My only wheelgun

[Darkwatch]

So this is my only wheelgun....
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j65/darkwatch70/2006_1028Image0004.jpg
It was my grandads that he carried as a back up in WWII on his B-29 (pacific theater). Numrich has everything (but the grips which I think I can make)I need to get it back in shape. This will be the most I have ever done as far as restoration goes. My question is...should I just get the rust off and leave it (the pistol is only worth maybe $150 as a collector) but I will never sell it, or "sand" blast it and have it re-chromed or blued or parked? And my grandad would rather it be working than "historically accurate" if he were still with us. I am leaning twords refinishing it altogether as I want it to last another 60+ years. So what do you all think?

[M1 Tanker]

If you are going to take the time to do it, do it right...don't chrome it. The gun looks blued to me and I would have it blued by a professional...which will cost more then its worth probably.

[okie shooter]

I would figgure out what the finish should be, the finish seems to be flakeing off, so you might see what it is.

[Darkwatch]

It was chromed orginally. And I know I will be spending more than it's worth on parts alone but if I am going to have it I want it to work. It's a Howard Arms Co. revolver in .32 s&w. Here are some more pics...
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j65/darkwatch70/2006_1028Image0001.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j65/darkwatch70/2006_1028Image0003.jpg

[SteelCore]

that dog had its day. I'd remove the rush with some polish (something with CrO2 in it) to get the steel up to shiny, then put on the other desired hardware. Conservation vs. restoration.

If you do get it into firing condition, NEVER use any hot or +P loads, those older bbls are thin.

My dad's svervice .38 from the 'cold war' of the 60s is also a bit thin in the bbl...it'll never get shot again.


Each to his own, and good luck on the project!

--Steely

[cimmaronkid]

First off, the gun is not chromed. That is a nickle finish on the old break top. Do not try and blue the gun as it is next to impossible to polish of all of the nickle. Better to have the nickle removed through a reverse plating process, polish the gun and have it replated. If you are mechanically inclined, you can do the labor part and polish the gun and then take it back to have it replated with nickle. Besides, the nickle will hide all of your mistakes.

Hopefully you have some pictures of your grand dad with this pistol or had him write out something giving the history of the pistol. It is an heirloom whose story is worth many times the value of the gun and I would go ahead and do a little restoration if you can do most of the labor.

[M1 Tanker]

Ahh, gotcha, the first picture it looked blued.

I agree with Cimmaron, thats Nickel and I would put it back to the way he carried it myself.

[okie shooter]

I agree with Cimmaronkid, its not a highly collectable ssa colt, break top smith and wesson, or something like that, it was just a common carry gun (almost looks like a gentlemans dog gun), I would refinish it and have something to to show to generations with a good story too. It does look like some of the parts were blued or otherwise finished, the sight and hammer for two.

[Darkwatch]

Thanks guys I have a machinist friend that said he'd help me out and he has a nice shop so the only thing I think I'll have to do is send it somewere to get it re-nickeled. I wish I had some photos of my grandad with it but most of his things from the war were lost in a fire (including his 1911). All I have is one of his "yearbooks" and my sister has his dogtags.

[wonderwolf]

Have you thought about electrolysis to remove the rust I've seen it done on old knife blades but I dunno if it would work for this or not. I have a article about how to do your own set up in your garage. Very simple and its esp great to do if there is any ingravings,stampings or lettering under the rust. Good luck with it We have one like that around here somewhere I think. Still has the grips but it might have been in .22

[Darkwatch]

Most of were I need to remove rust from is on the frame as I am planning on getting a new cylinder for it and most of the other parts (internals/hamer/trigger). I just need to blast off the rust from the frame and have it re-nickled. It is on the back burner right now as I am one paycheck away from my first AK!!!:jumping: Then I need to get my motorcycle up to snuff...then it's start ordering parts for the revolver.But I thank you all for the input! I will keep you posted and will soon have a new AK thread to start!

[wonderwolf]

There was a 1983 Honda 650 in the paper the other day for $700...I really wanted to go look at it but I don't have that kind of money. Someday I would really like to get one.

[Darkwatch]

That's a good price they are starting to become collectors bikes...they used to be everyones "first bike" because they were cheap and everywere. Good luck, I know it's hard when the weather starts getting nice...

[drhall762]

Brownells used to sell a product for removing nickel chemically. Worked very well. I used it to clean off a couple of handguns prior to blueing. Haven't looked lately but if it is still available it is worth the few bucks it cost.

Dave :sniper:

[Darkwatch]

Thanks I'll look into that. I am a little concerned with sand blasting the finish off because I don't want to take too much of the metal off either...

[Geilt]

If you're concerned with sand blasting also taking off some of the metal you could go with blasting using a different media. You can bead blast or I've also heard of folks using finely crushed walnut shells. Both are much softer than the steel and should just take off the finish leaving the metal intact.

[WildBillCody]

You can un-nickel and renickel plate the gun at home, there is a company that makes the kit, I would un-nickel plate it bead blast all of the parts, then nickel plate it. You might be able to find a set of generic grips that fit that pistol, go to a gun show and there is allways a guy with hundereds of grips. There were a bunch of companys that made revolvers like yours in the early 1900's and they are about the same as yours, I know my dad has a pair of Iver-Johnson pistols that look exactly like yours.

[WildBillCody]

A quick Google search:
http://www.hobbygunsmith.com/Archives/Nov03/Feature.htm
http://www.hobbygunsmith.com/Archives/Dec03/Feature.htm

[Darkwatch]

again thanks guys!! Those links lok awesome WBC thanks! I did know about the other media used in blasting. I think I would try the walnut shell media first and see how it goes. You guys rock!

[Player]

i hope you dont' carry that for your CHL piece

[Darkwatch]

umm...no.:blink2: I have a High Power for that. This will rarely if ever get shot. I just want to restore it to working order, my grandad would have liked that.

[Player]

haha iwas joking

[RandyCOG3]

One thing I've always wondered about is: when you re-plate a gun, what about the factory stampings, serial #'s, etc.?
I once had a Model 34 (or 1934, depending) Beretta, with the little Fascist eagle holding a swastika, which had been plated, and it's kind of disheartening to see mushy, rounded edges on what were once crisp stampings.
I just bring it up, because you're commited to spending more than it's worth anyway, to make it the way YOU want it to be (which is great!) and it would be a bummer if it turned out less than ideal for the $ spent. Is there a cure for rounded edges on chrome/nickel replate jobs?

RandyCOG3

[okie shooter]

Randycog3, I wonder on the replate, after you strip off the plateing did you try cleaning up the stamps or resharping them. I imagine what ever metal treatment less de plateing them softened them. I guess though if you replate a gun, its collector value is gone to a large extent no matter what.

[RandyCOG3]

Randycog3, I wonder on the replate, after you strip off the plateing did you try cleaning up the stamps or resharping them. I imagine what ever metal treatment less de plateing them softened them. I guess though if you replate a gun, its collector value is gone to a large extent no matter what.

No, it was replated when I got it, never did anything with it.
The ex-wife got that wonderful POS; I kept the 1911A1:woohoo-1: .

RandyCOG3

[cetme]

ken's metal refinishing is the MPLS source for plating. You will have to de-plate before you refinish. Generaly nickel finish has a slight yellow tint to it and hard crome has a blue tint to it. You can also still get factory ammo for it, just make sure you either make or buy a new topstrap spring. the little spring latch on the top is the only thing holding everything together when you squeeze one off, there is a reason this style of revolver got the name "suicide special".

[Darkwatch]

Oh I plan on replacing all the parts I can. This thing sat in a box in my parents basement for 15+ years. And thanks for the info!