S&W K38 Masterpiece - Refinish or not

Refinishing will do nothing to enhance any (little, IMHO) "collectible" value it might have.
Clean it and shoot it.
Repeat.

It's not highly desireable in it's condition, but also probably won't be after refinishing. With that said, refinish if it makes you happy.

Refinishing won't increase it's value. Given it's current state, it won't hurt it's value either, but it will cost money to do, so that will be lost. Personally I'd just clean it and shoot the crap out of it, and probably carry it some.

BTW that is a K38 Combat Masterpiece. A K38 Masterpiece would have a thicker "bull" barrel, not the tapered barrel of your example.

I don't think I'd bother. I've got a well worn Model 19 that I kinda, maybe thought about refinishing, but then I think "Why?" It will never be "new" again. Might as well let it age gracefully.

I'd try to clean the rust off it. I've found that just wiping it off with an oily rag, or even Hoppes No 9, and letting it soak for a little while, then rub it gently with paper towels works for me. It's slow, but I'm in no hurry. Others use other stuff.

But if you did want to refinish it, I can't think of any reason not to. There's no collector value to hurt really. That ship has sailed.

Dudemeister

I have found that Flitz works very well at removing surface rust without harming the rest of the blued finish. If it were my gun I would probably just leave it as is and not get it refinished.

Ford's of Florida could make that fine Smith look new. BUT , you would then have a piece which you would tend to handle gingerly so as not to cause a single blemish. You would have a lot of money sunk into a gun that is not worth a lot of money. Tough call. Do it if you want a beautiful K38. I have a nickel Combat Masterpiece which is of shooter condition. I shoot it. A lot.

Last I heard it's not possible to fill the pits back in and still have a blued finish. So some of the surrounding metal would need to be removed and damage feathered in over yet a wider area to remove the pitting. And that is a lot of rather costly work.

Another option is to have the rust chemically removed along with the existing blueing. Once clean the pits can be filled with solder and made flush with the surface. At that point the gun can be nickel or chrome plated.

Needless to say all these options are rather pricey or invasive. And as mentioned collectors will collectively turn up their noses and turn away from you and your gun in disgust. So you'd only be doing this for YOU. Which means you won't get a penny of the re-finishing money back if you ever sell the gun.

So all in all and lacking any personal or family history aspect to this gun I'd suggest just oil and steel wool on the rust pits to smoothen them out and then shoot the blazes out of the gun.

You can take some bronze wool and oil, and remove some of the surface rust without damaging the basic bluing. However, it looks as though the corrosion has penetrated the base metal, and the only solution is to remove the bluing and refinish the metal.

However, I think you'd be chasing your tail.

Re-bluing prep work won't take off that pitting. Too deep already. One option is to cera-cote or the like.

Shoot it a while and enjoy it.

I gently rub the rust spots on my C&R type acquisitions with 0000 steel wool and oil, then follow up with generous and regular applications of a good gun oil.

After shooting your 'old' S&W a while, if the looks bother you and you want to get it refinished, go ahead, since that really will not affect the "collector's value" due to the blemishes and pitting already present. If it makes me feel better, I do it, keeping in mind that getting the added expense back out of the firearm if/when I sell it, is unlikely.

Either way, congratulations on your purchase - they don't make 'em like that anymore!

I've had surprisngly good results going after surface rust with some 0000 steel wool and some oil. Keep it wet and go at it gently, and I bet you're surprised at how well it works without harming the finsih around it.

Sunray said:

Re-bluing prep work won't take off that pitting. Too deep already. One option is to cera-cote or the like.

Click to expand...

Even with the modern coatings, the corrosion has to be removed completely. Otherwise, you can see the pitting.

If your in a area prone to rust, I'd have it bead blasted and electroless nickeled.

Dudemeister said:

Or ultimately, if I can find a clean side plate for sale at Gunbroker for cheap I might get it as a replacement.

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Sideplates aren't drop-in - they're fitted to each gun.

Looks like a nice gun. Shoot it and enjoy it.

I'd forgotten about some sort of "-kote" option. If you wanted to go that route for a relatively cheap re-finish then the pitting could be cleaned out and rust removed with any of the rust removal chemicals and the pits filled in with Bondo, epoxy or solder. The areas would then be sanded flush and smooth to match the rest of the metal and the "-kote" product then used as directed.

Still, you'd be covering up a "questionable past" that give pause and raises curiosity about the tales the gun could tell if it could talk. And I, for one, tend to like such a look.

If it was mine, I'd probably get it refinished. A flawed finish like that would just bother me each time I held it. There are so darn many K38s in circulation I kinda doubt it would be a real collectible.

I'm in a similar situation myself. Got a 15-3 that needs a little attention. Don't ever plan on selling it, only handing it down. Although mine has no rust spots, just some worn bluing, and someone nailed the front sight with something that left it straight, but the front of it's all peened up.

Would just love to send it off to smith to have it returned in like new condition, but I hesitate to what amounts to essentially throwing money away as it's just a range toy now, and will be afterword too.

but there's just the thing about it looking like new too....

I this were my gun I would be considering one of several options.

1. I would probably remove the rust with a good gun oil (Rem Oil) and 0000 steel wool.

2. If the worn finish really bothers you I agree that one of the synthetic finishes available today is a good and relatively inexpensive way to go.

3. If you are one of those who like things to be just as they were when they were made you can always send it back to S&W and have them replace the finish. They do some amazing work although, like said above, nothing will completely remove the pitting for a Blue finish.

I have a Colt Detective that was given to me but the first owner didn't treat it well. There was considerable rust and a good amount of pitting. After several hours of 0000 steel wool and Rem Oil all the rust was gone and I have been shooting it for over a year now. If it weren't for the pitting it would have been sent to Colt for a Royal blue finish but the pitting... GREAT shooter but not a good looker! (just like yours lol)

If after cleaning it with 4-0 steel wool & oil, you still really would like to refinish it, I would go with S&W. It would come back looking like new (at least the ones I sent when I was a dealer certainly did) and it's hard to equal the factory finish - not impossible, but you would be hard pressed to equal it. Personally, I would would steel wool it & shoot it

I have a couple of guns that suffer from previous owners neglect. I have learned to come to grips with the fact that they aren't perfect and I just shoot them as they are. Actually I kind of like the fact that if I drop them I won't be able to tell if there are any new scratches.

If you elect to refinish your Combat Masterpiece, be aware that whatever you do will not add value dollar for dollar for what you spend to have it done. So a $200 refinish won't even come close to adding two bills to the resale value.

Probably worst condition gun I own is a Model 15-2 that was left in a holster or rag on a boat for many years. Then when the owner discovered that it was rusted, he attacked it with Scotchbrite, scratching the metal. I was going to refinish it, but the more I checked into the cost, the more I just decided to leave it alone. Now it has become my walkabout desert gun and I am glad I left it alone.

Warning: pictures not for the faint of heart.

Tough one.

Collectibility relative to either the current state or a refinished one is a wash.

Leaving it as is leaves an existing and significant foothold for rust to worsen.

Re-bluing it will necessitate some material removal to address the pitting.

Coating it will also require some material removal though likely less unless you can be assured of corrosion arrest beneath the coating.

I guess, if you don't mind the look, you just have to be honest with yourself about whether or not you'll keep it sufficiently protected in order for the existing cancer to not spread or deepen.

Maybe you can be the first guy on your block with a digital camo old school revolver?

Highpower -

That would be the "rat" look. I like it , in it's own way.