Smiff: Browned or Stainless Steel?

[jayjay1]

Hi fellas,
I´m looking for an older M29 or 629.

To be honest, optically I love the black ones, but am not sure, what´s the matter with the cleaning of the browned revolvers.

I´ve had a 686 some years ago and remember, that it could be a hard thing to clean it well, especially at the front of the cylinder and in the barrel cone area.
Those days I´ve used Metarex, some polish stuff like Never Dull, but more effective in my eyes.

But how´s that with the browned modells?
Metarex or similar stuff would ruin the black finish I suppose!?

Is there a method to clean a black revolver easiliy without destroying the coating?

Help wanted,
Jay

[Scharfschuetze]

Jayjay,

I have used blued S&W revolvers for years on duty, competition and for sport. I have used almost all the commercially available firearms solvents at one time or another. Hoppes Number 9, Shooter's Choice, Birchwood Casey and others have never hurt the blued finish on S&W or Colt blued revolvers or semi-autos.

The wear to the blued finish has always been from the holster leather and not from cleaning. I've tried some lead removers on the face of the cylinder, usually without much success. Don't use any cleaner with an abrasive (JB's-Witches Brew, etc.) on the blue finish or exterior of a blued revolver and you'll be fine.

[jayjay1]

Thanks Scharfschütze,
I think NeverDull or Metarex is some kind of abrasive.

My heart tells me to take the black one.
:roll:

In which years was the M29-5 built?

[Scharfschuetze]

For some reason the 29-5 isn't listed in my S&W book, but the 29-4 started in 1988 and the 29-6 started production in 1993.

Send me a PM with your serial number and I can probably find the year of production.

By the way, I also have always preferred the blued versions over the SS versions, although I have a couple of SS Smiths that see occasional use.

Before deciding on which one to buy, check the forcing cone for gas cutting from high pressure magnum loads, check the bolt stops on the cylinder for wear and thus a loose cylinder on lock up. Check that the hand is rotating the cylinder to a firm lock up before the hammer falls when pulling through on the trigger on double action to ensure that it is timed properly. Also check for any fore and aft movement (end shake) of the cylinder as well as buggered screw heads. The revolver that is the tightest and with the least wear is probably the one that I would buy, even if it is the SS 629.

[jayjay1]

Thanks for the advice.

I will take a look what I can do.

Probably I will have to buy one over the internet, because over here aren´t big gun warehouses.