Action Polishing

T

TheGunGuy762

New member
If there is anyone here who has had to hand polish a rifle action, what are your methods to get the really odd spots. Is there a Dremel attachment that actually work or am i doomed to sandpaper and patience for everything?

Thanks

~TGG (The gunsmith in training)
 
I've been learning and teaching myself gunsmith for a while now as well, and I've been thinking along the same lines. Mostly for a Mini-14(just to make it work smoother), and an old 10/22 with some rough spots in the receiver and around the firing chamber.

That said, personally, I won't use a dremal on any functioning firearm. Maybe if there was extra metal affixed where there shouldn't be, but I haven't seen that yet.
Or if I had to fashion myself a non-essential replacement part.

I say, unfortunately, doomed to fine sandpaper and patience. If needed.

Best of luck.
-Jakob's
 
Fine stones (e.g. Arkansas black or white) and fine diamond files like the Ez Lap I use are the gun owners friend. Expertise is not needed, just patience and knowing your limits. I find use of the gun and gool lubricant like teflon based CLP help a lot also.
 
Good advice from Rifleman.

You could also use something harder than an Arkansas stone. Paul Gesswein company carries a line of synthetic ruby stones ( sintered aluminum oxide ) that work great on guns and small machine parts. I have been using them for 50 years. They are VERY expensive and they will break if dropped. They can be used wet or dry.

We used to use them in Saint Louis to deburr gage blocks without scratching the surface of the gage block. I have bought more assorted shapes and sizes over the years and the set that I bought in 1966 for $40 dollars is well over $100 today. You can get them in medium and fine grits and they can be cleaned with a white gum eraser or my making a slurry of scouring powder and water and rubbing them. They can be re surfaced by using dry boron carbide grinding compound and rubbing the stone over the powder on a glass plate. The carbide will break down into dust and will need to be refreshed.

I have never used a better stone.

Here is a link.

http://www.gesswein.com/c-321-ruby-stones.aspx
 
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Thanks guys. And when I say "action polishing" I'm not referring to smoothing the action out. I'm talking about a high polish surface finish. I found some 600 grit abrasives buffing wheels for a Dremel so I'm gonna practice on a cruddy gun with that first. The college here doesn't really have anything besides sandpaper for use so I need to improvise.

~TGG
 
My advice also -put away the Dremel !!
Make sure you don't change angles or shapes . A high polish is not necessary , even a 400 grit finish will be fine.
 
The last action I polished was a Marlin 336 with finer and finer grit emory paper and then a rag with metal polish, I forget what brand.

A dremel has the ability to ruin a working gun in a hurry. If you insist on using a dremel it should be with their felt polishing cone and felt polishing wheel and a very mild metal polish proceeding very slowly and very carefully.

Do not use the 600 grit abrasive buffing wheel. Use their polishing wheels.
http://www.dremel.com/en-us/Accessories/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=414
http://www.dremel.com/en-us/Accessories/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=422
 
High polish on this rifle has to be at least 600 grit. The major part of the action and the entire barrel are finished and now im just getting the ejection slot and tang areas touched up. I didnt mean a stone abrasive wheel by the way, its a rubber polishing wheel.

~TGG
 
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