Results 1 to 4 of 4

Thread: Warning for new S&W owners

  1. #1
    Site Admin & **Team Gunsnet Silver 12/2012** Richard Simmons's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    VA
    Posts
    7,665

    Post Warning for new S&W owners

    There is a thread on the S&W Forum where a member had the bluing wipe right off his new S&W revolver. I don't know what time frame it involves but he stated that he called S&W and they told him that using the wrong type of cleaning product can damage the blued finish. They said something about having to change the bluing process due to newer EPA regulations. The member used Hoppes #9. If you look in the newer owners manuals it says not to use ammoniated cleaners. Hoppes#9 has ammonia in it. As I said I don't know when the change in the bluing process took effect but I would urge you to look at your owners manual and see if it warns about ammoniated cleaners. Even if it doesn't I'd switch to something without ammonia just to be safe. If I can find out any more about when this change took effect I will update this thread.


    Oh, the revolver is a current production Model 57.

    Here is an owners manual. Look at page 32. The warning about cleaners is not highlighted in red or anything to make it extra noticeable.

    http://www.smith-wesson.com/wcsstore...08-15-2013.pdf

    Some members over there are stating the problem is the alloy S&W is using for the barrel and frame and not the bluing process or any new EPA guidelines. I didn't know S&W used an alloy for their standard steel revolvers? Obviously the scandium frame or aluminum alloy models are different but I thought a steel frame was steel not an alloy? Another poster said his Model 57-5 from 2009 has developed this same issue.
    Last edited by Richard Simmons; 07-15-2014 at 06:06 PM.
    Gunsnet member since 1999
    USN 1978-86
    BCCI Life Member #2068

    •" We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm. " George Orwell

  2. #2
    Team GunsNet Silver 02/2014

    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Colorado
    Posts
    1,663
    Thanks, guess this is one of the reasons I stick to my older Smiths. Late 60s and early 70s.
    Dan

  3. #3
    Contributor 02/2014 FunkyPertwee's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Posts
    11,163
    Wow, and I've been drooling over new classics series model 586 and 29 revolvers, and have been hoping they'd make a classics line model 19 now that they've brought the K-frame .357 back with the new model 66 (-8).
    "I'm fucking furious, I'm violently angry, and I like it. If you don't know what that feels like then I feel bad for you"

  4. #4
    Forum Administrator Schuetzenman's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    East of Atlanta GA
    Posts
    15,035
    Alloy is a loose term and there are many alloys that are steel alloys. It does not denote aluminum. The name Alloy simply denotes a mixture of additives that change and enhance the basic properties of the parent metal. Example; 4130, 4140 and 4150 are all alloys (versions) of Chrome Moly Steel. For stainless common ones are 410, 416 and 420, also 4440 which is a stainless tool steel. There are Steel Alloys, Aluminum alloys, Brass Alloys, and Lead Alloys.

    Ammonia in bore cleaner is there to eat / dissolve the copper. I would be surprised if the steel was containing enough copper that bluing would wash out from it. OTOH the bluing salts may have been changed up to have some sort of high copper content. I personally haven't heard of a change to basic hot tank bluing baths, but with EPA and the central regime I wouldn't be surprised if it was true.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •