S&W Model 10 6" barrel

[fatelk]

How common are 6" barrel S&W models 10 revolvers? I saw one for sale recently and can't recall seeing very many otherwise. It's a 10-7 with the smoothest double-action trigger pull I've ever felt. It also had a wide hammer spur; the seller said it was "the target model". I'm not any kind of S&W revolver expert, but have never considered the Model 10 (with it's fixed sights) a target model.

It's in excellent condition and I'm mildly interested. The asking price is $480, seems a lot for a model 10, but I still like it. Anything sound out of place about this?

[Sasquatch-1]

Back prior to the 1970's a lot of police forces carried 6" revolvers as service weapons. Whether they were M-10's or not I do not know.

[Thumbcocker]

Prices on model 10's ain't what they used yo be. Even police trade in guns with worn finish are bringing respectable prices. If you like it and can afford it get it.

[Outpost75]

Six-inch Model 10s have always been popular with smaller rural departments which don't issue their deputies patrol rifles. The longer barrel and sight radius makes hits in open country easier, and there is improvement in ballistics also. I prefer a 6-inch .38 Special fixed sight revolver with full-charge wadcutters over a .22 pistol in my get home bag and survival ruck, to supplement a snubby carried as EDC. Two revolvers are better than one and if not stashing a rifle in the vehicle a long barrel revolver reaches out to useful range and is accurate.

290417

[Buzz Krumhunger]

Most likely the target hammer was installed when the action job was done. I’m not certain the Model 10s were offered with a target hammer or trigger as originally equipped.

I see a lot more 4” Mod 10s than 6”, and the 2” are also less common than the 4”. You seldom see the 3” and 5” models.

I don’t think $450 is out of line for a nice Model 10. Look at what currently made junk now costs new.

[scattershot]

I’ve seen a few, but they aren’t common. Seems a little pricy to me, but what’s not, these days? I will say that if you buy it you will like it.

[Outpost75]

How common are 6" barrel S&W models 10 revolvers? I saw one for sale recently and can't recall seeing very many otherwise. It's a 10-7 with the smoothest double-action trigger pull I've ever felt. It also had a wide hammer spur; the seller said it was "the target model". I'm not any kind of S&W revolver expert, but have never considered the Model 10 (with it's fixed sights) a target model.

It's in excellent condition and I'm mildly interested. The asking price is $480, seems a lot for a model 10, but I still like it. Anything sound out of place about this?

Sounds to me like an ex-cop gun which was fitted with a target hammer. If an "action job" was done by anyone other than a factory-trained gunsmith or department armorer, you could be buying into a Bubbafied nightmare. The fixed sight guns can be quite accurate when correctly set up for one load once you determine what shoots to the sights.

If the gun hasn't been shot loose from too many heavy handloads, correct timing and lockup, no perceptible end-shake by feel and cylinder gap not over 0.007 pass/0.008 hold, such that it requires no gunsmithing, so it can be carried and used as-is, then the asking price reflects current market and is not excessive.

However, if armorer inspection, as would normally be performed during annual requal, identifies any mechanical problems, use the findings to seriously haggle down the price. A duty refurbish to stretch the crane arbor to remove end shake, align the crane and straighten or replace a bent ejector rod and center pin and probably also adjusting timing through hand replacement to correct a DCU condition these days is going to be a $200 gunsmith job plus parts, so don't pay more than $300 tops for the gun.

If the barrel also must be set back to correct an open front gage condition and the forcing cone recut, then you can double that $200 gunsmithing figure so don't pay more than $250 for the gun.

At that point you must really decide if you want the gun badly enough to pay more in gunsmithing needed to put it right than you paid for the gun to start with... If you have a junk box full of parts and can do most of the work yourself, then it could be a fun project. While the barrel can be set back and the gap tightened without a lathe, the tools and skill required to do so are outside the wheelhouse of most hobby gun cranks and are best referred to a professional.

[fatelk]

I don’t really need it; I have several 4” model 10s already. I’m a fairly decent amateur “gunsmith” when it comes to basics that don’t require a lathe or much for special tools.

I might go back and take a closer look at it. Lockup seemed solid, no end shake to speak of, and cylinder gap looked ok, though I didn’t have a gauge with me.

The trigger made me wonder, as I knew I didn’t want something that an amateur had worked over. It was an incredibly smooth pull-through in double action, and very crisp in single (but not too light). It felt good to me, but I’m not an expert. If there’s any question about it mechanically, I’m not interested.

There were a couple other really nice S&W revolvers there. He said they came from the same estate and the previous owner was a big S&W guy.

[fivegunner]

WOW, I wish I was close to where this gun is , if it would pass my inspection It would be mine for that price.

[Old Caster]

Would you be even happier with a Model 15 because the sights are then adjustable however I have no idea what one of them is worth.

[hc18flyer]

I paid $625. on GB for my 15-5 A few months ago. I am very happy with it!

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Based on your description, if I wanted a 6", I'd buy it.

DG

[gwpercle]

For everyone out there who likes a fixed sighted 38 Special ... and likes wadcutter bullets ,
the 160 grain Lyman #358432 ( being made by NOE now) when loaded to standard 38 Special loads , shoots to the fixed sights of most revolvers that were regulated for 158 grain RN boolits .
I have three fixed sighted 38's , a S&W model 10 , a S&W model 64 and a S&W model 637 ...
All three will group this bullet to the fixed sights with just about every powder I've tried .
Unique , AA#5 , Bullseye , 700X ,Red Dot , HP38, Tite Group will all work with a velocity around 900 fps ... very unusual in a bullet . My EDC and night stand defense stay loaded with these .
Gary

[murf205]

Does it have the original stocks? How is the finish? 6" model 10's are not as common as the more commonly seen 4" guns and 5" are in the same boat as a 6. I'd make a cash offer IF it is in good condition because all things being equal, it is as good a revolver as you will find. I used to look down my nose at fixed sight revolvers until I bought a 44 Hand
Ejector made in 1929 and it is one of the best shooters I own, along with a Model 33-1 in 38 S&W which is a fixed sight gun too.

[fatelk]

The Pachmayr grips on it are a turn-off for me, but he said he had some original grips for it too. I'd have to see them.

I don't mind fixed sight guns, unless they're way off any loads, but I haven't seen this in my S&Ws. Unfortunately I passed up a really nice model 15-3 a couple months ago. I saw it in a gun shop, and immediately thought of a friend who wanted a nice older S&W .38 Special, so I texted him. I immediately regretted it as I realized that I should have just bought it for myself. Too late, he was hooked and on his way to buy it. Oh yeah, $500, nearly pristine, with the original box. :(

[Mk42gunner]

$480 for a Model 10 of just about any description was unheard of five or ten years ago. Now? Especially for one of the less common barrel lengths? I'd say it is a decent price.

Seeing the labor prices Outpost put on revolver action repairs, I sure am glad I got Uncle Sam to pay for an Armorer's course.

Robert

[wgg]

I was looking at S&W model 10's with a 6" barrel yesterday. Used to turn my nose up at model 10's until I bought one.
I found a 10-8 with a 4" heavy barrel with a roundbut grip like new for $350.00. I can't think of a better all around revolver for my use. Used to pack a 357 loaded down working around my place, now a 38 special with cast hp loads. Now I am looking for more, I have managed a shooter grade 15. But I would grab a 5" or 6" model in a heart beat.
Best Glen

[murf205]

Don't buy one too nice. I found this pencil barrel 10 at a friends table along with the 33-1 38 S&W. Both were unturned and he made me a put up or shut up price and I bought both. I couldn't stand it and had to shoot the little gun but the mod 10 is still unturned. I am on the prowl for another model 10 shooter and I'm lookong for a 6 incher.
wgg, I agree with the 38 spl advice. A good 38 spl with 150-170 gr cast boolits will solve 99% of a persons problems (on 2 or 4 legged varmints) without the ear splitting blast of a 357 mag.
fatelk, the Magna stocks for the correct period (10-7) are very plentyful. You wont have to finance them like a set of targets.

[Walks]

Been shooting a 10-5 for 40+yrs. Bought it from a retired LAPD Sgt. He told Me to shoot #358477 over 3.5grs of Bullseye to a 25yr zero. That 6" bbl is as straight a Shooter as ya could wish for, a Smooth action and a Tyler T-Grip make it a real Pleasure to shoot.

[rintinglen]

Both the RCMP and the San Diego P.D. used to issue 6 inch M-10's in the 70's and early 80's. I'd prefer a 5 inch, but a good 6 inch could find its way home with me.

[murf205]

fatelk, here is one that I let get away on the same day I bought the 2 above guns and was tapped out for cash or it would be in my safe today. The price reflects what a good mod 10 should go for without the nutty prices of today factored in.290573 BTW, that 45 just above it in the pic is a Singer he wanted $700 for. What a bad time to be broke.

[Mk42gunner]

What a bad time to be broke.

Is there ever a good time?

Robert

[murf205]

I'm afraid not Robert. It always looks like the guy at the next table says : here comes Murf and he's busted. Lets offer a deal he will cry about!

[fatelk]

I picked up three Model 10-5s in the last couple years. They were re-imported police surplus guns from overseas, not pretty externally but good otherwise. I had to replace the mainspring on one, add a cylinder bearing shim, and replace a cylinder stop spring on another. I paid $230 each, as I recall. I couldn't pass that up. The grips were all beat up, plenty of wear on the bluing, even some rust. They all cleaned up fairly well and are great shooters. I do like the Model 10.

[fatelk]

Well, I bought it today, probably paid too much, but oh well. I don't get too concerned about a few bucks either way anymore. Not that I have money to waste, but if it's something I want, a few dollars doesn't make much difference.

There is no discernible endshake at all, and cylinder gap is .005". Double-action pull is very smooth, single action is crisp and light. We took it out and shot about 80 rounds through it- no misfires. I didn't sit down and shoot for accuracy, but it seemed to do fine offhand. It shoots a bit low with my preferred .38 load, a 128gr TC powder-coated bullet at about 800fps.

I suspect it may have been reblued, but I'm not an expert. The more I look at it, the more I think it was. It's not obvious, at least to me, but it seems a bit too shiny. Something seemed odd about the markings too, like they were colored in at one time. I looked closely under a magnifying glass, and it sure looks to me that there's actual gold in them. Someone filled the markings with gold. Interesting idea. I have to wonder who worked this gun over, and why. It seems to work fine so I'm not going to worry about it.

It came with Pachmayr rubber grips, of which I'm not a fan. They're comfortable to shoot, but I'm a bit of a purist and have a strong preference for original wood grips, so I'll have to go looking for a nice pair without breaking the bank.

[murf205]

Let us see it fatelk. We love gun porn and old Smith and Wessons in particular.

[MT Gianni]

Look for dished screw heads and blued triggers and hammers for obvious reblue tells. The insignia should be bright and not look buffed.

[fatelk]

I'm hesitant to post photos, since you all are likely to ask me why I bought this old hunk of junk. :) Just kidding

Comparing the look of the markings with my other guns, it seems clear that this gun was reblued. Carefully done, I suppose, and I did suspect it before I bought it. It's not like it's a collector's piece or anything; I just generally avoid guns that have been tinkered with. I don't know whether it was a master gunsmith, or Bubba in his garage. So far so good. It seems to work fine.


290721290722290723

[9.3X62AL]

No flies on that one! Those Pachs are EXACTLY how I would run that revolver. Nice acquisition.

[Texas by God]

I would have bought it, too. Way less than a new car payment for something that can still be useful in a hundred or more years.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[fatelk]

Thanks guys. My 15yo son likes shooting it too. He's a fairly decent shot single-action, and this gun makes learning double-action easier.

Regarding the Pachmayrs, I agree that they are nice to shoot, but like they say, "There's no accounting for taste". I've never been able to bring myself to like rubber grips on a revolver. They just look wrong to me, and I replace them with wood whenever I can. They feel too narrow for me, and are plain ugly (my opinion only). I understand the practicality; I just don't personally like them.

I'm thinking about ordering a set of these (photo from Altamont site):

290750

[shooting on a shoestring]

I’ve got one that’s also too shiny!
This one came to me wearing rubber.
Found her a nice set of targets in my junk drawer.
290755

[Mk42gunner]

I've went through the various Pachmayr's, rubber and nylon Hogue's, more wood grips than I can remember and I still come back to Magna style grips with a grip adapter for fixed sight K frames. They work for me.

Most fixed sight double action revolvers seem right with service style stocks and a Tyler or whatever brand (even homemade) grip adapter. Adjustable sighted guns I'm a bit more lenient.

Robert

[rintinglen]

I can only shake my head and say "it takes all kinds." The FIRST thing I do with a K-frame is replace the awful wood grips with something useful, either Hogue Monogrips or the Pachmayr Professional open-backed finger grooved models. Those Magna grips may have been the bee's knees in 1932, but I can't stand 'em.

However, to get back a little closer to the topic, I was dismayed at the prices being asked for plain-Jane M-10's at the Gunshow yesterday. $550? $595? Even a pretty ratty, holster-worn, old, PD example that looked like 5 miles of bad road was $395. The only 6 incher I saw was 495, and had it looked half-way decent, it might have followed me home, but the left side was pretty badly rust pitted. Curiously, the right side was in pretty fair shape for a 60 or 70 year old gun.

[Char-Gar]

A six inch medium frame 38 Special has much to recommend it for range and field us. But if I were going to hunt one up, it would not be a Model 10 or a Colt Official Police. I would hunt up a Smith K-38 (Model 17) or a Colt Officers Model. I have one of each and they were bought years ago for less than $300.00 each. Adjustable sights are truly wonderful things that keep us from hunting up a load that will shoot to the sights or else bending or otherwise screwing with fixed sights. Folks that say such adjustable sights are to fragile for field use are "full of blue mud" as my Great Aunt Lou Featherston used to say. Take care of your guns, and they will take care of you.

[fatelk]

I can only shake my head and say "it takes all kinds." The FIRST thing I do with a K-frame is replace the awful wood grips with something useful, either Hogue Monogrips or the Pachmayr Professional open-backed finger grooved models. Those Magna grips may have been the bee's knees in 1932, but I can't stand 'em.

Like they say, there's no accounting for taste. :) Back when I first got into guns 30+ years ago, I tried Hogue and Pachmayr grips on a number of different guns. They always came off again and I have a box full of them. I hated the thin feel, and hated the rubber look. I wondered why they were so popular, until someone told me I'd change my mind if I shot more.

Maybe we should trade our boxes of take-off grips. :mrgreen:

All kidding aside, I've never been a competitor, and I tend to be something of a purist. Looks are important to me for old guns. It bugs me if it doesn't look like I think it should. I've also never spent a weekend shooting thousands of rounds in competition, so I haven't learned to fully appreciate a good Hogue or Pachmayr.

[Tar Heel]

Good buy!

[9.3X62AL]

Those Altamont grips you showed above are BEAUTIFUL, no two ways about it. To each his or her own, I say.

My two favorite 38 Specials are a 1960s S&W M&P x 5" and a late 40s Colt OMT x 6". Both wear Pachs because I'm a Philistine :-) but both shoot wonderfully for me. Both love #358429 at 800 FPS, +P has no place in revolvers of this vintage.

[murf205]

I'm hesitant to post photos, since you all are likely to ask me why I bought this old hunk of junk. :) Just kidding

Comparing the look of the markings with my other guns, it seems clear that this gun was reblued. Carefully done, I suppose, and I did suspect it before I bought it. It's not like it's a collector's piece or anything; I just generally avoid guns that have been tinkered with. I don't know whether it was a master gunsmith, or Bubba in his garage. So far so good. It seems to work fine.


290721290722290723

HUNK OF JUNK? you have got to be kidding. I am in the same boat with you. There are a lot of good old Smith and Wessons out there that are not unfired in the box that shoot great BUT. they are getting scarfed up more and more. It looks pretty good to me. Feed that old girl a good 158 gr cast boolit and some Bullseye and watch her purr. Ya' done good.

[fatelk]

I made a quick trip to the range this afternoon. Sitting at a bench and aiming carefully, I shot a couple 2.5" to 3" groups. I didn't have any sand bags with me, just resting my wrists on the bench, and the wind and rain were a factor, so that's actually pretty good for me. Surprisingly, at that range from the bench the groups were just below the bullseye only a couple inches, good enough to blast clay targets off the berm every time.

Having put 150+ rounds through it, I could get used to the grips. They feel pretty good for shooting. I think I will get those Altamont grips for it though. They call them "Roper" grips. I really like the looks of them.

The guy I bought this from had a couple others too. He had a Pre-10 M&P that was just as nice, with stag grips. The price was slightly more. There was another S&W .38 Special that was absolutely pristine. I forget the model because it was too nice for me, and out of my price range ($900). He had me dry-fire it a couple times to try the trigger (absolutely perfect). I was hesitant to do that because the bluing was pristine, not even a ring on the cylinder. He said they were from an estate, and he had more that he hadn't brought into the shop yet. I'm curious what else he has. I don't have the resources to buy every gun that strikes my fancy, but for a nice Model 15 or 27, maybe...

[practical_man]

Six-inch Model 10s have always been popular with smaller rural departments which don't issue their deputies patrol rifles. The longer barrel and sight radius makes hits in open country easier, and there is improvement in ballistics also. I prefer a 6-inch .38 Special fixed sight revolver with full-charge wadcutters over a .22 pistol in my get home bag and survival ruck, to supplement a snubby carried as EDC. Two revolvers are better than one and if not stashing a rifle in the vehicle a long barrel revolver reaches out to useful range and is accurate.

290417

That’s a nice set up ya got there

[murf205]

I made a quick trip to the range this afternoon. Sitting at a bench and aiming carefully, I shot a couple 2.5" to 3" groups. I didn't have any sand bags with me, just resting my wrists on the bench, and the wind and rain were a factor, so that's actually pretty good for me. Surprisingly, at that range from the bench the groups were just below the bullseye only a couple inches, good enough to blast clay targets off the berm every time.

Having put 150+ rounds through it, I could get used to the grips. They feel pretty good for shooting. I think I will get those Altamont grips for it though. They call them "Roper" grips. I really like the looks of them.

The guy I bought this from had a couple others too. He had a Pre-10 M&P that was just as nice, with stag grips. The price was slightly more. There was another S&W .38 Special that was absolutely pristine. I forget the model because it was too nice for me, and out of my price range ($900). He had me dry-fire it a couple times to try the trigger (absolutely perfect). I was hesitant to do that because the bluing was pristine, not even a ring on the cylinder. He said they were from an estate, and he had more that he hadn't brought into the shop yet. I'm curious what else he has. I don't have the resources to buy every gun that strikes my fancy, but for a nice Model 15 or 27, maybe...290831290832

These are "Ropers" they fill the hand pretty fully for me at lease and I have about average hands. I had Herretts make these. That style is very popular according to them.

[Bill*B]

You can hold tighter groups with a 6", but it isn't as handy as a 4". Your choice. Both are splendid, practical revolvers.

[Char-Gar]

Both the RCMP and the San Diego P.D. used to issue 6 inch M-10's in the 70's and early 80's. I'd prefer a 5 inch, but a good 6 inch could find its way home with me.

IRRC the RCMP issued 5" barrel Model 10s.

[rintinglen]

Could be, my recollections are those of a 9 or 10 year old boy, ogling "A real, live Mountie- just like Sgt Preston" in Ontario. Later, in High School I went to Toronto with the French club, and it appeared to me that the holsters were much longer than that of my Police Officer, Uncle Don's, 38 Colt. His was a 4 inch. (That much I am sure of-it's still in the family in the possession of his eldest son.)

Perusing the internet showed me that the RCMP had their "non-standard" S&W's re-barreled to 5" in the 1950's, so I was most certainly in error.

[Outpost75]

When I worked at Ruger in the 1980s the company produced 5-inch Service Six and Security Six revolvers in .38 Special for the RCMP and also for Toronto municipal police.

[JoeJames]

My advice is get a 4" S&W Model 15, or better yet a 4" S&W Model 67. In my opinion the Model 67 is the best out there. About 3 years ago I traded a parts AR with an Omni plastic lower and $600 boot for a 67 in near new condition. I have not regretted it at all.

291098

[fatelk]

I have the Roper grips on order for it. It sure is a great shooter. The only thing I've done to it was replace the cylinder stop spring. Someone tuned that trigger, and the one thing I didn't like was the cylinder stop spring they installed was too weak, didn't reliably snap into the cylinder with any kind of authority. I wonder if it's common to use such a weak spring here, when tuning a revolver?

I stopped in again at the shop where I got it, to take another look at the other one he has there. It's an old M&P .38 Special, 6" barrel, serial number in the low 400k range, which near as I can tell puts it somewhere in the late 1920s or early 1930s? It's in excellent condition, very clean and feels absolutely solid mechanically. It doesn't have the reblued appearance that the one I bought has. It also has some aftermarket stag grips. I'd much rather have original grips.

I really shouldn't. I don't need it. I have the money though, and it's probably a fair investment....

[murf205]

I have the Roper grips on order for it. It sure is a great shooter. The only thing I've done to it was replace the cylinder stop spring. Someone tuned that trigger, and the one thing I didn't like was the cylinder stop spring they installed was too weak, didn't reliably snap into the cylinder with any kind of authority. I wonder if it's common to use such a weak spring here, when tuning a revolver?

I stopped in again at the shop where I got it, to take another look at the other one he has there. It's an old M&P .38 Special, 6" barrel, serial number in the low 400k range, which near as I can tell puts it somewhere in the late 1920s or early 1930s? It's in excellent condition, very clean and feels absolutely solid mechanically. It doesn't have the reblued appearance that the one I bought has. It also has some aftermarket stag grips. I'd much rather have original grips.

I really shouldn't. I don't need it. I have the money though, and it's probably a fair investment....

Fatelk, on Gunbroker, Robertsons Trading Post in Tennessee has some Herretts K and L frame stocks for $41 +$4 shipping. I've been tempted but if they are genuine Herretts they ought to be worth 41 bucks everyday.

[fatelk]

My new grips arrived today. I like it.

292754

[Char-Gar]

I like 6" Ks in 38 Special. My choice would be a Model 14 because of the heavy barrel, rib and adjustable sights. I have owned about a dozen of them over the years, but am now down to one (14-4) and it is a hum-dinger.

[murf205]

My new grips arrived today. I like it.

292754

Beautiful-a K frame and Herretts stocks. Hard to beat that combo.

[rintinglen]

I was flabbergasted at the prices being asked for decent K Frame revolvers at the last couple of gun shows I went to. 450.00 for a beater M&P? 700 bucks for a decent Model 15? A year and a half ago I passed on a nice 10-8 for 400--should have bought all I could find.

[Char-Gar]

I was flabbergasted at the prices being asked for decent K Frame revolvers at the last couple of gun shows I went to. 450.00 for a beater M&P? 700 bucks for a decent Model 15? A year and a half ago I passed on a nice 10-8 for 400--should have bought all I could find.

You never pay to much for a good gun. You can pay next years price this year, but if you hold on to the gun, you will not have paid too much.

[Char-Gar]

I also like the 5" M & Ps, this one from the early 1930s. I bought this one in 92 for $225.00 which was high for that time, but it was in high condition, so I paid the tariff. Yes, I have the original grips.

[murf205]

Wow, I sure miss those old police trade ins. Some of them looked a bit "used" but most had not been shot a lot and you could actually afford one.

[fatelk]

I just can't help myself, bought another one. Not a Model 10, but a Model 28-2. I couldn't pass it up for 450. :)

On a related note, does anyone know how to remove poorly applied Cerakote/Duracoat/whateveritis? I think that had something to do with the price...

[murf205]

If you find out how to remove it please let us know. I have seen a youtube video where Acetone worked but they didn't try it on a gun. I have a Ruger that I would like to remove it from.

[fatelk]

Well, that was interesting. I just spent the whole afternoon watching Aquabats on youtube with my 9yo daughter, while carefully and patiently scraping Duracoat from every square millimeter of this old gun. I was hoping that the bluing underneath could be saved, so I didn't want to use harsh chemicals if I didn't have to.

What I used instead was several pieces of scrap brass in various shapes, just junk cases from my scrap bucket. I sharpened it with a file and scraped, and scraped. It came off fairly easy, but took a long time to scrape from every nook and cranny. I then polished it with oil and 000 steel wool.

What I found underneath was quite a surprise. This was a beautiful 28-2 from the early 1970s, in maybe 95% condition? Why in the world would someone coat it? Crazy. I'm amazed (and pleased) that the original bluing survived and looks so nice. I'm pretty happy with my $450 gun. :)

293049

[tazman]

Beautiful revolver and well worth the work.

[murf205]

Well, that was interesting. I just spent the whole afternoon watching Aquabats on youtube with my 9yo daughter, while carefully and patiently scraping Duracoat from every square millimeter of this old gun. I was hoping that the bluing underneath could be saved, so I didn't want to use harsh chemicals if I didn't have to.

What I used instead was several pieces of scrap brass in various shapes, just junk cases from my scrap bucket. I sharpened it with a file and scraped, and scraped. It came off fairly easy, but took a long time to scrape from every nook and cranny. I then polished it with oil and 000 steel wool.

What I found underneath was quite a surprise. This was a beautiful 28-2 from the early 1970s, in maybe 95% condition? Why in the world would someone coat it? Crazy. I'm amazed (and pleased) that the original bluing survived and looks so nice. I'm pretty happy with my $450 gun. :)

293049

With target stocks, no less. You scored big.

[Jtarm]

I also like the 5" M & Ps, this one from the early 1930s. I bought this one in 92 for $225.00 which was high for that time, but it was in high condition, so I paid the tariff. Yes, I have the original grips.

I’m on the lookout for one with diamond walnut magnas and speed hammer.

They’re beautiful and fun plinkers.