Hay: I think it cost me about 200 to have S&W rebarrel my Model 29. But, they also made certain that everything else worked properly (eg, that she was timed right and that nothing else needed replacement). I think the turn-around time was about 3 weeks.
Now, my Model 29 is blue steel. The Moutain Gun barrel is stainless. I had them bead blast the entire piece and blue to to give me a matching matt finish on the entire gun. The piece now looks like the old Highway Patrolman in 4". That was exactly what I wanted for the finish for a working field piece that I wouldn't worry about as much as I would worry about a deep blue finish. The stainless barrel shows no sign of a bluing mismatch whatsoever, and any holster wear that takes off the finish won't hurt the finish underneath.
Hope this helps. Mikey.
