Recommendation on Refinishing Pistols

Old Colts and S&W's had that "glossy" finish on most models.

The gloss will depend upon the degree of polishing prior to bluing the gun. You can explain what you want and a good refinisher can give you just the sort of finish you desire.

The bluing solutions, components, and procedures differ. These determine color. You'll have to look hard to find a shop that can give you the old royal blue of Colt or the carbonna blue of S&W.

Moreover, there is an art to properly polishing a gun so that screw holes aren't dished and edges aren't rounded. Select your shop with care.

What I want to avoid is the purplish color I have seen on some reblue jobs. The kind that sometimes gives off a rainbowish hue.

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That is from impurities in the salts and develops over time. Having someone reputable do the job is guarantee against that. I'd go to the manufacturer for quality Colts or Smiths like you say. Or places like Ford's, etc.

Turnbull Restorations.

Here it is.

http://www.fordsguns.com/

Sometimes the "purple color" is caused by silicone in investment castings. It is added to the steel alloy as a mold release. The parts comes out of the tank with a blue color, that turns purple later. A good example of this can be seen on some early Ruger single action revolver frames. The solution is usually to leave the parts in the tank longer, and sometimes to increase the heat.

Those earlier Colt and Smith & Wesson's (pre-World War Two) were not "tank blued," but colored by different heat process. Most of the "look," and color was accomplished by the high level of polishing. In spite of claims, I don't believe anyone is able to exactly duplicate it, and in any case coming even close is very expensive. If at least 50% or more of the original finish remains it is probably better to leave it as it is.