[kirk edwards]

Just bought a used S&W .357 magnum for $490. It is stainless steel with rubber grips. There is a cluster of scratches around the screw just above the trigger on the casing. The scratches are densely clustered in this one spot, otherwise the revolver is in good shape. The barrel inside is immaculate. I examined it with a piece of white paper to reflect the light and it looks great.

My question is this: do you think this cluster of scratches could turn to rust? There is absolutely no sign of rust or pitting right now. I am thinking of the future, years from now. I have until Tuesday to decide if I want to keep this revolver. I can return it to the dealer for a full refund if I am not fully satisfied. I don't care about the cosmetic appearance of this revolver. I just don't want something that could pit and rust later on.

Also, do you think I paid a fair price for this revolver?

Thank you kindly for your advice on this matter.



Kirk

 

[leverite]

CHeck Gunbroker.com for comparables. Most seem higher priced than your revolver.

Stainless steel is stainless steel all the way thru...don't believe there is any surface treatment.

Stainless can still rust, it's just less prone to rusting than regular steel. YOu could have the scratches polished out, so there'd be no worrry about moisture getting into the scratches, but would think a little oil coating would also work fine. Unless you work in a maritime climate.

 

[paulb]

Agree with all the advice given above.
Take your time and polish the scratches out. Depending on how deep they are I have used Semichrome Polish which you can buy at most biker shops and it has worked well for me.

 

[andy]

Congrats on a great gun. I have a .44 magnum mountain gun, I love all the MG series from S&W. For a S&W in the condition you stated, you certainly did not overpay.

Hank

 

[miestro_jerry]

I would use some fine buffing compound and buff the scratchs off the pistol, but if they are no causing any problems, leave them alone.

Jerry

 

[Marshal Kane]

The S&W 686 is not a polished mirror finish but rather more of a satin finish so be careful what you use to remove those scratches or you could end up with a mirror polish area next to satin. Whatever you use, suggest you try it sparingly first on a part of the gun that is hidden from view. Might contact S&W and ask them for suggestions.

 

[fyimo]

Lots of S&W owners polish their stainless revolvers because they like the way they look and because they are easy to maintain after polishing. The 686 isn't really a collector gun anyway unless it's new and unfired in the box so get it the way you want it and shoot the tar out of it.

 

[au2183]

Mother's Mag Wheel polish and an old cotton tee shirt works great on stainless, and it's easy to control how much polish you want. If the scratches are deep you won't be able to remove them completely, but I bet you could blend them in somewhat so they're not too noticeable, and make the surrounding area match.

 

[AVIVIII]

If you over-polish it you can always take it back down with some steel wool or some emery cloth.

 

[longriflewest]

I know this is a little dated, but just saw the post.

I would look the gun over real well based on the scenario you described. Scratches around a screw indicate that someone used the wrong tool to try and get to the inner workings of the gun. Someone did a hack job removing the screw which could be an indicator of the same incompetence used to "tinker" with the insides.

May not be the case with your gun, but is a red flag in examining any used revolver.