thoughts on best repair of factory S&W Air Weight finish...

[Magnum Wheel Man]

so I have one of the Air Weight J frames in 6 shot 32 H&R magnum...( it was NOS & discontinued when I bought it )

it was my 1st revolver for CCW after I got my permit, many, many years ago...& as a carry newbie, all I could get at the time was a cheap nylon holster, & it repeatedly fell out to the street or parking lot, when getting out of my 4 X 4 truck, before I was able to get a better leather holster...

being the "aluminum" frame, it's got finish issues with some gouges around the barrel ( not the crown ) & on the trigger guard... I filed off the rough edges, & used a black marker to fill in the raw silver area...

I'd like to get it repaired or refinished...

it's the black "painted" finish, with a blued steel cylinder

just looking for options to get my lil 32 looking like new again...

 

[Snyper]

I'd get it black anodized, or go with a hard chrome finish

 

[gunnut69]

You might also get it black chromed..

 

[hartcreek]

I would glass bead the frame. KISS

 

[Dfariswheel]

Among your options are:
Coat it or have it coated with Cerakoat.
This is an epoxy based "paint" that contains ceramic particles to enhance durability.
This is what a number of gun companies and custom gunsmiths are using for a durable finish.
Of the paint type finishes this is probably the toughest and most long lasting.

Hard chrome plate it.
Hard chrome is still the best all-around gun finish and is one of the very few that's considered to be a true lifetime finish.
Some makers will not plate the aluminum parts, they just bead blast them to match the plated parts, other platers will plate aluminum.

Have it re-anodized to original factory specs.
I think the S&W factory will do this, or you can send it to top quality refinishers like Ford's, Tech Plate, or Elite Custom.

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

thanks for the replies...

I don't think this gun was anodized, as it has a thickness to the finish ( even thicker than the last gun I had dura coated ) almost looks like regular old paint... but it was whatever S&W was using towards the end of discontinuing the 32 H&R J Frame... mine is new enough that it has "the lock" if that helps determine the factory finish...