To re-blue, or NOT to re-blue?????

J

Just Lookin

New member
Hi All,

I have been reading ALL of the posts here (new and old) over the last month or so, and I truly appreciate all the info and insight that I've gained by doing so.... so thank you :cool:

Now to my question.... My father recently gave me his old revolver (and I have to admit that I've wanted this gun ever since I was 4 or 5 years old) and I had considered having it re-blued, as there is a fair amount of wear on the end of muzzle, cylinders and part of the trigger guard from the years that it served as an LEO duty piece. (all parts are in incredible working order, its just the wear on the finish)

Now... I was already leaning towards NOT having it re-blued, as it will have more of a sentimental purpose among my collection of semi-autos, and I want to keep it as my father gave it to me... but a few of my friends are trying to convince me to 'restore' it :rolleyes:

Well.... heres the problem.... I did a little search here on the TFL (the GREATEST gun forum on the net :cool: ) and found an old thread explaining that it since it is a Colt Marshal 38 special... it is a somewhat rare production limited to only 2500... made right here in CT between 1954 and 1956 :eek:

Now, will re-blueing destroy any value this gun may have, or will it increase any value.... as I have said.... it has more sentimental value to me than the small amount of money it 'may' be worth, but I would really like to know how to 'keep' this rare pistol in good condition.

Any thoughts on what to do? Iwill certainly appreciate any input. Here's the best pic that I could get, I think its good enough to see the wear that I'm talking about.

Thanks,

Jim

P1010007.jpg
 
Just to chime in a bit - I don't know what the situation is with old guns, but I do know that with any other type of antique that I have ever heard of, the item is worth more with the original finish than it is with a refinishing job done on it, no matter how good the quality of the work is. You wouldn't want to take a 500 year old Ming Bronze and shine 'er up with some Brasso, or take a 350 year old early American desk and sand 'er down and slap on some polyurethane! :eek: :D

Also, regardless of market value, I agree with the sentiment that it will keep more the feel of being your father's gun if you keep it with the patina of his use.
 
Reblue????

l First , most collectors even want the old dirt on some items. Any Colt has some collector value.Reblue will greatly reduce that. But All the SAA Colts I have bought in the past 10 years come with a note telling how they were made as collectable firearms. On the other had I have no use for a gun I can't shoot. Even a collectable.Should my grandaughters some day get my Colts They most likely will not even be interested, and sell or give away for nothing. If The piece you are talking about is valuable to you, then use it as is or reblue it and use it. If you don't plan on selling the gun,then the key words are USE AND ENJOY . .......................MUTT
 
will re-blueing destroy any value this gun may have
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From a collector's standpoint, absolutely. Certainly pristine specimen will bring more than a heavily used one, barring some kind of documentable historical importance. But a well worn original finish will bring more than a refinished gun. Original finish is going to be very important to a collector and they will be able to tell a refinish no matter how good the gunsmith was. Refinish the gun and any collector interest will evaporate, though you'll still have a shooter.
 
Refinishing will definately destroy the value as the biggest value will come from the collectors market and in that market originality rules.
Now I'm not sure that's a true Marshal or an OP with a Marshal barrel. I think the Marshal only came in a round butt configuration. Those aren't the original stocks as I believe they should be the service grade stocks (panels that only cover the side of the grip frame) and not the target grade stocks your revolver is wearing. Those target grade stocks are for a square butt revolver. I would remove the stocks and take a look at the grip frame to see if it's a RB or SB. I would also check the date it was made by the serial number. Many guns have been modified over the years requiring some careful checking to know exactly what they are or were. This is especially so of rare high premium guns.
 
Thank you

Thanks for the info..... leaving it as it is was my first instinct as well... I personally like the wear as it adds a little character and history to the gun. I will definitely leave it just the way it is.


Majic.... the barrel is original to the gun, as it was issued to my father brand new in 1957 and carried until he 'upgraded' to another pistol in the mid 60's... and according to this thread marshal info the serial number falls right in the middle of the range listed for the Marshal.

The grips I have no idea about..... they have been on the gun since the 50's, so if they were changed, it was done when the gun was brand new. What does "RB or SB" mean?


Thanks,

Jim
 
First , most collectors even want the old dirt on some items.
Click to expand...

Absolutely true! You wash that Willie Mays jersey, you'll pretty much destroy the collectors value. The sweat and grass stains are a huge part of the value.

And of course... please don't refinish your dad's gun. Leave it the way your dad had it. Dang, I wish I had my old man's gun... sigh.

StrikeEagle

PS Lincoln's deathbed pillow, at the Smithsonian still has his blood on it. Can you imagine some doofus drycleaning it?
 
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