Help with Refinishing

M

MakAttack

New member
I am working on my first "custom" handgun project, a semi-auto pistol which I will use for CCW carry. The slide is out having a set of night sights fitted; I plan on doing some polish & bead blast work to the frame & slide myself, then having the gun refinished before finally having the trigger reworked.

I need some help deciding on who to have do the refinishing;
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this will be a first experience for me. Although still open to suggestion, I am strongly considering a chrome or nickel finish to the slide which will be bead blasted along the sighting plane & polished on the side flats, with a black polished frame. I may opt for having the trigger, hammer, & extractor contrast. Using the internet, I have come across ROBAR; ACCURATE; KLEIN; MAC'S GUN KOTE; TECHPLATE; & TRIPP. I also know of CHECKMATE.

Anyone here have opinions and/or experience with any of these? Are there any that I should consider that aren't listed?

Thanks for the help,
Mak

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"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work"
Thomas Alva Edison

[This message has been edited by MakAttack (edited April 22, 2000).]
 
If you still can, you should NOT have your night sights fitted/installed on your slide if you plan to refinish the slide. You will have to remove the sights anyway when you get it refinished, the sights will then have to be re-installed/fitted...

Nickel and hard chrome are both good finishes as well as matte teflon... It really depends on what you want the gun to look like... Teflon can be black in color (most common color is black, although teflon can be in other colors). Nickel is usually yellowish in color and matte hard chrome is white like... After you chose the finish you want, then you should look at the different companies... Some companies specialize in certain finishes, and I would take a good look at them, i.e. Robar, etc... I've heard great things about Robar as a company and their product. Since you will be doing the pre and post preparation of the metal yourself (I am assuming), and the assembly/fitting of the parts after refinishing, then you don't have to worry if the company that you send your parts to is well versed in your gun... Just make sure that they are competent with their work. And that will require phone calls and conversations with them... Best advice - take your time in selecting a company, and, if possible, find a company in your area in case there are any quality problems (saves a whole lot on shipping costs and waiting time)... Good luck! Have fun with your project...
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>If you still can, you should NOT have your night sights fitted/installed on your slide if you plan to refinish the slide. You will have to remove the sights anyway when you get it refinished, the sights will then have to be re-installed/fitted...[/quote]

jwong - I actually did check on this first. I am buying a set of MMC night sights & having them do the installation. I talked at length with a technician there, as I have not had the opportunity to closely examine their product. It seems that the sights lock in with set screws, & that removing them should not be an issue. As the current front sight is an integral part of the slide & will have to be machined away with a dovetail machined in its place, & the tiny factory rear dovetail will have to be replaced with a large Novak-type cut, I thought it best to get all of this done before I have the slide finished.

Thanks for taking the time to give advice!
 
I can recommend 2 companies w/o hesitation-

hardchrome by Accurate, Plating and Weaponry (Bob Cogan)

Birdsong and Assoc (Black-T)- did a tu-toned Sig P220 for me... finish held up very well.

My personal preference on this 1911 http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=208682&a=1538609&p=15299207&Sequence=0
was to hardchrome the frame (AP&W) to compliment the high polish blued slide.

Robar is usually more expensive than others but their reputation is outstanding. If I was opting for a black or teflon finish, I would go with Birdsong's Black-T. Price is right ($140 for complete pistol and 2 mags), quality and corrosion resistance is unsurpassed (40,000 hours + saltwater protection on our nuke submarine propellars) and he is located 2 hours from me :-)

Good Luck!
 
BK40 wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Birdsong and Assoc (Black-T)- did a tu-toned Sig P220 for me... finish held up very well.[/quote]

Thanks for the advice - can you supply contact info for Birdsong?

Mak
 
Had B.C. at Accurate Plating & Weaponry hardchrome (and hard-fit a Nowlin barrel) a carry 9x19 for me, and Robar is about to get my carry 1911 for NP3.

Both the best.

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"All my ammo is factory ammo"
 
Walter Birdsong can be reached at:

601-939-7448 or (9211)
Birdsong and Associates
1435 Monterey Rd
Madison, MS 39073

warning! Walt will talk your ears off :-)
 
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