Re-finished in nickel hurts value?

I

irish52084

New member
I have a potential trade for a nice model 28-2, but it isn't a blued model. It's been nickel plated and has gold accents. The hammer, trigger and cylinder release are gold in color. It's a 4" barrel and isn't a florida highway patrol gun, nor is it one of the 54 nickel plated factory guns made in 1972. It's serial number puts it's manufacture date in 1978.

So my big question is this: The guy is asking $650, so is the fact that it's nickel plated making it worth more?

I just bought a 28-2 for $450, but it was not in as good of shape and it was the standard blue finish. I also see a standard blue finished 28-2 for sale in very close to the same condition for $500.

Should I bee leery of this nickel 28? I want to make a fair offer, but I don't want to low ball the guy, or make him feel that way, if the nickel re-finish actually lowers the value.
 
Unfortunately, the refinish has pretty much destroyed the collector value of the gun. As far as collectors are concerned, a gun with the original finish is worth the most followed by one with a factory refinish with an aftermarket refinish being worth the least. Because the gun has been not only refinished, but also to a non-original type of finish and likely an aftermarket one, it's value has essentially been reduced to that of a shooter.

Because of the refinish, I would not pay more than half of the asking price unless I just really liked the gun and didn't care about originality or resale value. While individual tastes are different, nickel with gold accents sounds a bit to "blingy" for my taste and as such I'd probably pass unless I could get the gun at a very low price. I have a feeling, however, that you might be hard pressed to convince the owner that the finish detracts from the value of the gun since he's asking the same or more than what a nice, all-original example goes for.

Herein lies the problem with custom guns, they're just that: custom. When a firearm is modified to suit the wants and tastes of one particular individual, those modifications often reduce its ability to meet the needs and tastes of someone else and thus the resale value of the gun is affected negatively.
 
That's kind of what I thought the case would be. Its just a shooter for me anyway, so maybe he will be willing to haggle. I'm not real impressed with the gold accents, but the nickel finish is in good shape as is the gun in general.
 
Don't misunderstand, I'm not totally against refinishing. I actually plan to have my own M28 refinished eventually as it's got some fairly significant holster wear on the cylinder. However, I plan on sending my gun back to S&W to have it refinished as close to the original satin blue as possible. I also have no plan to ever sell the gun as it is my first and favorite revolver and its sentimental value to me is far greater than its monetary value could ever hope to be, so collector and resale value is of little consequence.

That being said, even when looking for a shooter I'd rather buy a gun with some honest wear than one with a poorly-done or non-tasteful refinish. Amateur or tacky refinishes always give me the feeling that the previous owner may have been trying to hide something and thus make me a bit leary of such guns.

If you can haggle the owner down to a reasonable price, that's great. However, it has been my experience that people who think that the value of their refinished or otherwise modified gun are often somewhat insulted when you suggest otherwise and haggling typically doesn't go far. Honestly, the more I think about it, the finish you describe would be such a turn-off for me that I'd probably only buy the gun if I could get it so cheap that I could have it refinished more to my taste while still having only a moderate amount of money in the gun.
 
As Webley said, I wouldn't pay one penny more than half of what he's asking, and that would only be if I had a case colored hammer and trigger on hand to immediately change out. If I had to buy those parts that would probably be more in total than I would want to invest. YMMV!

Dave
 
Its a personal thing...sort of..

How much is a pimped out Highway Partolman worth TO YOU?

Unless that particular look gives you the warm fuzzy, it isn't worth crap, other than as a functional gun. I don't care what the owner spent on the fancy finish, the truth is its only worth that, TO HIM!

You can offer him half of what they are going for now, and when he gets indignant, tell him straight out that when he had the gun refinished, he destroyed its collector value. The only way he will ever get what he wants for that gun is if he finds some idiot with waay more money than brains, who loves that particular finish.

I saw a lovely, all matching #s WWII Walther P-38, complete with matching original holster at a shop a while back. They were asking $900. Trouble was, at some point, the gun had been nickel plated. It was nicely done, but collector value was zip (other than the value of the original holster).

Somebody finally bought it (its gone, after months on the shelf), or the owner took it back (was on consognment), but it didn't move for a long time.

Its your gun, you can do anything you want to it,make it look just the way you like. Even put your initals on it. But don't think you have improved the resale value one cent. Just the opposite, customization like that destroys any collector value, and drives the value way down to non collectors as well.

I also see guns with regular, or sometimes inflated asking prices, because they have a "trigger job", or some other modification. That usually means it isn't worth the asking price. The only time any modification adds to the value is on guns with no collector interest, and then only things like brand name quality sights,or other recognized improvements. Say its got a trigger job from (insert nationally recognized smith here), fine. I ain't giving you one dime extra for that. Got the shop receipt for the work? Ok, maybe a bit more...maybe..

Any chance he put PEARL grips on that 28 to go with the pimp job?:eek::D
 
I once saw an episode of Pawn Kings and this older gentlemen (probably late 70s, early 80s) brought in this old revolver that may have been worth something, but the pawn guy wasn't sure about the collector value and got suckered into spending $150 or so on it. He brought it to his gun guy and EGAD! he'd been taken. The older gent had taken steel wool to the gun to take out the patina and every identifying mark with it!! Not sure if the gun was even a shooter.

I quit watching that show after realizing what doofuses they are! One of older pawn guys completely pimped out a '47 Continental. WHY?!?!?!?!?
 
The nickel job lowered the price. Gold accents are applied with gold paint.

Personally, I would not offer much more than $300 for it, and I would consider it a shooter only in private, not at a gun range where anyone might see me with it.
 
In my opinion and experience the 28-2 you describe would not be
worth more than $350 on a good day. The refinish ruined the street
value, much less collector value of the gun. If it were me, I would
pass and look for a better specimen.

I have a 28-2, 6", never fired that I might be convinced to sell. :)

SW_M28-2-unf_2.jpg
 
I made a much lower trade offer to the guy, but I don't think he's going for it. I don't particularly like the looks of the gold accents, but it would have just been a shooter for me anyway.

I've already got another all original 28 in mind if I can work out a deal for it. This one isn't in 90% condition, but it's in mechanically great shape with the normal finish wear of a used gun. Some lost bluing on the barrel and cylinder etc...

I'd jump all over that 28 trex1310, but my love affair is strictly with 4" revolvers. Don't know what it is, but I think a 4" service style DA revolver is just about as perfect as a gun gets, at least in the looks department. I love my semi's as well, but more as shooters and tools.

In a year or two, I'll be looking for a couple model 27's, one as a shooter and one as a collector, then it'll probably be a couple 19's and then who knows, maybe, a 29. My kids might never get to college if I keep finding more beautiful revolvers. God forbid I get into colt pythons I'll have to sell my cars.:D
 
well I went the other way...
prior to last year I was never much into revolvers, but a 6" refinished 28-2 (nickel) got my attention.. yes its a shooter, nicely done though..and it appeals to me, don't know why, but it does.. case colored hammer/trigger..

that's the one that started it for me..

but i paid shooter price for it..
 
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I guess gold accents COULD be applied with paint, but they wouldn't look much like gold.
Gold accents are usually and properly done by gold electroplating.
 
Mod 28 .....that's been refinished to a Nickel finish with "gold accents" ....man, that is almost against the rules of nature.../ especially with a nice classic gun, with a satin blued finish, like a model 28 that ought to be on it....

Value to me --- on a gun like this ---is next to nothing / even as a shooter.

Anybody that would do this to a model 28 ...it would be hard to know what else he did to the gun / unless he would let you take the side place off it and really check it out - or let a good knowledgeable S&W collector or a qualified gunsmith check it out....and $ 650 is way out of the ballpark on a gun like this ....

I wouldn't pay him a dime for it ...there are too many good model 28's / or model 27's(that came in nickel or bright blued) out there ...to invest in a "bubbafied" gun like this, in my view.
 
A PROPERLY applied nickel plating, such as offered by S&W, or done by expert plating shops should not hurt the value too much. A bumper chrome plating shop job is a different matter altogether.
The hammer and trigger can be replaced with new parts.
 
To me, this is like taking a less expensive model of car ...and putting the trim package on it ...of the more expensive performance model ... ???

Can it look ok ....sure, maybe ....

Is it really the same as the higher end performance model ...no..its not..

A model 27 ought to be Bright Blue or Nickel ....and a model 28 ought to be the Satin finish blued..../ in each case they are great guns ...but one doesn't need to look like the other - or to me, it loses something as an imposter.
 
I hope everyone realizes that Nickel is a durable finish ...???

I have a model 27 4" Nickel ...and a pair of mod 19's both 4" Nickel....and a model 29 8 3/8" Nickel...they're great guns - and I especially like the older S&W models in Nickel .../ and although I draw and shoot them a lot - from a horsehide holster at the range...none of them show any wear. Nickel is a very good finish...

I put 150 rds thru my mod 27 4" Nickel this afternoon ...and now its been cleaned and put back in my safe...for the next time !
 
The gold accent parts would probably be a deal killer for me at that price but the nickel refinish wouldnt.

Id take a quality nickel or preferably hard chromed refinished firearm over a factory blued one every time.

But, I am no collector and dont buy them as a investment. They are all shooters for me and the more durable of a finish is on it the better.
I love to hear someone say the "collector value" of one isnt worth anything which brings it down to a nice reasonable "shooter" price for me :)
 
Originally posted by Bill DeShivs
You guys don't realize that nickel was not just applied for looks. It is a much more protective finish than bluing.
Click to expand...

Originally posted by BigJimP
I hope everyone realizes that Nickel is a durable finish ...???
Click to expand...

It certainly is, but that doesn't matter one whit as far as collector value is concerned on a M28. The price that's being asked for the gun in question is within $30 of what you can get a brand new 686 in stainless, which is a more durable finish still, for and only slightly over $100 less than what you can get a brand new 627, also stainless, for.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/21_39_72/products_id/26252/Smith+%26+Wesson+686+.357+Mag+4%22%2C+6+round

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/21_39_72/products_id/52370/Smith+%26+Wesson+8+Round+357+Rem.+Mag4%22+Matte+Stainless+Barre

As a shooter, the gun in question might be OK but the price being asked is way too high for a shooter.
 
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