Who or How to Overhaul Pre-Model 10 K-frame

[coldcase1984]

Lady at work asks me to look at a very old pistol her grandfather had in a drawer for years. Visions of Gen 1 Peacemakers or even a Registered Magnum started dancing in my head.

Then reality hit: she pulls out a Wally World bag and there's a humpback hammered K-frame skinny barrel .38 Special that looks like it was dropped in mud 50 years ago and put immediately into a sock drawer.

Dreadful surface rust all over it, you can rotate cylinder past bolt, cylinder wiggles side to side in a lead-shaving fashion, and I was scared to look in bore.

Is this thing worth rebuilding/refinishing as a house gun for her? If the internals are shot can you even find replacements? How hard is it for a novice to re-time it and tighten lockup?

This lady is one of our warrants clerks so money IS an object.

Thanks,

Dan

[serialsolver]

I bought a old model 10 once that sounds like the gun you describe. It had been soaked in a gun cleaning vat for a week to see if it would work. I bought to take a chance on it. Once I got it home and took it apart I found out it just needed a good cleaning. Once cleaned and lubed it worked just fine. Unless the internal parts are rusted together or springs are broken I bet it will be ok. Depending on how old it is parts should not be a problem. It may date back to the twenties or thirties. I think that’s when the humpback hammer was an option. Here is a link to the FAQ on the Smith & Wesson forum. Scroll down and it has a detail striping guide.

smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-smithing/94072-faqs.html

[donw]

They are easy to take a part and clean. They are a little trickier to put back together. I have an old M&P that seems very loose. I was suprised to find out it is one of my most accurate revolvers. I think Numrich Gun Parts has detailed drawings showing all the little parts and how they fit. Just keep track of everything that comes out, especially the little springs.

[dtrain]

I do not know how it will react with what is left of the finish, but PB Blaster is awsome for freeing up rusted Mechanisms and such..We use it on the 5th Wheels of our Tractors and Converter gears all Wintr long to keep them lubed and easy to pull when unhooking..

Dtrain

[brionic]

Expensive to overhaul? Maybe, depending on what she wants it to be... to clean out sixty years of gunk, get the rust off, all the lead out of the bbl, lube and oil it, function test it, then fire it... worth it, if she can find "someone: to spend three to five hours with it, out of the goodness of their heart

Refurbishing it, on the other hand, would be expensive to the point of absurdity unless she had particular desire and funds to do it. Decent condition prewar M&Ps can still be found for $300-400, "depending", so figure that the condition that her example would merit considerably less.

BTW, boiling a nasty gun is not unheard of for removal of the thickest, stickiest, most varnished mechanical fouling. Make sure to remove the grips first, please.

[smirker]

If you are in law Enforcment,does your Dept. have ultrasonic cleaner.That would be the best way to clean up that old revolver,followed by disassembly and re-lube.

[coldcase1984]

They were talking about it, don't know if it ever happened.

You guys don't think it's a problem it can be pushed right past the bolt?