BSA1
member
I'd consider this. You are replacing a finish that rusted after 6 hours of being wet with a finsh that will rust if left wet for 6 hours.
Made a Mistake - Want to Reblue
- Thread starter InfamousLegend
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rcmodel
Member in memoriam
It did not rust in six hours!!
I'd betcha a truck load of them on that.
I have carried blued S&W revolvers through hell & back weather through the years, and never ever had one rust.
Pre-prep with an occasional wipedown with a Rig-Rag to get sweaty salty handprints off them..
Then take them out of wet holsters to dry out when you get inside.
Thats all it takes!
rc
I'd betcha a truck load of them on that.
I have carried blued S&W revolvers through hell & back weather through the years, and never ever had one rust.
Pre-prep with an occasional wipedown with a Rig-Rag to get sweaty salty handprints off them..
Then take them out of wet holsters to dry out when you get inside.
Thats all it takes!
rc
jimmyraythomason
Member
Blued guns don't rust easily. The higher the polish,the more resistant to rust it is. Good hot bluing with a good film of oil or wax will stand up to many days in the field before needing attention(even in wet weather).
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The Old Fuff will suggest that something in the material the bag was made of might have - when the bag got wet - contributed to the rusting.
Anyway it's now a moot point. The question is, "What's the best way to fix the damage?"
Anyway it's now a moot point. The question is, "What's the best way to fix the damage?"
InfamousLegend
Member
Here's a bunch of pictures of the gun, and as far as I'm concerned the underlying metal is in fantastic condition overall, it is just the finish that needs some work. Some of the pictures do not display it well but the stampings are all 100% so those will not need much if any work.
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InfamousLegend
Member
InfamousLegend
Member
I'm going to say .. I believe it was rusted once before it was cleaned, and reblued with one of those CRAPPY little bluing pens. It's looks good initially, but actually PROMOTES future rusting. I litterally watched the red rust form on the bottom of that golf club.
icanthitabarn
Member
..... Get that poor thing back to the factory for the attention she has been deprived of. That beauty has been abused and is heartbreaking to look at....
Can I get an Amen?
InfamousLegend
Member
I honestly don't know if it was reblued previously but after 6-7 hours when I came back and opened the gun case there were red spots all over the revolver where I missed water. I wiped her down at that point and the rust scratched the surface even more. Point is I would like to have her Reblued once and then honestly use her. I want her to have an aged look with some faded bluing but I want to be the one that writes the story on the gun.
Again the underlying metal is in great shape and so are the factory markings. What do you think Turnbull would charge?
Again the underlying metal is in great shape and so are the factory markings. What do you think Turnbull would charge?
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ArchAngelCD
Member.
Something is wrong if any Blue gun rusts and especially pits after only 6 hours.
If that were my gun I would get some 0000 steel wool, soak it down with a good gun oil and buff all the rust spots off the gun. Then treat it would a good oil or some G96 and call it good.
Since that is a pre-M27 if I were to have it refinished I would only send it back to S&W for the work to be done, nowhere else.
If that were my gun I would get some 0000 steel wool, soak it down with a good gun oil and buff all the rust spots off the gun. Then treat it would a good oil or some G96 and call it good.
Since that is a pre-M27 if I were to have it refinished I would only send it back to S&W for the work to be done, nowhere else.
icanthitabarn
Member
Are there two Turnbull companies?
InfamousLegend
Member
http://www.turnbullmfg.com/
I may have already said it but Turnbull doesn't disassemble dual action revolvers, which means I would have to have it done before sending it in, then reassemble it when it comes back.
I may have already said it but Turnbull doesn't disassemble dual action revolvers, which means I would have to have it done before sending it in, then reassemble it when it comes back.
Confederate
Member
Avoid S&W bluing because they no longer can produce the brilliant blues they once did because of ecological considerations.
Me, I've never bought blued guns unless I had to. I love the looks of bluing...it's gorgeous. But almost immediately revolvers start getting that ring around the cylinder! It's unsightly and bluing really doesn't protect that well against moisture. It also wears in the holster.
If you're just going to shoot it, go with any of the other recommendations. The bluing jobs look fabulous. S&W blackens guns nowadays and that's why I'd avoid them. I don't know if you'd consider having your gun hard chromed, but that process not only is cheaper, it's impervious to wear. Plus, except for springs, it stops it completely. Hard chrome is extremely resistant to moisture. I've had several guns hard chromed and it's as if they completely stop wearing. See description here.
Some people don't like hard chroming, so bluing or a great nickel job are options. I love nickel plating and its beauty rivals the best bluing jobs.
Having said that, you may want to leave your original finish as it is. If you have to turn it upside down to see it and feel it, just keep the gun as a shooter. And whether you keep it as it is or you reblue it, BreakFree is an astounding product for protecting your handguns. I don't know how old you are, but I recall when BreakFree hit the market. They put it through every test you could conceive of. They found that if you coated your gun with BF beforehand, it would resist almost anything. They buried guns, they left them under water sprinklers, etc. That's why it became the military standard. True, it protects guns, but it also attracts gunk, so that's why it's not great for desert duty. Militec-1 lubricates guns very well without the gunk, but it's got near zero protection against moisture. True to military form, they've got soldiers putting BF on their guns in the Middle East and then making them clean their weapons several times a day. If they used Militec-1, they could spend their extra time concentrating on not getting shot, but when the military was looking for a good gun lubricant, they wanted something that would Clean, Lubricate, and Protect -- thus the term CLP -- in jungle environs.
Bottom line: Use the datgum stuff. It works and works well. Then if you miss a spot, no big deal. Anyway, that's my two cents.
P.S. -- I just did a quick Google search and found this informative write-up on firearms and rust/corrosion. You might be interested in the test results.
.
Me, I've never bought blued guns unless I had to. I love the looks of bluing...it's gorgeous. But almost immediately revolvers start getting that ring around the cylinder! It's unsightly and bluing really doesn't protect that well against moisture. It also wears in the holster.
If you're just going to shoot it, go with any of the other recommendations. The bluing jobs look fabulous. S&W blackens guns nowadays and that's why I'd avoid them. I don't know if you'd consider having your gun hard chromed, but that process not only is cheaper, it's impervious to wear. Plus, except for springs, it stops it completely. Hard chrome is extremely resistant to moisture. I've had several guns hard chromed and it's as if they completely stop wearing. See description here.
Some people don't like hard chroming, so bluing or a great nickel job are options. I love nickel plating and its beauty rivals the best bluing jobs.
Having said that, you may want to leave your original finish as it is. If you have to turn it upside down to see it and feel it, just keep the gun as a shooter. And whether you keep it as it is or you reblue it, BreakFree is an astounding product for protecting your handguns. I don't know how old you are, but I recall when BreakFree hit the market. They put it through every test you could conceive of. They found that if you coated your gun with BF beforehand, it would resist almost anything. They buried guns, they left them under water sprinklers, etc. That's why it became the military standard. True, it protects guns, but it also attracts gunk, so that's why it's not great for desert duty. Militec-1 lubricates guns very well without the gunk, but it's got near zero protection against moisture. True to military form, they've got soldiers putting BF on their guns in the Middle East and then making them clean their weapons several times a day. If they used Militec-1, they could spend their extra time concentrating on not getting shot, but when the military was looking for a good gun lubricant, they wanted something that would Clean, Lubricate, and Protect -- thus the term CLP -- in jungle environs.
Bottom line: Use the datgum stuff. It works and works well. Then if you miss a spot, no big deal. Anyway, that's my two cents.
P.S. -- I just did a quick Google search and found this informative write-up on firearms and rust/corrosion. You might be interested in the test results.
.
I have two N-Frame revolvers that the factory has totally re-finished. One's a 29-5 that my dealer took in as a seized PD gun trade. A 1991 vintage, it was dinged up. Topstrap was scratched up, front sight insert was missing, rear sight blade was broken. He sent it to S&W for a re-do, and I bought it from him when it came back. It is absolutely gorgeous, looks new. The cost a couple years ago was $190. I honestly can't imagine it looking any better.
The other is a 1952 pre-27 I bought from the same dealer a couple weeks ago.
He bought it from its original owner who'd carried it a bunch but had not fired it much. Off to the factory. It's three feet away from me right now, looking brand new, except for the original grips that didn't really need replacing.
Again, I can't imagine it looking any nicer, short of engraving.
S&W may not still be able to build 'em like they used to, but I can tell you from personal experience they CAN still re-finish 'em beautifully.
I'd think it downright foolish to spend $1500 on Turnbull when S&W can do a superlative job for $250.
Just call to see if they need warning, then box it up INTACT & ship it off.
They'll do everything that needs to be done for you.
While there they can also check for any mechanical work that needs doing.
You'll get it back fully assembled.
Denis
The other is a 1952 pre-27 I bought from the same dealer a couple weeks ago.
He bought it from its original owner who'd carried it a bunch but had not fired it much. Off to the factory. It's three feet away from me right now, looking brand new, except for the original grips that didn't really need replacing.
Again, I can't imagine it looking any nicer, short of engraving.
S&W may not still be able to build 'em like they used to, but I can tell you from personal experience they CAN still re-finish 'em beautifully.
I'd think it downright foolish to spend $1500 on Turnbull when S&W can do a superlative job for $250.
Just call to see if they need warning, then box it up INTACT & ship it off.
They'll do everything that needs to be done for you.
While there they can also check for any mechanical work that needs doing.
You'll get it back fully assembled.
Denis
InfamousLegend
Member
The problem I'm having is I want to have a high quality company do it, which basically leaves S&W, Turnbull, or Fords. I also want a nice blue color not black which S&W can't do. I am half tempted to wait 3 months and have Turnbull do it.
Dermatologist must be doing re-blues at that place.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I actually see quite a bit of metalwork that needs doing on that sixgun. Again, how did Turnbull come up with that number? It really shouldn't cost that much but they would have to know something we don't to come up with it. A standard reblue would cost $200-$300 and yours will be a little higher than that because it needs some extra work. Bear in mind that Turnbull will be hand-polishing and surely that figure includes carbona bluing, not regular hot blue.
By contrast, Jim Stroh does a full pre-war finish on a single action, which includes hand-polishing, color case hardened frame, gate and hammer, nitre blued screws and carbona bluing on the balance for $950.
I would send it to Ford's or Accurate Plating before S&W. Sorry but they're not the last word in refinishing and it has absolutely nothing to do with the EPA. Although they may be the cheapest.
By contrast, Jim Stroh does a full pre-war finish on a single action, which includes hand-polishing, color case hardened frame, gate and hammer, nitre blued screws and carbona bluing on the balance for $950.
I would send it to Ford's or Accurate Plating before S&W. Sorry but they're not the last word in refinishing and it has absolutely nothing to do with the EPA. Although they may be the cheapest.
bikemutt
Member
I tried the Metalife hard chrome finish Confederate suggested and while I have no doubt as to it's durability, it's beauty was definitely not in the eye of this beholder. I was disappointed with the prep work and the result, YMMV.
InfamousLegend
Member
Craig, I didn't give him any information aside from it was a Pre-27 S&W, nothing more. I just asked if he could give a guess as to how much it would cost. I didn't mention anything about the condition of the gun. Also I would not put a finish on this gun aside from bluing, I love how wood grips and blued steel looks, its actually my favorite finish from shotguns to rifles and handguns.
I should ask though, what metal work do you think the gun needs? Also does Charcoal bluing give better color than hot bluing?
I should ask though, what metal work do you think the gun needs? Also does Charcoal bluing give better color than hot bluing?
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jimmyraythomason
Member
All those pock marks will have to be polished out. They will show up much better once the old bluing is removed(they are in the metal,not the old bluing). Removing them without damaging the stampings isn't easy and the reason an expert at it costs so much.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I don't blame you. It's a nice pre-27 and it deserves to be finished properly. I love hard chrome, in the right application and IMHO, this isn't one of them. Yes, carbona (charcoal) bluing will give you a nice muted blue luster. Look at Turnbull's Open Range sixguns as well as the USFA Pre-War models to get an idea of what it will look like. It's also a tougher finish than hot salt blue but very labor intensive, which is why it costs more.
Yep!
Cocked & Locked
Member
This is not a pre 27 but a 27-2. Also not refinished, but original factory finish with some freckles and wear here and there.
If looks are what you are after, and OK with the fact a re-blue will lessen the value of your gun, Fords could make your gun look better than this.
If looks are what you are after, and OK with the fact a re-blue will lessen the value of your gun, Fords could make your gun look better than this.
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