refinishing a model 36 ...

[lawboy]

Hi, all. I recently "fell" into a s&w model 36-1. This gun is pinned with a firing pin on the hammer and is in mechanically excellent shape, me having fired several hundred rounds through it since getting it a month ago. The trouble is, the previous owner did not care for the gun well and it came to me with a good bit of surface rust. I used a penny and solvent to gently scratch all the rust off the gun. The finish is maybe 85%. I am thinking I may carry this gun if my ccw is approved (california ... ) but I know the damaged bluing would not hold up worth a snot if the gun were used as a carry piece. So ... I am considering refinishing it myself. If you all have instructions/suggestions for how to strip off the bluing without damaging the various markings, etc., and some recommendations for refinishing products, I surely would appreciate your comments. Regards. Lawboy.

 

[Tacoma]

I've tried a few different cold blue's on rifle sestoration projects. brownells seems to make the best IMHO. I use the 44/40 and Oxpho. The trick to a good cold blue is to a) remove he old blue, 2) polish light scratches/ pits out using emory cloth ( don't go to deep) 3) Degrease thouroughly 4) Degrease thouroughly again. This should get you to everything you need.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/Store/Search.aspx

p.s. The mod 36 is probobly the most carried pack-up/ hide revolver in modern history. It's lost some of it's stature since the proliferation of stainless and alloys but remains a very competant choice along with the rest of the S&W J frame family . You should however limit the use of +P ammo in these earlier guns.

hth

 

[mtnbkr]

but I know the damaged bluing would not hold up worth a snot if the gun were used as a carry piece.

Not necessarily. The finish on my early model 36 is pretty rough and it hasn't been a problem keeping rust at bay.

BTW, I talked to S&W about refinishing my 36. Their prices were quite reasonable. I could get the action adjusted, the barrel set back, and the gun reblued at their medium level for less than $300. The reblue was only half the cost of the entire job. I ended up not doing it, but maybe one day...

Chris

 

[HSMITH]

Send it to Tripp and have it hard chromed. You get a nearly indestructable finish that is almost impervious to corrosion. You really have to beat on a hard chrome gun to hurt the finish.

 

[Majic]

I would try carrying it just as it is first. With very little daily care you would be surprised at how well a 80% finish will hold up and not rust. Not everyone carry pristine guns and there's not as many rust problems as many lead you to believe.
That cold blue will be no where as tough as the factory finish. Especially on all the edges found on the revolver.