S&W 14-4 has a new home

Happened upon a 6" M14-4 at a pawn shop last week and had to bring it home.
Serial number puts her at 1980 build.
A little rough on the port side from laying and moving around with some light holster wear.
With trade and cash into her for $450.
Had not been cleaned in awhile and looks to have only shot lead through her.
Took her all apart and no Bubba smithing noted, all original as far as I can tell.
Barrel and cylinder cleaned up as new.
Only thing I see is a slight nick in the crown from cleaning with no bore guide.
Just got her back together and need to test drive her.

Question to the slight nick in the crown.
What would you use to clean it up ?
I will shoot it first, may not be relevant, but I can see it and it will bother me .
I have always worked on my own revolvers and rifles but never owned any with crown nicks.
The slight nick is at 11 o'clock in the one pic.








Clarence

OMG it's all blown up!

see what happens when you don't seat the strain screw

Berrymans Chem-Tool.  Takes off everything not steel.  Then drench in a light oil like LPS1.   Wipe off all the excess oil and reassemble.  For this purpose do not use WD-40.  

As for the ding in the muzzle,  look at it with a 10x lens and see if the dent extends into the rifling or groove.  If it does a light recrown might be necessary.  Since it's a mid80s gun it's a shooter not so much a collector price.

It's really hard to tell from the photo if that mark on the crown is going to matter.

My model 14 was some cops duty gun and it looks like the muzzle of that gun stuck out the end of the guy's holster and my crown looks way worse than yours.

My gun shoots HBWCs well and only Remington 158gr LRNs well at 50 yards, but it will shoot all 10 in the 10 ring with those loads on the long line with the gun's favorite cylinder.

See my thread about "DR loads that don't suck" for my accuracy struggles.

I don't think that any of my problems were related to the muzzle of my gun. I hope your testing goes well so you can hopefully rule out any need for gunsmith work on that crown.

i have one smith wesson model 14-4 with  6" barrel. i change the .275 hammer to .500 hammer and install a weigand ppc rear sight blade. Here in Puerto Rico,the 14's are very scarce. all shooters want this revolver for PPC or Defense class B(revolvers with 6'' barrel). smith wesson 14's are solid Gold!

That weigand rear sight is the cats ass! I just wish it was legal for NRA Distinguished matches...

Nice find Clarence.  I'd Ransom Rest it with DR loads and go from from there.  A gunsmith with revolver experience can quickly clean up that crown and remove your mental reservations.  I paid $350 for one a few years back that had been a carry gun that the officer also used for police matches.  Not sure if yours has the target hammer and trigger but that, and Wolff springs would be the only mods I would make.

AllAces wrote:Nice find Clarence.  I'd Ransom Rest it with DR loads and go from from there.  A gunsmith with revolver experience can quickly clean up that crown and remove your mental reservations.  I paid $350 for one a few years back that had been a carry gun that the officer also used for police matches.  Not sure if yours has the target hammer and trigger but that, and Wolff springs would be the only mods I would make.

i dont have target trigger,is big for my finger. i bought the revolver in $275 with a s-w 10 barrel. after i contact a armorer who had the barrel and i bought the sw 14 6" barrel in $75 dollars,for mounting $50.

AllAces wrote:Nice find Clarence.  I'd Ransom Rest it with DR loads and go from from there.  A gunsmith with revolver experience can quickly clean up that crown and remove your mental reservations.  I paid $350 for one a few years back that had been a carry gun that the officer also used for police matches.  Not sure if yours has the target hammer and trigger but that, and Wolff springs would be the only mods I would make.

The revolver does have the target hammer, trigger and internal trigger stop.
Everything cleaned up well and am very pleased so far.
Need to load up some wadcutters and test.
The blueing is a little rough in places but I purchased it as a shooter as all my guns are.
I do not own or ever have owned a safe queen.
Cannot afford to buy something and just stare at it

Clarence