SBH bluing

[Acorn]

I bought a late 70's SBH that looks to be unfired with the box, manual and shipper. It doesn't appear reblued. All the lettering is crisp with no rounded corners. The bluing is so much nicer than my other Rugers. I know Ruger had Hi Polish versions OMs. Did they do that also in the NMs or did they just do a nicer job on the SBHs back then?

 

[Cholo]

I have a SBH I bought new in July of '79 and it has gorgeous bluing. Not quite what the OM SBH high polish bluing was but still really nice! I know I could read a newspaper in the reflection of the recoil shield. I remember the others I looked at when I bought mine were the same.

 

[gunzo]

The old model supers were more glossy. Add that they may have been handled, wiped down, etc. many times & may have gotten polished up a bit.

One way to guess if a BH has been reblued is to remove the cyl. & look at the recoil shield in the area of the firing pin hole. Ruger machined that area for head space adjustment after bluing & it will be bare steel if the gun has original bluing.