Polishing stainless steel to remove scratches?

[Ah Pook]

Would they take a Ruger? Lol

I'd hit up Ruger. Bet they still have a custom shop.

[Bailey Guns]

Would they take a Ruger? Lol

After I got a S&W 29 back from them I actually did ask if I could get the same guy to do a Colt New Service!

Their response was a very polite...

Some time around 2004 I sent them a nickle-plated model 29 with a 6" barrel. I wanted the nickle finish stripped, a 4" barrel installed and blued/polished. Having nickle plating stripped locally was gonna cost several hundred dollars alone. They returned the gun to me, it was stunningly beautiful (think a flawless, royal blue Python-type finish), and perfectly done.

Total cost was in the $150 range (don't remember how much exactly but was in that neighborhood).

[BPTactical]

OP- are you seeing a trend here?

Send it to S&W

[Martinjmpr]

I think it looks horrible, and you should send it to me so it can help my model 66 look better. This is some great info that I believe I may use as well. My model 66 has been used and carried, but I love it, and I think sending it back to Smith and Wesson is an excellent idea. Thank you for the topic.


P.S. if you need my address to send it to, PM me, I can take care of the BG check. Nice little gun, and I would love to find one, one of these days.

I got this one about 7 years ago from J&G Sales in AZ. I think it was maybe $265. Part of a bulk sale, I'm guessing from either a police department or security company that traded in their revolvers for semi-autos.

To restore it shouldn’t be any more difficult than having a standard hammer installed. Smith can restore the original semi brushed finish but there are more than a few local quality gunsmiths than can do so as well. A good friend has one of the NY-1 2” 64s that looked pretty bad after he got it. TJ’s in Aurora did a great job on the finish as well as installing a red ramp-3 week turnaround last year.

Yours isn’t terribly collectible (unless it’s from NYPD to le gun collectors) so do what makes you happy.

Yeah, it's definitely not a "collector" piece but I don't want to diminish any residual value it might have, regardless.

OP- are you seeing a trend here?

Send it to S&W

Yup, I'm getting that!

BTW I was quite surprised when I went onto the S&W web page and saw that the M-64 is still in production? At least it appears so as it has an MSRP listed:

https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/model-64

I had thought they "retired" all the old K frame .38 caliber guns in favor of the NEW! IMPROVED! J and L frame platforms but I guess not.

[Martinjmpr]

BTW it's nice to see that I'm not the only one who seems to have an irrational attachment to these old S&W wheelguns. They're not sexy or "tacti-cool" but I still like them!

My saying has always been: A semi-auto pistol is a MACHINE, but a well made revolver is a WORK OF ART!

[Guylee]

I love my revolvers. They make up close to half of my pistol collection, and most folks my age are only interested in plastic guns and scary black rifles.

[Doc45]

This is my 686 no dash my late father bought new in September of 1981. It was a hard use, daily carry gun and looked pretty beat up. He put Pachmyer grips on it so the originals are in very nice shape. Shortly before he passed in '92 he had a shop local to him bead blast it, I think it looks great. It's also the gun I used to teach my sons how to shoot a handgun. While I don't carry it I do take it out regularly to the range.

[henpecked]

The bead blast finish looks nice.

[DireWolf]

bumping this thread, as I find myself looking into this very issue at the moment (gettijg some scratches polished out & edges/lines sharpened)...

OP- are you seeing a trend here?


Send it to S&W

Assuming some custom trigger tuning has been done, will S&W mess with or alter that in any way if only requested to do a complete polish?

Concern is just about the potential for them to "reset" a trigger/hammer release which may be beyond any further improvement, but barring that seems like a no-brainer.

[rbeau30]

Polishing stainless steel brings me back to boot camp days. *shivers*