I picked up a S&W hand ejector .32 yesterday. Mechanically it's very sound, but the finish on one side of the revolver is in bad shape. I got a heck of a deal on it so I'd be willing to spend a few bucks on refinishing it. Does anyone know who could do this at a reasonable rate? Thanks!
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Need info on refinshing nickel revolver.
- Thread starter ATTICUS
- Start date
Alex Johnson
New member
If somebody does it right, it will more than likely cost you more than the gun is worth. If your handy you can polish the gun yourself and than all that will have to be done is have the gun prepped and than nickel plated. I believe the professional shops use a reversing operation to take the old nickel off, in the past when I've removed nickel I just polish it off, I check the progress with cold blueing so I can see when it's all gone. If your 32 is a rare variation I wouldn't touch it, if it's not a rare variation, I probably still wouldn't bother with it since it wouldn't be worth it in the end. If you do want to do it anyway there are no shortage of gunsmiths who do that kind of work, Brownells gives a list of the average prices for this work and that would be a good place to start looking.
I suggest NOT removing the nickel by polishing. You will take off too much metal and the gun may end up looking awful.
Instead, make prior arrangements with a local plating shop (don't just walk in with a gun) and see if they will remove the plating electrically. As Alex says, this consists of reversing the process that deposited the plating in the first place. You may have to strip the gun, as they won't know how.
Then, with all the old nickel off, you can decide whether to have it re-nickeled or blued. If the former, talk to the people at the plating shop; if the latter, find a gunsmith who does bluing. Here you can save money if you do the polishing yourself.
Jim
Instead, make prior arrangements with a local plating shop (don't just walk in with a gun) and see if they will remove the plating electrically. As Alex says, this consists of reversing the process that deposited the plating in the first place. You may have to strip the gun, as they won't know how.
Then, with all the old nickel off, you can decide whether to have it re-nickeled or blued. If the former, talk to the people at the plating shop; if the latter, find a gunsmith who does bluing. Here you can save money if you do the polishing yourself.
Jim
I bought two old S&W breaktops for $50 ($25 each), bad nickel but functionally fine. I had the nickel removed electrically ($10 each, but I stripped the guns), then I polished them and had them blued. Since they were apart, the charge was $35 each. One had broken up hard rubber grips, and I put on S&W Chiefs Special grips I had on hand, only having to trim the bottom.
I still have them but was offered $250 for the one with the new grips. Yeah, I know, I should have sold it.
Jim
I still have them but was offered $250 for the one with the new grips. Yeah, I know, I should have sold it.
Jim
This one came fron the proverbial "little old lady". Probably sat unfired in the garage, or trunk of the car, for 50 years or more. Has original wood grips and locks up real nice. One side looks good, the other side is REAL bad. I need this like a hole in the head ...... but just couldn't pass it up.