I'm thinking of having a professional rebluing job done on my Ruger Security Six that only has about 20% finish remaining. What I'm wondering is, will a good rebluing job restore the value to this thing or would I be wasting my money? I know refinishing some guns shoots the value into the toilet. If I refinish it I'll have a total investment of about $350 including my purchase cost.
Refinishing Security Six?
- Thread starter Kiln
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Lucky Derby
Member
Very rarely does refinishing help value. It almost always hurts value. Collectors would, generally, rather have a 1% original finish that looks like garbage, over a 0% original finish, that looks beautiful.
Now about the only time it might be a good idea from a $$$ standpoint to refinish a firearm is if it is a working gun (CCW, hunting, duty etc) and you need to have a finish on the gun to protect it from actual, not cosmetic, damage.
I will say that if you plan on keeping the gun, and just want it to look nicer, then by all means, have it refinished. A good looking weapon is a thing of beauty. It's not always about $$$. Just be aware of that if you do.
Now about the only time it might be a good idea from a $$$ standpoint to refinish a firearm is if it is a working gun (CCW, hunting, duty etc) and you need to have a finish on the gun to protect it from actual, not cosmetic, damage.
I will say that if you plan on keeping the gun, and just want it to look nicer, then by all means, have it refinished. A good looking weapon is a thing of beauty. It's not always about $$$. Just be aware of that if you do.
Willie Sutton
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I had one sitting under a sofa when a fishtank cracked and soaked the carpet. Two days later I found a rusted mess.
A box to Ruger and a 6 week wait returned to me a revolver that was not distinguishable from one that was new. Nobody refinishes a Ruger like Ruger. It could have passed as a new example.
I also had a Ruger Standard Auto .22 made back in the 70's refinished. it came back in a few weeks in a new box, and again the job was perfect and it looked new in every way.
The cost was so low both times as to be laughable.
Send it to Ruger. You'll never regret it. It'll be cheap, reliable, and high quality.
Willie
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A box to Ruger and a 6 week wait returned to me a revolver that was not distinguishable from one that was new. Nobody refinishes a Ruger like Ruger. It could have passed as a new example.
I also had a Ruger Standard Auto .22 made back in the 70's refinished. it came back in a few weeks in a new box, and again the job was perfect and it looked new in every way.
The cost was so low both times as to be laughable.
Send it to Ruger. You'll never regret it. It'll be cheap, reliable, and high quality.
Willie
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swoter
Contributing Member
Yes, send it to Ruger. You'll have a new Security-Six for $350. Can't beat that, and they are not really collector items anyway.
Lucky Derby
Member
A situation like Willie Sutton described would be one of the few times I would have a gun refinished.
If you do have it refinished, I would also recommend Ruger.
If you do have it refinished, I would also recommend Ruger.
Willie Sutton
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^^ To this, I was *really* shocked at the quality of the job. In both cases there was NO and I mean ZERO evidence that it was not the originally applied factory finish. The polishing was perfect, zero defects, markings & corners still as sharp as original, etc. There's nothing like handing a guy a frame to polish that he's polished 10,000 times before.
I almost laugh to tell the prices: The .22 cost FIFTEEN DOLLARS to refinish and the .357 cost THIRTY FIVE. Yup... $15.00 and $35.00 ;-) Now it's been over a decade on both but even then it was 1/3 the cost of sending it anyplace else for a lesser job. Just send it in and then let us know what it costs. It'll be surprising low.
Willie
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I almost laugh to tell the prices: The .22 cost FIFTEEN DOLLARS to refinish and the .357 cost THIRTY FIVE. Yup... $15.00 and $35.00 ;-) Now it's been over a decade on both but even then it was 1/3 the cost of sending it anyplace else for a lesser job. Just send it in and then let us know what it costs. It'll be surprising low.
Willie
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Based on Rugers service fees list a refinish job, these days is $130 for a revolver. Factor in around $75 for round trip shipping (assuming you use an inexpensive FFL to avoid needing to send overnight) and you're looking at ballpark $200 to get the job done by Ruger.
It's not a bad deal at all. But then again, my local gunsmith, who is excellent, will do a refinish with Nickel Teflon (same as NP3) for $300. I'd probably spend the extra $100 and use my local guy. But that's just me, and even then I'm not sure that's the call I'd make.
It's not a bad deal at all. But then again, my local gunsmith, who is excellent, will do a refinish with Nickel Teflon (same as NP3) for $300. I'd probably spend the extra $100 and use my local guy. But that's just me, and even then I'm not sure that's the call I'd make.
Willie Sutton
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^ There's no FFL required in this sort of shipment, and FEDEX`or UPS is cheap.
$75 for shipping? You must be kidding.... not even close.
$130 is a bargain even with reasonable shipping included.
Willie
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$75 for shipping? You must be kidding.... not even close.
$130 is a bargain even with reasonable shipping included.
Willie
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CraigC
Sixgun Nut
It's not an old Colt or S&W so a quality refinish on a 20% gun will most certainly increase its value. Get it done by Ruger and it will pass for a high condition used gun. Get it done in a bright polish by a reputable refinisher like Accurate Plating or Ford's and it will be worth at least what you have put into it.
Sorry Willie but handguns must go priority overnight with either UPS or FedEx. I shipped a USFA a couple months ago and it was $120 in one direction. Finding an FFL that will ship Priority Mail is the cheapest route, bar none. If you ship it by ground service they will not honor an insurance claim if it is lost or damaged.
Yup and before somebody pops in and says to simply not tell them it is a gun, that is a crime.
Here's a good article on it:
http://professionaloutdoormedia.org/node/5725
Still might end up having a local gunsmith with a good rep refinish it. Too costly and troublesome to have Ruger do it when you factor in shipping to/from the factory and the fees.
Here's a good article on it:
http://professionaloutdoormedia.org/node/5725
Still might end up having a local gunsmith with a good rep refinish it. Too costly and troublesome to have Ruger do it when you factor in shipping to/from the factory and the fees.
ColtPythonElite
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A good reblue from a gunsmith will likely be more than the associated costs for going with Ruger.....The local guy might do a bead blast and dip for under a hundred bucks.
sgt127
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I may have to suffer slings and arrows, but here goes. It's not a collectible. Most of the finish is gone. If you want it to look like new, send it to Ruger....but....
If you plan on keeping it and using it, I would get it hard chromed.
After. Few years of heavy use, a new blue finish will look like a worn blue finish and, you will be thinking about having it reblued again.
A hard chrome finish will shrug off 99% of what you throw at it.
If you plan on keeping it and using it, I would get it hard chromed.
After. Few years of heavy use, a new blue finish will look like a worn blue finish and, you will be thinking about having it reblued again.
A hard chrome finish will shrug off 99% of what you throw at it.
bannockburn
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I'm with sgt127: if you want a finish that's going to last, and still look great after years of steady use, have it hard chrome plated.
When good blueing , well cared for , begins to wear , it still looks great. My 1943 Colt Official police has soft holster wear ; it looks beautiful. When chrome begins to fail , well ...
Hey - for $350 or so you could get the Six nickeled!
Just get it re-blued by Ruger. OR , rub it down with very fine scotch pad , then rub with RIG gun grease , then shoot the bejeebers out of it and have inexpensive fun.
Hey - for $350 or so you could get the Six nickeled!
Just get it re-blued by Ruger. OR , rub it down with very fine scotch pad , then rub with RIG gun grease , then shoot the bejeebers out of it and have inexpensive fun.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Actually no, it isn't a crime. It is only a violation of the shipper's policy to not declare that the package contains a firearm. This is where the ATF FAQ is misleading but reading the actual statute, confirmed by letter from the ATF, you are not required by federal law to inform the shipper that the package contains a firearm.
I just posted these same pics in another thread. I had this revolver hard chromed by Mahovsky's after most of the gunsmith work was done. My 'smith bead blasted the gun and Mahovsky's did a great job finishing it, the finish is very uniform and looks terrific. Their prices are very good, it was only $150 + $18 return shipping, and it's a finish that will last forever. You could probably get them to bead blast it for a reasonable price and it will have a nice matte finish like mine. I had this one done a year ago and it took around 5 weeks. I'm very happy with their work and will definitely use them again.
This is what it looked like when I got it-
Willie Sutton
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To Craig C: I just sent an overnight FEDEX box of the same size and weight as this would need (a BP Revolver that a guy wanted FEDEX'd), overnight shipping, and it cost me a whopping $40.00, probably because I went into the FEDEX depot and not to a local pack-n-ship place.
Willie
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Willie
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Confederate
Member
I second the hard chrome alternative. Hard chrome is so exceptionally hard that its bonding to steel exceeds the bonding of the steel to itself. It's very thin, and yet people have tried to file the finish off and all it does is ruin the files. I had my Beretta 70S hard chromed by Mahovsky's, and I have to keep beating people off to keep them away from it. I've also had numerous offers to buy it. Mahovsky does a fabulous job and several weeks after I sent it to them, Ron called me. Fearing something was wrong, I called him back and he said, "Yeah, I just wanted to tell you that we refinished your gun and everything's fine; it looks beautiful. But I thought I'd call you and tell you that you've got quite a gun." I'd sent the gun to him with a near perfect blue finish. But I had a spot on the right side that kept turning reddish. I polished it with leather and oil, but it kept coming back. I told him that was my primary reason for sending it in and he told me that the spot plagued just about all of those guns. He didn't know why, but he'd seen the same pre-rust spot on other guns just like it. So he polished it out, refinished the gun and a few days later I got it back and it looked like a stainless gun.
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I heartily recommend Mahovskys work. Its prices are reasonable and the people there take pride in their work. In many cases they can plate the inside of the barrel too, and that tends to stop wear and tear in the lands and grooves. I recommend the hard chrome process Metalife for parts that otherwise suffer from wear. For example, if you have a Colt Python, the pawl, or hand, wears very quickly because of its small size, throwing your gun out of time every couple of thousand rounds. By plating the pawl (and the ratchet, if you wish), you can stop the wear and it will save you a lot of money in retiming your gun.
In my opinion, Metalife (SS Chromium M) is the ultimate finish for any firearm. Because of its ability to molecularly bind to the steel, it isn't just poured onto the metal, it becomes part of it. It also doesn't fill up the lettering on your gun or make it appear as if it's been refinished.
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After:
I heartily recommend Mahovskys work. Its prices are reasonable and the people there take pride in their work. In many cases they can plate the inside of the barrel too, and that tends to stop wear and tear in the lands and grooves. I recommend the hard chrome process Metalife for parts that otherwise suffer from wear. For example, if you have a Colt Python, the pawl, or hand, wears very quickly because of its small size, throwing your gun out of time every couple of thousand rounds. By plating the pawl (and the ratchet, if you wish), you can stop the wear and it will save you a lot of money in retiming your gun.
In my opinion, Metalife (SS Chromium M) is the ultimate finish for any firearm. Because of its ability to molecularly bind to the steel, it isn't just poured onto the metal, it becomes part of it. It also doesn't fill up the lettering on your gun or make it appear as if it's been refinished.
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CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Well that's very interesting. It's against policy to ship anywhere but a real UPS customer counter and that's where I sent mine from. Sorry but we've been way past $40 to ship a handgun for at least ten years. FedEx is usually higher than UPS.
I just did a quick quote on the FedEx site and it was $80 without insurance. With insurance for the same package I quoted before with UPS, it's $100. So I honestly don't know where you're getting $40.
hAkron
Member
I sent a model 27 from Ohio to Florida in September insured for $400. UPS charged me $87. I 'think' overnight charges vary depending on where its going, but I could be wrong.
Willie Sutton
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CraigC: I did some research and FEDEX cost is a function of distance to destination as well as the ease of their infrastructure for delivery to a certain site. I end up being close to the airport for shipment on the "big jet" and my destination was similarly sited. So actual mileage may vary. I also don't insure when using FEDEX. Being able to do real time tracking and their internal security measures are satisfactory enough for me to ship uninsured and not worry about it.
Willie
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Willie
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CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I wouldn't ship a $2000 revolver without insurance. The extra twenty bucks is well spent.
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