S&W mod 27-2 questions

If the serial is the S313547 number then it was made 1968-69. The 4" barrel on the 27-2 was not a standard item at that time, requiring special order before 1979 when it became a standard length. If this gun is indeed from 1968-69 and does have a 4" barrel it would be rare and valuable.

If it weren't pitted and messed up, of course. In that condition, I would still buy it for $200 as a shooter. Check the butt for the serial to confirm the date of manufacture. This is where you can rely on finding the correct number.

Where's the pitting? In the barrel? If there's "a lot of pitting" inside the barrel, I'd probably stay away from it.

Personally, with the condition you describe, I'd probably stay away from it anyway.

Go for it. I would.

I would pick up virtually any mechanically sound S&W hand ejector revolver in a caliber I would shoot for that price. It may not be in collector condition, but it will give you years of great shooting.

This is a 5" 27-2 from that period. A nice one will go for $500-$700.

buy it... now.

In the condition described it is actually probably worth about $300 I'd guess. At the right price, I'd buy it and have someone locally srip it and give it an inexpensive hot blue dunk and make it a truck gun or woods gun. Even if it's ugly, it will have a good protective finish and for $350 or thereabouts total you will have one fine shooting gun, one actually that will be hard to equal in any another DA revolver.

Are the pits really deep? You'll be surprised at how nicely some guns will clean up with oil and coarse steel wool to work away the rust.

I know some local guys still charge about $100 for a handgun, so you might find it for that if you hunt/ask around. Avoid cold processes, as they just don't last - they wear very rapidly.

If you have no one around or are in BF maine (as we used to call it when I lived in norther VT - like that was not remote!), a home process you can do (I hear, I have not done it yet though I probably will next summer) is a rust blue. Takes time and a some patience, but is low cost and very good results I here. I know of the Dunlap book but I do not have it, so I don't know what he says in there. Another option is that I hear this works well, though no personal experience.

http://www.blindhogg.com/homemadesalts.html

No dremeling -it's a recipe for disaster. Hand work is slower but better unless you are a pro. Heck, if you paid $175, call S&W and see what they want to re-blue it. Strip it and polish it yourself, then send it to them. I heard recently someone paid like $160 total with shipping both ways for a very high-caliber blue job.

As to weight, my 3.5" 27 weights 41ozs with stock magna grips as I recall. A 5" one is probably 43/44 ozs. My older government models weigh 40/41 ozs, so I always use that as a benchmark of handgun weight.

Great deal. If you can, take some "before" then "after" pics and update us when it's done. What a bargain!

I cringed when I saw the OP ask about a cheap $50 bluing job on a classic like S&W model 27. All I can say is..PLEASE DON'T!

What sparkyguy66 said .... PLEASE DON'T x 2 !! The 27 is a grand old lady as you will discover after you've had her for a while and deserves to be treated as one. Great gun, great buy. Congrats.

If it is just the finish that is damaged and not the metal it can be refinished to look like new. S&W and Ford's Refinishing have both done excellent work that I have seen. It will cost about $250 with shipping so you will have about $425 in a refinshed 27. About right. Or leave it as is and just shoot it.

An emphatic "DITTO" on Fuff's call not to use the Dremel or any other form of abrasive AT ALL ! ! ! !

The rust "blooms" you describe sound more like minor surface beginnings. WIth some oil and 0000 steel wool work they will come off and clean up quite nicely. I had the same small spots of this sort on a friend's .22 rifle that had been in storage for many years in a bad place. He'd oiled it but it dried or got scuffed off over the years and rust had begun to leave it's mark.

I hit it with the oil and 0000 and it came up nicely. A few repeats and it looks just fine to a quick inspection. And don't spare the firm to heavy pressure on the wool. The wool itself is softer than the gun's metal and the blueing is a lot tougher than you think. Have at 'er with a fair amount of gusto.

While the steel wool won't harm the blueing ANY abrasive will. THis includes heavy use of pretty much any sort of polishing media like mag wheel polish or the often mentioned on this board Flitz gun polish. Occasional use of the Flitz or other gun specific polishes should not cause a problem but regular use will eventually wear the blue off the edges and thin it on the flats and rounds.

A re-blue is still an option but try the oil and wool first. It's a cheap fix and will clean the gun up well enough that you can do a better evaluation of the finish and make plans accordingly.

Because the wool will break up and get into every nook and cranny I suggest a complete strip down of the action before you start. Besides, it'll let you get into the action for a good cleanup. Take a ton of digital camera pictures as you go as a guide for re-assembly if you're in doubt about your ability to remember all the stuff and keep notes about how some of the parts fit and function before you pull 'em apart for the same reason.

From the sounds of it you'll have a nice shooting gun for super cheap following this work. To add to it I'd suggest installing a Wolff Spring Kit. I put one in my 28 and it's amazing the transformation it provided. The lightest trigger spring makes the DA pull light enough that I actually would not recomend it for carry or HD but it's sweetness itself at the range or for shooting in matches.

BUY

I would buy it now if the bore and action are in good shape. Then you could have it refinished . The model 27 is a favorite of mine. Good luck to you, snooperman

When he was done with the multiple coats and Karding that finish looked beyond belief. HUGE depth to the finish...but a big PITA to do compared to hot blues.

Click to expand...

Sounds like he was apply the "rust blue" method I mentioned above. Google that and you will find details. It does produce great finishes if you put in the time and work.

To take the sideplate off, remove the screws and grips. Hold the gun by the barrel/cylinder, and rap the grip frame with the wooden end of a hammer or something similar. The plate will vibrate off, so do this over a towel so it lands on something soft. If you try to pry it you will tweak/bend the edge of the finished corner at the top near the hammer. The only thing that will fall out will be the hammer-block safety. It goes rides on the rebound slide on the lower end and in a groove on the sideplate vertically. Be sure to re-insert it when you close the gun back up.

What I do with an old gun at this point is examine the hammer/trigger hooks for evidence of stoning through the case hardening (that is bad - an old Bubba gun smith job). Usually you don't see it, so no big danger. If the gun is clean, just dab a tiny amount of grease on the moving/sliding parts and put her back together. If it's nasty inside, Spray it all out liberally with carb or brake cleaner, let it dry, then lube it and put it back together. If you need to disassemble it more, you need isntructions. The Kuhnhausen manual is the standard reference. At the top of this forum, Sylvan_Forge has made a well-illustrated walk through of much of the manual so you can follow his photos and instructions on disassembly/assembly. It is stickied in the revolver forum main page near the top.

Good luck.

Nothing will go SPROINNNNNG ! ! ! when you lift the side plate....

There's a few springs in there but the only two that are biggies are the main spring and the trigger return. The main spring is a big leaf thing you'll see when you lift off the grips and the other is inside a sliding block where it can't jump for freedom. It's been a couple of months since I had mine apart and I didn't take it apart all the way but I think there's a couple of other whisker springs that are captured in place. You'll see them soon enough.

It's worth the cost of a couple of screwdrivers or good quality replacement slot bits to carefully grind and hone them to a perfect fit in the screws both for width and thickness. NOTHING ruins the look and value of a fine revolver like chewed screw heads.