[Xringshooter]

These were from a corrections department. Some ham handed person with an electric engraver did the marking. Bothe were pretty beat up. First one is a .38 Spl the second is a .357 Mag.

BEFORE (both looked similar to this):

AFTER:
The .38 Special:

The .357 Mag:

Together:

 

[chanaski]

wow! they cleaned up nicely? did you do the work yourself?
really impressive!

 

[Xringshooter]

Yep, I did the work myself. I have a one man (me), part time (for now) gun repair and refurbishment business.

 

[JK55]

WOW!!!

Very nice...super job!!!

Not for nothin' but in my book, whatever "PERSON" engraves, etches, etc. on a gun ought to be boiled in his own gun oil!

Again great work xring'...

 

[Xringshooter]

I always wondered why a system (jail, prison, police dept, etc.) would engrave the guns they issued. All guns now a days have a unique serial number on the frame and many have partial s/n's elsewhere on the gun (for a revolver many times on the crane assy, like a S&W, on a semi-auto on the slide and barrel), so it is pretty easy to record what gun/serial number went to which person. And even they can't (by law) remove/alter a serial number any more than a civilian can.

Most don't care like you and I would. In fact if you saw the bores, I'd bet that there were very few rounds fired in both guns although the outside looked like crap.

 

[3482jl]

Beautiful work !! Are the frames and barrels bead blasted ??

 

[Xringshooter]

Actually, after taking everything apart and cleaning all the parts in an ultrasonic cleaner, they were blasted with 120 grit aluminum oxide. I taped off the cylinder and used a razor knife to cut off the tape from the flutes and then blasted it. I then secured a bolt up through the center of the cylinder and chucked it in my drill press and polished it with wet/dry auto body sandpaper in successively finer grits until I was happy. Everything else was polished using a dremel tool polishing wheel.

 

[1billy43]

all I can say is WOW !!!!! they are beautiful

 

[Ruger Redhawk]

You did a great job. I'd like to do a few of my guns like that.

It's sinful what some people will do to a beautiful gun. Thankfully you were able to restore them.

 

[bwinters]

Only on the outside will not do any harm.

 

[yuccales]

They look great!

 

[grandpabear]

You do great work. They are beautiful.

 

[mk34techrep]

Nice refurb, both guns look outstanding, hard to believe they are the same guns...Impressive, nice work..

 

[James6591]

What a transformation.
Well done.

 

[BearcatShack]

It's hard to believe they are the same guns. Wow, great job!

 

[ColoradoChris]

Beautiful job and thanks for the pictures.

 

[Hans13]

Whoa!!! How do they group??

 

[Xringshooter]

Have not shot them yet, probably this weekend if the weather cooperates.

 

[ExArmy11b]

I've seen those guns for sale on GunBroker, they are PA State Corrections trade ins........I didn't know they used .357's though.

I just got hired as a PA State Corrections Officer and the handbook I got says at the academy I have to qualify with a .38 Special revolver and a 12 gauge shotgun. I hope they're Rugers!

I would guess they engrave the guns so they can more easily inventory them in the arms room. They are just "tools" to most people, like a flashlight or a set of keys, since many people who use these firearms are not "gun people" like we are.

I have two corrections trade in S&W's that are also engraved or stamped with numbers.

 

[bailagent100]

Great job on those two...very tasty. My recently purchased, stainless, 2.75" bbl'd Speed Six came with similar target grips & I had to take 'em off. Just didn't look right to me but I really like the same grips on your two. They just 'work' very nicely on those 4 inchers.

Thanks for posting the pics of your work. Nicely done!