Nickel S&w M19 - Advice On Cleaning, Worth Needed

[The Mighty Beagle]

Just traded my Ruger P94 for this 6" beauty. I thought that I got a decent deal on the trade, but was just wondering what the cash value on the gun would be. Frankly, even if the gun isn't "original" in a collector way, I'm not too bummed as I got it because it was so darn pretty.

It is a 19-4, is pinned and recessed, and has mother-of-pearl-looking grips on it with S&W medallions that the dealer claimed were real mother-of-pearl (yeah, right). It has the narrow trigger/hammer setup and has a Patridge front sight, which curiously appears nickeled, while the rear sight is blued and the ejector star is blued. Anyway, the gun looks unfired, and he said the nickel finish was original and not added later. He said it was part of a collection of over 100 S&W pistols they acquired from an estate.

The truth is, I know a lot about handguns but this is my first foray into Smith collecting, so I wonder how I did. Did Smith actually make a gun like this, or was my gun refinished? If it was, some gunsmith did an outstanding job on it.

Also, how do I take care of my new gun's finish? Can I use Break-Free on it, or FP-10? How do you clean a nickeled gun with Hoppe's and get all of it back off? I never quite seem to be able to get it COMPLETELY off of my other guns. Is there a solvent that wouldn't hurt my finish?

Thanks!

 

[The Mighty Beagle]

Ok, maybe someone could suggest an alternative bore solvent to Hoppes? Can I just use CLP?

 

[sm]

Congrats, nice gun!

I know they say one can use no 9 and wipe off quickly...but I wouldn't--didn't. One distraction and its history. A wee bit seeps in , not noticed, not wiped off and the nickel will separate from the copper underneath...ain't worh the risk ...IMO

I have used with no problems, Zippo lighter fluid, Kleenbore Formula 3 Gun conditioner.

I still use the F3 to clean lube and protect , regardless of finish, or platform...but especially the nickel finish.

 

[Mike Irwin]

It was made between 1977 and 1982. On pg. 115 in Supica & Nahaus there's a picture of a 6" nickle plated Model 19 with a nickle plated front sight and blued rear.

Yep, it's a factory gun in that configuration.

 

[Hal]

Is there a solvent that wouldn't hurt my finish?

Emphatic YES!!
Ballistol. Works like a champ.
Stay away from the #9. Actually, stay away from anything with ammonia in it. It will eventually give the bright finish a yellow cast. I used it (#9) for a long time on my 6" 19, and it definately has a "jaundiced" look next to my Nickle 19 4". CLP, Kero , lighter fluid (like re1973 says)(or you can pick up VMP Naptha @ a paint store for cheaper- - same thing as lighter fluid). I like Ballistol cause it's easier on the lungs, and nowhere near toxic, plus it cuts through any lead deposits like a hot knife through butter.

Your 19-4 sounds like the spitin image of mine,('cept for the grips, mine are wood) which BTW, is my #1 go to, last to part with, if-I can-see-it-I-can-hit-it gun.

RE: The Nickle front sight. You're either going to love it or loath it. No middle ground. I'm very partial to it since it helps keep me focused on the front sight. If the bright finish bothers you, just blacken it with a match or a lighter. The soot wipes right off.

Value? Could be all over the board. I paid $230 for mine NIB in late 197- something. (7 or 8?- no matter). I paid $295 for an unfired 4" 19-3 in Nickle a couple of years ago. The grips,,I don't believe,,make it any special run, since I've seen a model 29 Nickle with those grips selling for ~ $500. which is about average for the same gun w/out those grips at the same dealer.

Overall, you done good..No you done REAL good! If yours fits you as well as mine fits me,,,and it turns out to be one of the "good ones" Smith put out in those years,,,it's worth a truck load of Ruger's.(Just MHO, of course)

 

[The Mighty Beagle]

Thanks for the great advice guys. I think I'm going to avoid #9 altogether and just clean my bore with CLP or Ballistol when the time comes. I put a coating of FP10 on it for the time being until I shoot it today, since I was a little afraid of the other two. I am hoping like all get out that the "electro-chemical changes" it claims on the bottle do not screw up my finish, but then that's probably just marketing BS. It seems pretty innocuous.

Mike,
I am simply too poor to be able to afford a Smith reference book at this time. Thanks for the confirmation, it's much appreciated. Sounds like some lucky guy is running around with the original wood target-style grips that went on my gun - oh well. I like the pimpy pearl look anyway and am just glad I didn't get taken.


Hal and Mr. 1973,
I thought I had read somewhere about the jaundiced look that Hoppes can give, yet in researching this subject could not find it again. THANK YOU for confirming my suspicions that it can indeed happen. My 19 looks very "white" ... in fact I thought it was chromed at first ... and I wanna keep it that way.

I suppose I owe it to you guys to 'fess up on what I gave for the gun.

The guy wanted $500, so I thought I'll get rid of my Ruger, which I have been trying to sell for what seems like forever for $425. Well, I ended up giving him my never-been-in-a-holster-but fired-ALOT P94 9mm with box and extra 10-round mag. ... and $150 to boot. Financially, I took a loss and it even sounds to me like I got taken, so I won't be offended by your comments.

But, in gun tradin' Karma terms, I DEFINITELY feel like I got the better end of the deal. I walked away with a unique version of a truly sweet six-shooter from a bygone era where attention to detail and fit still counted for something, a gun the likes of which will never be seen again, and will only appreciate in value. The Ruger was pretty much the opposite, going down in value as we speak due to the $40 rebate program they are having. It was just - crude.

Words cannot describe the contempt I developed for that P94, nor can they describe the joy I felt when I walked out of the show with the prettiest gun I've ever seen tucked into my waistband.

Ahh, the ecstasy that is the M19. It's the answer to a life-long search for that perfect gun, the one you settle down with. Being of small stature (with small hands too), I just sort of "came home" to the .357 and the K-frame recently. As a kid getting into guns, I was convinced by the gun magazines that my Dad's M19 was underpowered for almost any purpose, and even though it fit me like a glove, I went off on a 15-year tangent involving just about every .44 or .45 revolver out there. But except for my Dan Wesson 44 (just acquired at Christmas), I was never really happy with the accuracy, the fit, or the recoil. Dad always said there was no need to look any further than the old 19.

And then it was like magic, a 686 I bought on the cheap grouped 6 shots into an inch at 25 yards with the first handload I tried, and I was hooked on the .357/.38 thereafter. Easy recoil, intrinsic accuracy, enough real-life power for anythign up to deer ... and inexpensive to shoot.

But it was like an epiphany - I had simply been throwing money away. Suddenly I realized that the paper targets I shot at didn't give a hoot about how big my bullets were. The only ones impressed by my large-bore usage were the bullet companies who charged $5 to $7 more for a box of 100 hollow-point bullets than they did for .38 HP's.

At any rate, I love the new 19. It has a balance and carryability that my clubby 686 just can't quite meet, though an excellent sixgun nevertheless. And that nickeled target front sight was a real turn-on, being very, very visible to my bad eyes.

Guess dad was right all along, and I told him so last night.

Thanks for all the advice, guys.

 

[MikeJ]

Congratulations on your new gun. I don't think you got taken on that deal. Used Ruger pistols typically sell for around $300 to $350, at least around her, and that's if they are in like new condition. I think you made out quite well. Mike

 

[The Mighty Beagle]

Thanks Mike. I don't feel too badly since I knew I paid too much for the P94 to begin with. But hey, the wife wanted it ...

 

[Old Fuff]

To preserve and protect the nickel finish don't use oil, grease or solvent. Instead give it a coat or two of good-quality wax - the kind used on automobiles. Be sure to get wax, not polish. The gun will be dry to the touch can clean up quickly. when done give it another coat of wax. The wax is O.K. for wood stocks too. You may have to polish out matt surfaces with a toothbrush.

 

[aug e. dog]

I have a Ruger P95, which is very functional. I also have a 4" nickel S&W Model 19, which is more than functional. It has a beautiful shiny finish, and is very accurate. I definately believe my Model 19 is at least a $100 or better pistol, if not more. I do not feel you got taken at all.

 

[The Mighty Beagle]

Thanks Sug! I am still feeling overjoyed about the trade. In fact it was all I could do yesterday to keep from going back to the show and trading in another gun to the same dealer for a K-38 that he had. But I figured, back to selling guns. I gotta find a carbine to go with this pistol.

 

[HerbG]

One of he great things about nickel finishes is the ease with which they can be cleaned. The finish is very smooth and "slick" and I usually just wipe the gun with an old T-shirt. A drop or two of oil on the shirt will wipe off just about any fouling. No need for strong or high tech solvents.