I've had my smith model 28 .357 magnum for about 10 years now. It's a 28-2, 6", with target grips, adj sites and combat hammer/trigger.
It has proven itself time and again as a reliable sidearm, accurate as all getup. When I purchased it years ago, I got it for the price of $200, unfired, from a friend who bought it as a nightstand gun.
http://pic10.picturetrail.com/VOL326/682422/6636837/91719534.jpg

http://pic10.picturetrail.com/VOL326/682422/6636837/91740978.jpg

http://pic10.picturetrail.com/VOL326/682422/6636837/91740976.jpg

An N frame in 6" for a nightstand gun:confused: Not my first choice, but whatever.
Even though I had my workhorse "Highway Patrolman", I always lusted for the same gun in the 4" version;
I purchased a 2 3/4" Ruger Security-six as my short "backpacking woods gun", but still had the fever for that N frame.....
Well last evening, while browsin' round one of my local haunts, I finally wandered across a 4" 28-2, mfg. in '72 or '73. It's in about 70% condition, looking like it was well used, but taken care of. It had no price tag upon it, so I inquired. $165 was the askin price, minus 10% cause it was a used gun that "was not moving".....
So after Jersey tax and NICS, she's mine for less than $200! Whooopie!
I'm gonna pick her up just as soon as my NJ permit is issued by my PD.

My thought was, since her finish is failing, is to either send her back to Smith for their tune-up and master reblue, or to give her a satin hard-chrome finish, from Tripp research, thus truly protecting her from the elements.

Whaddya think guys?

Best,

chris~

That brings back some memories. That was the first handgun I bought for myself years ago. In a weak moment some time in the late 1980's I sold it. Mistake!

I've had several guns armaloyed which is a hard chrome finish used on die stamping tools. It looks like the finish on the new Taurus stainless guns and last forever. Nice thing about this finish is they do inside the chambers and barrels. Carried a 29 done this way for five years in Alaska with nary a sign of rust or wear.

Thanx,

I'm leaning towards Chrome, but then there is that classic look of blue......

My thought was, since her finish is failing, is to either send her back to Smith for their tune-up and master reblue, or to give her a satin hard-chrome finish, from Tripp research, thus truly protecting her from the elements.



chris~

What would you have to pay for the tune-up and bluing??

Thanks

It's like a buck and a quarter for the tune-up, and two bills for the blue.
I justify the price by reasoning that it would be near new at that point, and still be under 525 for the whole thing.
If I went with the hardchrome, it'd be 165 + the tune-up.

Don't forget shipping which with recent increases is going to get the total price up to $575 or more if you go the high polish blued route. Another option is the matt blue finish that would save you $80 or so.

One thing I wonder about is the "Tune Up". It sounds like your talking about the $125 "Performance Enhancement Package". All they really do for that is check the mainspring, timing, clean the inside, and turn the bbl if neccesary. Which is fine. BUT if you know the timings ok (by testing with range rod), there is no excessive endshake, the bbl cylinder gap is ok (test with feeler gauges), your not having light strike problems, and the bbl does not need turned, you've just paid $125 for someone to take the sideplate off and spray it out...

Just saying if your guns already in good shooting shape and your expecting a mechanically perfect gun by sending it in for this package you might be disspointed. I bought kind of a beater M19 without checking it out very well and sent it in for this package. Gun came back with what I considered still excessive cylinder play and a bbl cylinder gap of .003 on one side and .010 on the other. Everything was however barely within thier "specs", therefore nothing was addresed other than turning the bbl.

I've got a 4" M28. Had a smith do an action job, (including the services S&W offers), along with smoothing the grooves off of the trigger face. Found a set of grips from an M29 somebody left behind when they bought something else and bought 'em - I like the way they fill up the space behind the trigger guard.

As a nightstand gun, IMO, your 6" would be great.

I've long felt that a cylinder full of 357 Magnum 125 grain JHPs weilded by a cool head and a steady hand, beats the daylights out of 15 rounds of 9mm handled by somebody who rearely, if ever practices.

Provided that overpentration on drywall and panelling is not a factor, of course.

The wife and I don't have anyone sleeping in the house but the two of us, and we live way out in the country - the nearest house to us is 150 yards away.
So, I don't care at ALL about overpenetration.

For priarily four-legged predators. I keep a Chinese type 54, (Chinese SKS), near the bedside, too.

Anyway, good shooting!

They are prettier blued and meant to be that way I feel.
As Digital Underground said, "Do whatcha like".

I think it would be blasphemous to have anything but a blued finish on this fine revolver... but I guess its really up to you.

Blasphemey;
perhaps....but hard chrome would stand up to any weather with less maintenance than stainless.
[I'm still leaning toward blue :)

Blasphemey;
perhaps....but hard chrome would stand up to any weather with less maintenance than stainless.
[I'm still leaning toward blue :)

Check out Magnaport, they do an excellent hard chrome job. They also do a better tuning job that Smith does, and you don't have to have it magna-ported.

I've had my Mdl 28 no dash since '79. It was used when I got it, and is more used now.
It's ridden with me as my service revolver when I drove armored trucks.
Been my hunting revolver, took my javalina with it. Had a new front sight put on because the old one was worn by the holster.
Had the serations removed from the trigger.
Shot thousands of magnum loads.
Been tuned up twice by gunsmiths, had the barrel set back due to forcing cone erosion, and now it's finish is much less than "week".
But reblue or refinish it? No way. It's earned it's stripes, it would be a shame to polish all that history away.
That old .357 shows it's scars and wear with pride, like an old blued gun should.

But yours is yours, you do with it what makes you happy.
I'll just buy more ammo and components with the money I'd spend to have it reblued.


Joe

Here's what's spurring my quest for a re-finish...
http://smith-wessonforum.com/eve/ubb.x/a/tpc/f/530103904/m/259100384/p/1

The blue 28 pictured in this Smith thread[listed in the above url]
is in MUCH better shape cosmetically than the one I am buying.
This is why the redooooooo!

If it turns out 1/2 as nice as that chrome gun......

Here's a before and after of another 28, about the same shape as mine. This one was reblued by Smith & Wesson


Decisions, decisions....what to do...
http://usera.imagecave.com/Snowman45/guns/000_0006s.jpg

http://usera.imagecave.com/Snowman45/guns/SWM28-22web.jpg

I'm still going for the reblue... both guns are beautiful, but there is definetly something about a blue finish....

I'm leaving my 6" M28-2 blue. It looks just fine the way it is.

Bye
Jack

I have nothing at all against a good hard chrome finish -- but, man, that brushed blue S&W finish on the 28 sure looks fine! I've bought 3 of these beauties in the past 7 years, a 6 inch and 2 4 inchers (one of which looked absolutely as new). All were bought for $215-250! People have started to catch on and the prices have started to increase on nice 28's, but to me they still represent a heckuva bargain, and one of the finest revolvers ever built.

I've had my smith model 28 .357 magnum for about 10 years now. It's a 28-2, 6", with target grips, adj sites and combat hammer/trigger.
It has proven itself time and again as a reliable sidearm, accurate as all getup. When I purchased it years ago, I got it for the price of $200, unfired, from a friend who bought it as a nightstand gun.
http://pic10.picturetrail.com/VOL326/682422/6636837/91719534.jpg

http://pic10.picturetrail.com/VOL326/682422/6636837/91740978.jpg

http://pic10.picturetrail.com/VOL326/682422/6636837/91740976.jpg

An N frame in 6" for a nightstand gun:confused: Not my first choice, but whatever.
Even though I had my workhorse "Highway Patrolman", I always lusted for the same gun in the 4" version;
I purchased a 2 3/4" Ruger Security-six as my short "backpacking woods gun", but still had the fever for that N frame.....
Well last evening, while browsin' round one of my local haunts, I finally wandered across a 4" 28-2, mfg. in '72 or '73. It's in about 70% condition, looking like it was well used, but taken care of. It had no price tag upon it, so I inquired. $165 was the askin price, minus 10% cause it was a used gun that "was not moving".....
So after Jersey tax and NICS, she's mine for less than $200! Whooopie!
I'm gonna pick her up just as soon as my NJ permit is issued by my PD.

My thought was, since her finish is failing, is to either send her back to Smith for their tune-up and master reblue, or to give her a satin hard-chrome finish, from Tripp research, thus truly protecting her from the elements.

Whaddya think guys?

Best,

chris~
I`d send her back to smith wesson and get her reblued . I think blued steel is beautifull.

Hi,
For that kind of money,wht not look at the Robar Companies custom finishes.I would check out Rogard,or NP3.I think that they are much more durable and protective at the same cost as a regular blue finish from the factory.Anyway,the M28 is a awesome piece.Best of luck with it,Enjoy! :D

I had a glock with the NP3 finish...to be honest, I felt it was just another spray and bake. nuthin that great and I did develop holster wear marks from a kydex holster.
At this point, I'm supposed to pick up the gun on wed/thurs. I'll post a pic or two of the condition now.
I am gonna have it blued by smith, doing their master hi=polish like a model 27 or 29.
should turn out great!

I am gonna have it blued by smith, doing their master hi=polish like a model 27 or 29.
should turn out great!


I think that's a good choice. Nothing looks as nice as the deep factory blue.

well I just got off the phone with Smith & wesson. They quoted me $166.00 for the hi-gloss reblue and $50.00 for the tune up. all + shipping
They stated that it could end up being less as they had to disassemble to reblue, so they would not charge me as much for the tune dissassembly...
6 weeks turn-around.
Called Tripp Research also. Their cost for an entire hard-chromed revolver was 160.00
2 weeks turn-around.
so now I am torn again, but really leaning blue....:rolleyes:

So I picked her up today.
She at least in the pics I have taken, does not appear in that bad of shape.
Her "flats and Edges" have wear, right down to the white... mostly holster I'm guessin, as she sure sings off a Law enforcement gun by her wear.
Though the pics do not portray, all blueing is worn off her triggerguard.
there are two good scrapes upon the bottom of her "half - lug", and her trigger is "sticky".

I have her soaking in Hoppes as we speak, as upon removal of the side plate, I found 33 years of junk.

So these are the before pics...
http://pic10.picturetrail.com/VOL326/682422/6636837/110529424.jpg

http://pic10.picturetrail.com/VOL326/682422/6636837/110529426.jpg

http://pic10.picturetrail.com/VOL326/682422/6636837/110529427.jpg

She's going to Smith, for the check/tune-up, and then the hi-gloss reblue. I'll let y'all know how it turns out.

Chris~

doggone, i've got a 4' model28-2, i would've
traded you for the six". good find on your part.
enjoy shootin it.

are model 29 barrels interchangeable with
a model 28-2. found a 6" bartrel off of a model 29,
if they are i mite buy cylinder also.

are model 29 barrels interchangeable with
a model 28-2. found a 6" bartrel off of a model 29,
if they are i mite buy cylinder also.

While the frames are both of the N class frame, the 29 is a .44 mag and the 28 is a .357 mag.
In the case of the cylinder swap, there would be timing and internals issues also. I'm just venturing a guess, but by the time you got done paying the G'smith, you'd have had enough invested to buy a 29 outright.