I Thought the Other One was Ugly.

[CajunBass]

A few weeks ago, I posted about a "Cosmetically Challenged" Model 19 I had picked up and cleaned up. That one worked out so well I picked up another one.

This time it's a Model 10-7, 38 Special. I don't know what happened to it, but obviously something (blood maybe?) ruined the finish on the frame. Worse on the right side than the left, but nothing at all on the barrel or cylinder.





All the mechanicals check out. I've cleaned the rust and crud off with Flitz, it did look worse, and buffed it a lot with a silicone rag. Oddely enough, the bore and chambers were as clean as any gun I've ever cleaned. Nothing but dust there.

I was going to leave it, but it just stayed there in the case, and finally I had to rescue it and clean it up and give it back some dignity. Normally I'd look for some period grips, but in this case, I think the snow tires are appropriate.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Hey, a Model 19 is a Model 19.

If the gun is as good as you say it is internally, who gives a care about the cosmetics? If I were you, I wouldn't hesitate to push that gun into active duty in a defensive role. I think the cosmetic damage might make it a bit less appealing as a collectible, but man what a great defensive revolver those K-frame magnums! I'd LOVE to have one!

 

[CajunBass]

Sorry, I didn't make it clear. That one is not the Model 19. That one is a Model 10. I edited the original post to try to make it clearer.

I don't buy guns anymore to use for defensive purposes. I've got those. I buy these just for grins and giggles.

 

[BobWright]

Cooldill,

This is a Model 10 in question, not the Model 19.

Bob Wright

 

[Deaf Smith]

Ok. Now take the awful rubber grips off, completely disassemble and clean it inside and out, uses some stones and polish the rebound slide, side plate where the hammer and trigger rotate, stone smooth the bearing surfaces on the trigger and cylinder stop.

Then use a real good high and low temp grease to all rotating surfaces (like the cylinder center pin and crane as well as trigger, hammer, bolt, cylinder stop, inside and outside of rebound slide, etc..)

Reassemble and locktite (use GUNTITE) and add good wood grips.

Then cycle the action (but NOT drop the hammer unless you have snap caps) a 1000 times.

When finished... enjoy!

Deaf

 

[WestKentucky]

Snowtires...quite an appropriate simile. Pachys are ugly as sin but they do feel good.

 

[Twiki357]

I’m curious about what the frame looks like under the snowtires. If the discoloration is from blood, did it get under the grips. Looks like it could have some interesting stories if it could talk.

 

[kBob]

Might have been something as mundane as Coca Cola (TM). A buddy once spilled coke in the back seat of my car and was to embarrassed to say anything. Unbeknown to me the carpet was wet with that liquid when I tossed some gun stuff back there. At first I thought someone had left an old original two tone 1911 mag back there the next day when I was hauling stuff into the house. WHen I looked at the other side though it was fully blue. The mag had been laying half on a candy wrapper and the part that was one the wet carpet was cleaned down to the metal. Several other items were in various staged of being stripped or stained.

All sorts of things can damage a blued finish besides blood. Some of the BP guys speak of distressing the blue on the Cap and ball revolvers with mustard. Maybe a wrapper from a Wendy's double burger with extra mustard laid on the side of the revolver for a bit.

Looks like another great project gun whether the stains are blood or a smashed ketchup packet from when it was in someone's glove box.

Good buy and have fun and Good bye for now.

-kBob

 

[tomrkba]

A few weeks ago, I posted about a "Cosmetically Challenged" Model 19 I had picked up and cleaned up. That one worked out so well I picked up another one.

This time it's a Model 10-7, 38 Special.

Where do you find these deals?

 

[CajunBass]

I’m curious about what the frame looks like under the snowtires.

Looks just fine. I took the sideplate off this afternoon, and blasted it again with gunscrubber and reoiled it. No rust or discoloration at all internally. The area under the grips still pretty much has it's blue, but it probably had Magnas at the time the damage was done.

Might have been something as mundane as Coca Cola (TM).

To be honest I suspect it was something like that. The metal isn't pitted at all, it's just as smooth as a babies butt after being cleaned up with Flitz. Actually other than the finish damage, it shows very little evidence of having been fired very much. As I said, when I ran solvent patches through the bore and chambers, there was all but nothing on the patch. There isn't even much of a turn line.

Where do you find these deals?

They just show up from time to time at my LGS.

 

[Jim K]

IMHO, that gun is worth a good reblue job. I would give S&W a call, as no one does it better.

Jim

 

[1KPerDay]

New grips, stat!

 

[Dframe]

Looks like a great package for range fun. I'd probably put a set of Ahrends on it, but in it's condition the goodyears seem about right. Great find you have there.

 

[Double_J]

PLEASE find a set of good wood stocks for that gun. I do like the "snow tires" but not on that gun.

And where do you find those things? I have looked all over for things like that and all I find are overpriced worn out junk guns.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

IMHO, that gun is worth a good reblue job. I would give S&W a call, as no one does it better.

Jim

Barring pitting - I'm voting for this. People bitch about the cost but it really doesn't matter if you like it.

Beauty is often only bluing deep, if your internals warrant it and pitting doesn't exist - treat it and yourself to an S&W job and feel like you have a near-new pistol.

 

[Gun Master]

Maroon/Bluing on S&W Model 10

That maroon coloring is most likely due to an attempt to cold blue the gun, but obviously some chemical reaction.

I once owned a late WWII P-38, which had a "maroonish" finish. This was common in mid to late German military produced guns. It was caused by a flaw in the rushed-up bluing process. I thought it had an interesting and aesthetically pleasing color, called "plum".

At any rate, if it were mine (but it's not), I'd leave it the way it is.
Since it's yours, do whatever you like.
Enjoy your terrific find.

BTY, I like the Elephant Ears (grips) too !

 

[CajunBass]

That maroon coloring is most likely due to an attempt to cold blue the gun, but obviously some chemical reaction.

No, that's just the bad light/flash in the room early in the morning. Other than the bare spots the finish looks normal.

I'm not going to refinish it. To do so would make it cost as much as just buying a really nice Model 10. I did change out the grips, but I just went to a set of Pachmyar grippers I already had. They seem to fit my hand better.

 

[Gun Master]

No, that's just the bad light/flash in the room early in the morning. Other than the bare spots the finish looks normal.

I'm not going to refinish it. To do so would make it cost as much as just buying a really nice Model 10. I did change out the grips, but I just went to a set of Pachmyar grippers I already had. They seem to fit my hand better.

The "Pachies" are the same grips on the Model 10 (4" Bull Barrel) I keep by my bedside.
Nice rescue job.

BTW, I really admire your signature.

GM ><>

 

[witchhunter]

A model 10 is a model 10! I have one that is much more worn, still shoots fine. It gets used a lot.

 

[horsemen61]

Wadcutters and a day at the range are all you need for a great time

 

[ZVP]

Dump the grips ASAP and...

Order a set of Hogue/ Jerry Michulak custom grips for it.
I swear they force the hand into the most comfortable D/A hold ever!
Secondly, I rescued the finish on my Model 10-6 with (Believe it or not!) an eyeglasses cleaning rag that my Optomritrest gives out.
One side felt a little grittier than the other so I hand rubbed the finish to a beautifull deep blue shine with it! I dunno what it would do to glass, but for guns it worked great! The finish now looks like a factory deep blueing!!
I also used it to buff the sides of case hardened BP revolvers and it smoothed and buffed em to a high gloss!
As a finish rag ya might try one.
Do get those grips though!

 

[CajunBass]

BTW, I really admire your signature.

Thank you. The gospel in one verse.

I found a set of Magna style grips on ebay yesterday for not too much, so I ordered them. I'll see how they look when they get in. If they look better, I'll get a T-grip for them. That's really my favorite grip for a S&W Revolver (Like on this Model 15...another "finish challenged" find).



I've got a set of Hogue Monogrips on a Model 19. They're not too bad for a rubber grip, but don't fit my fingers as well as I'd like. I'm keeping an eye out for a period set of S&W target grips for that one.

 

[Gun Master]

Eyeglasses / Gun Cleaning Rag

Order a set of Hogue/ Jerry Michulak custom grips for it.
I swear they force the hand into the most comfortable D/A hold ever!
Secondly, I rescued the finish on my Model 10-6 with (Believe it or not!) an eyeglasses cleaning rag that my Optomritrest gives out.
One side felt a little grittier than the other so I hand rubbed the finish to a beautifull deep blue shine with it! I dunno what it would do to glass, but for guns it worked great! The finish now looks like a factory deep blueing!!
I also used it to buff the sides of case hardened BP revolvers and it smoothed and buffed em to a high gloss!
As a finish rag ya might try one.
Do get those grips though!

The "rag" probably had silicone in it.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[jrod]

I'll second that it's a great Signature!

 

[Jaymo]

The great things about a finish challenged gun are that A: you don't have to worry about scratches and such, and B: If (God forbid) you ever had to use it for SD, you don't have to worry about a gorgeous finish getting uglied up while sitting in evidence.

Ugly Betty (my finish challenged 4" 10-6) shoots as well as my 15s and 586.
Had I known it would shoot so well, I could have skipped buying the 15s, the 586, the 10-5 snub, the pre-Victory, and the Dan Wesson 14-2 and saved a bunch of money.
But, what fun would that be?
Seriously, how could I resist a 15-5 that was shipped the year I graduated high school?

Ugly Betty was an evidence locker gun, and the consensus on the finish issues seems to be it was most likely used in a suicide.
Gotta admit, that gives me mixed feelings about it, but it shoots as well as any .38/.357 I've owned.