S&w 49

[gator1gear]

I just "ended up" with a S&W Bodyguard. I was told that the stainless steel versions were the 649 models.Mine is stainless steel, but it is stamped Mod49 on the frame. Is there any website I can use to trace the ser. no. It is
AAV8xxx

 

[GRIZ22]

Are you sure it's not nickel finish?

 

[RUT]

Your M49 is c. 1982, and the stainless 649 was introduced in 1985. I too suspect you have a nickel plated model.

 

[gator1gear]

Thanks a lot Rut. Uhh Grizz22 you could be right

 

[ktd]

I bought a 3.5 inch 27, and it has a chrome job that looked a lot like stainless. The shop that sold it to me could not figure it out since it was obviously older and was marked 27. I bought it since the price was still reasonable. Took me a while to figure it out, I noticed that the sight was a seperate pinned in front sight, and had been chromed over as well. When such a finish is beadblasted it can really look like stainless.

 

[krs]

Yep, it doesn't have to be beadblasted to look like stainless, it can be so pocket or usage worn that all of the marks or scratches come together to make a nice something like stainless look.

I THINK it's possible to polish a well worn nickel finish back to it's original high gloss but I'm not sure how it would be done. There'd be the risk of overdoing it to the point that the nickel started to flake or be rubbed through.

Be real careful if there's any places where the nickel is chipped or flaky because moisture or cleaners can get under the plating and cause the loss of more and more finish.

When it looks good nickel looks lots better than stainless - richer and old school.

 

[gator1gear]

krs that is identical to the gun I have. The finish on mine is in VERY good condition.

 

[Johnm1]

Put a magnet to it. If it is stainless it won't have a magnetic attraction. Even if it were made of 304 or lesser stainless (which has a little carbon steel in it) it will only have a very slight magnetic attraction. I'm pretty sure S&W used the higher grades of stainless w/o carbon steel as the lower grades will oxidize under certain circumstances.

 

[rcmodel]

S&W stainless is perfectly magnetic.
I can tell no difference from a blue steel gun in magnetic attraction.

So, a magnet won't prove anything.

I am no metal expert, but I believe it has to do with the carbon content necessary to be able to heat treat the parts.

rcmodel

 

[krs]

Yep, some stainless is, and some stainless ain't............magnetic.

 

[ktd]

I notice the people who tell me that tend to be boaters. I think marine grade stainless steel is nonmagnetic, I guess they up the chromium for rust resistance and do not need the tensile stength needed to contain firing pressure.

If by higher grade, you mean higher rust resistance, such steel is not good for firearms. Does not mean low quality, just different characteristics.

The "lower grade" stainless steel used in firearms can still corrode. In Hawai'i even my 66 got rusty. As my machinist friend said, "stainless steel is not stainless, it just stains less than carbon!"

Right now my 624 is covered in kitchen magnets. Might use that for camoflauge.

 

[Johnm1]

Learned Something New

Like Ragan said "it's what they know that just isn't so'.

Thought I understood stainless steels a little better. We work with 304, 316, and 316L a lot but not the other stainless alloys.

Not sure what the gun makers use but my SS cylinder is magnetic as well. A little research and I find that one of the martensitic (600 series) stainless' would be more appropriate then the Austenitic Stainless Steels (300 seiries).

Martensitic stainless steels are not as corrosion-resistant as the others but are extremely strong and tough, as well as highly machineable, and can be hardened by heat treatment and magnetic.

Learn something new every day.