value.
Keep it as is or refinish, it's your gun! I had one refinished at "the factory" during a little work to correct timing. Turned out great but didn't really enhance the value at the time.

I wish I still had it, along with about another dozen firearms sold or traded over the years!

Smiles,

Police trade-ins have been creeping up in price as they get replaced by automatics. J&G is asking $399 for Model 10s. They were a Deal when under $300 but I don't know if they are a bargain a hundred bucks higher.

Rebluing is not cheap, I found one place that only charges $185, most are higher.

I would say that its worth $250-$300 in that condition assuming it has no functional issues.

Personally I think it is probably not worth a refinish. If it was mine and assuming again no functional issues I would clean it up put some different grips on it and use the heck out of it. My woods gun is the same gun made more recently in the 1990's and I really like the heavy barrel and fixed sights for a UTV/Tractor gun.

BJThaBoss said:

I’m looking for the value and cost to restore the color of barrel. 38 S&W Special CTG

Click to expand...

Looks fantastic like she is !!!

I agree with the others.

Well, it’s not feasible to only blue the barrel. The whole gun would need to be refinished.

$175 or so for a glass bead blast and reblue.

$200 and up for a more exotic finish, E Nickel, Hard Chrome.

Also, there’s some good coating you can get done.

I would personally not invest much in a refinish. Just keep it lightly oiled and shoot it.

I bought a Model 10 2 years ago in very similar condition to that one, and went back and forth about rebluing it, but I decided not to.

My thought process was

-it does look pretty junky right now, and new hot blue jobs look sharp.

-but, I don't want to put $200 into a $269 gun.

-the revolver shoots great, and stripping and refinishing it may let the mojo out.

-it gives me an excuse to buy a Model 64 where I don't have to worry about the finish.

I picked up this Model 10 a few years ago for $250. It was refinished at some point before I found it at a pawn shop.
Your Model 10 would look great re-blued, but you need to decide if it’s worth putting the moneys into it.

As the guys posted, you're looking at at least $200 bucks and up to refinish a gun that'll be worth a bit above $400.00 when it's done.

If you plan on keeping it forever and passing it down to your heir(s), then it may be worth it. Same if it's a sentimental gun, like a relatives old duty gun that you want to hang onto.

If it's just a knock-arounder, then you're going to be just as well off to give it a really good cleaning and fire away.

I bought a S&W Model 64, which is the same gun as yours but in stainless steel, from AIM surplus about 18 months back. It really needed a good cleaning, which it got, and now it shoots great but looks battered because the previous user(s) scratched the hell out of it around the hammer (It looks like it was used to pound a nail!). Sooner or later I'm going to bead-blast it and it'll be good as new.

Again; your gun, your $$, your choice... but as I look at it the blued finish is somewhat worn but it's in pretty good shape as it sits .

Stay safe.

You may find someone to cerakote it cheaper than reblue it. It consider that and then use it for carrying. I want one and would snap that up if I found it for 150-200 In a pawnshop. I missed one for about 150 that was cut down to 3 inches and had nice stages but bad barrel wear from a holster on one side. I should have gotten it

BJDaBoss

Ford's Plating (they do some very nice refinishing), charges $250 for a matte blue finish. Their Hard Chrome plating (a much more longer lasting finish than your typical bluing), starts at $325. Ron Mahovsky at Metalife has his SS Chromium M Hard Chrome finish at $155 and he also does really good work.

The only drawback to a Hard Chrome finish that I can think of is it's silvery appearance. To me it looks like stainless steel and there's nothing wrong with that in my book. The upside is it's less expensive to have done than rebluing, has a higher surface hardness than the gun itself, and will last many eons longer. My Beretta Model 70S was Metalifed well over 35 years ago and still looks like new!

If you’re handy with your hands and so inclined you could DIY rust blue. A bit labor intensive but durable and attractive.

That Model 10 won't be worth any more refinished, and it won't function any better. Clean it up, keep it oiled, and shoot the heck out of it. I have a 2" M&P (pre-Model 10) that looks quite a bit worse than the pics you posted, but I just consider it to be character, and a sign of many years of productive use.

BJThaBoss said:

Yes it need all parts cleaned or polished.

Click to expand...

It needs more than a clean & polish because there is almost no original finish left on it to clean it polish.

If you feel energetic, get a fine polishing agent like Mother's Mag Polish or a tube of Semichrome polish and do your best.

Follow it up with a bottle of Van's Instant Blue, carefully follow the instructions, and call it done.

Personally, I think that gun has character. I like it the way it is.

I like it as it is too!

Maybe its just me, but I say,, and I would, leave her just as she is. Some history there, whether known or not. Shoot her, enjoy her and treat her with TLC-- Now, the stocks might be another matter. I picked up a 1940 lend-lease some time back-- something on the barrel but I took her home anyway. Removed the plug, found a repo swivel and will pick up a real one if I ever get to another gun show. She shoots really well, bore is like new and caliber is .38 S&W which I load for. After several trips to the range I dont even notice the barrel. I didnt get her as a show piece, but being a 4"er, I'd take her anywhere. Here she is with her period, far as I know SD Myers holster. I would stock with Stag but the stocks match so I just added the Tyler.

Please don't ceracoat it. It looks like freakin' spray paint.

Frankly, I think it looks perfect as it is. It is not a new gun, it shouldn't look like one.

I dare say MOST guns are not worth refinishing anyway. Plus, very often, they get over polished, markings are mushed out, corners are rounded off, and just looks horrible. Having it done well will cost plenty of money, and it will add ZERO value to the gun, which isn't a huge amount anyway.

Leave it alone there BJThaBoss, except for a cleaning.

I'd throw different grips on it.

Some old wood grips with the patina it has may make you want to NOT refinish it.

You can always refinish quickly, but you can never re-age without lots of time