Cleaning a S&W Model 34-1 Stainless Steel

[jedi]

I have never owned any stainless steel guns so I'm not sure how to clean this.

Not sure if you can tell from the pictures but the metal is cloudy gray all over the gun. The only part that is still shinny is near the trigger.

How can I go about cleaning this gun to make it shin again? It also have some small rust (orange) spots on it as well.

I think this is a 4" barrel revolver. Can't seem to find much info on this type of revolver. Anyone know when they started production on this gun?
It's a .22 LR BTW.

Thanks!

 

[4sarge]

Much worse than I ever imagined from our telephone conversation. So, the cylinder turns, the hammer & trigger function ? Try the paste but it looks like it may need professional help Is the barrel, nice & shiny or is it cloudy ?

MODEL 34

- .22 LR cal., adj. sights in J frame, improved I frame and J frame, 6 shot, 2 or 4 in. barrel, round or square butt, blue or nickel (disc. 1986) finish. Disc. 1991. This model was reissued for 2-3 years.
100% 98% 95% 90% 80% 70% 60%
$375 $325 $285 $225 $185 $175 $165

There were 2 engineering changes to this model.
Add $25 for nickel finish.
Add 25% for early flatlatch models.
Last MSR was $366.

 

[Leadeye]

Never seen that unless it is mold growing on the oil.

 

[billybob44]

Hate to break it to you??

Jed, you STILL do NOT own a stainless firearm. Your S&W 34-1 is/was a NICKLE plated gun. To me it looks like it has had an acid bath or something??
Your first attempt to restore finish will be to use some Flitz/or similar paste polish in an area to try to bring back the shine. If this does not change finish, you will need to go to a more aggressive polish/grit to see if this will restore the shine.
From what I see this looks like you can either shoot as is, or it will be a candidate for a full finish blasted re-finish.
I just bought a S&W Model 10, that was nickle finish, and has been very roughly bead blasted. I will shoot it first and see how it does?? If mine shoots well, I will look toward a complete aftermarket re-finish.
BTW, all S&W revolvers that I have seen that ARE Stainless have a "6" prefix in their model #'s. If yours WAS a stainless model, it would be a 634-1
My current stainless S&W's include:
66-3
60(No -)
681(No-)
637-1
Hope this helps+check some of the firearms re-finishers on this forum..Bill.

 

[Hiram2005]

Jed, you STILL do NOT own a stainless firearm. Your S&W 34-1 is/was a NICKLE plated gun. To me it looks like it has had an acid bath or something??
Your first attempt to restore finish will be to use some Flitz/or similar paste polish in an area to try to bring back the shine. If this does not change finish, you will need to go to a more aggressive polish/grit to see if this will restore the shine.
From what I see this looks like you can either shoot as is, or it will be a candidate for a full finish blasted re-finish.
I just bought a S&W Model 10, that was nickle finish, and has been very roughly bead blasted. I will shoot it first and see how it does?? If mine shoots well, I will look toward a complete aftermarket re-finish.
BTW, all S&W revolvers that I have seen that ARE Stainless have a "6" prefix in their model #'s. If yours WAS a stainless model, it would be a 634-1
My current stainless S&W's include:
66-3
60(No -)
681(No-)
637-1
Hope this helps+check some of the firearms re-finishers on this forum..Bill.

Still wrong! A stainless kit gun 22 is a model 63, not a 634.

 

[jedi]

Much worse than I ever imagined from our telephone conversation. So, the cylinder turns, the hammer & trigger function ? Try the paste but it looks like it may need professional help Is the barrel, nice & shiny or is it cloudy ?

Yes the gun does function. I have dry fired it and the cylinder turns, the hammer does fall and trigger works normal (ie. not a long or short pull).

Closer inspection does show rust (orange stops) on the barrel and other parts of the gun. Inside the barrel it looks OK, not cloudy. There is a bit of stuff at the back end of the barrel similar to the "stuff" I see after firing my 10/22 after a session. Suspect the barrel just needs a cleaning on the inside. Not sure when the last time this weapon was fired. Do know it has been in a drawer that has socks and mothballs since May 2010. Before that not sure where it was at.

Here are some additional close up images.

 

[billybob44]

Still wrong! A stainless kit gun 22 is a model 63, not a 634.

Thanks Hiram for the correction. I have not dealt with S&W rim fires much, and it shows. I have learned one more thing today.

 

[JByer323]

Definitely looks nickel to my from a couple of those posted pictures.

I would start with some fine steel wool for the rust spots, then move to a metal polish. Take it nice and slow, before you can get it polished up you have to get it cleaned up.

Looks like a fun project gun.

 

[Hoosier8]

Definitely looks nickel to my from a couple of those posted pictures.

I would start with some fine steel wool for the rust spots, then move to a metal polish. Take it nice and slow, before you can get it polished up you have to get it cleaned up.

Looks like a fun project gun.

Correction, IMHO, brass wool only and the best polish I have found is Filtz, available at Ace Hardware. I use Flitz to polish my feedramps to look like mirrors. It is also the best polish to make an aluminum airplane look like chrome.

 

[jedi]

So then do the following?

1) brass wool sponge to clean way the rust stops.

2) Then some Flitz

What about the inside of the barrel (ie. the bore)?

I use Hoppe's Elite Foaming Bore Cleaner

and Remington Bore Cleaner

for my other guns. Is that ok for this one?

 

[Hoosier8]

So then do the following?

1) brass wool sponge to clean way the rust stops.

2) Then some Flitz

What about the inside of the barrel (ie. the bore)?

I use Hoppe's Elite Foaming Bore Cleaner

and Remington Bore Cleaner

for my other guns. Is that ok for this one?

I would think the gun is a nickle finish. Ammonia products discolor nickle finishes like Hoppes #9. Turns em yeller.

 

[Hoosier8]

Also with the Flitz. Use very very little on a cloth applicator (I just use some old tshirt material) and use hand motion only, no dremel. Seems to work best for fine polishing.

 

[gunbunnies]

Wow, that poor Smith looks like it's been to ???? and back... I kinda wonder on the finishes also... from the pic's it could be nickle and it could be stainless steel.. Nothing will bring the shine back if it's a nickle finish but maybe a new plating job... if it's SS then the flitz would be the best chance for a better finish... I would clean that bore up real good before you put anything down her. Some oil in the lock work would do some good too.. When you get it as clean as you can get it, if you still don't like the looks... let me know and we can get together and duracoat it to look new if you like...

Smith's are somewhat like Timex watches... even if you completely abuse one it still go's bang...

 

[Hoosier8]

Wow, that poor Smith looks like it's been to ???? and back... I kinda wonder on the finishes also... from the pic's it could be nickle and it could be stainless steel.. Nothing will bring the shine back if it's a nickle finish but maybe a new plating job... if it's SS then the flitz would be the best chance for a better finish... I would clean that bore up real good before you put anything down her. Some oil in the lock work would do some good too.. When you get it as clean as you can get it, if you still don't like the looks... let me know and we can get together and duracoat it to look new if you like...

Smith's are somewhat like Timex watches... even if you completely abuse one it still go's bang...

I don't think it would be a 34-1 if stainless.

 

[gunbunnies]

Hoosier8, Your probably correct, if not stainless though then it probably is nickle and there isn't much that can be done but to de-plate it and then re-plate it or refinish it in something else... We haven't duracoated a nickle plated surface yet, but we can give it a try, there isn't much you can do to that finish that is gonnamake it look any worse than what it looks now...

 

[JByer323]

Correction, IMHO, brass wool only and the best polish I have found is Filtz, available at Ace Hardware. I use Flitz to polish my feedramps to look like mirrors. It is also the best polish to make an aluminum airplane look like chrome.

You're right, good catch on the brass wool. Midway has Flitz too, IIRC.

 

[jedi]

You're right, good catch on the brass wool. Midway has Flitz too, IIRC.

Ah but then that would defeat me having to go to the local gun store for some and not getting to "see" what else the store may have.

I'll post more pics later this week once I start the cleaning process.
Thanks all for the info.

 

[RedCell]

S&W will refinish your gun for you. If you're the original owner, they'll even do it for free! Otherwise they will charge you. Not sure how much though. I think it's somewhere in the $200 range but it will be professionally done and done correctly w/o damaging the firearm.

 

[jedi]

Thanks but that is more that 50% of what the gun may be worth in NEW condition. =)

 

[mhs]

I don't think it's free.

S&W will refinish your gun for you. If you're the original owner, they'll even do it for free!

Where did you hear this?