I hear what you’re sayin, but the gun cost me 50 bucks.
I ain’t gonna spend 200 to get it blued!!!
That’s why I decided to try it with what is practically a throw away, that way I at least learn something!
I have a .38 Iver Johnson from the 1890s that still looks like brand new. Shoots good too except I have to use black powder cartridges in it. Not made for smokeless. Good little revolvers.
If you check around some of the gunsmithing forums, you might find someone in your area who does this sort of work out of their garage for a fraction of what a "brick and mortar" gun shop would charge.
Another thought: hot blueing involves an immersion tank large enough to hold a barrelled rifle action. If you tell the gunsmith about the cost concerns, he might make a deal with you if you're willing to wait until he has another customer and needs to use the blueing tanks. He could probably put your revolver in at the same time as the other customer's gun parts.
It’s been a few years since I’ve had a gun re-blued but I would think you could get it done for less than $200. On the other hand, if you want it to look like a $50 gun, do it yourself, if you want it to look like a $500 gun, get a professional finish.
Ah, practice!. Go hot bluing if you intend to do more than one gun.