How do you polish rough/gritty top strap on stainless Smith?

R

rblrbl

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So thanks to this form and Google, I’ve been working on polishing my Smith & Wesson model 65. I’ve got mothers mag and cotton T-shirts and soft paper towels, and it’s been working well.

As I got to the top strap, I noticed there’s a problem. The texture is rough and gritty, as if it’s a very fine sandpaper. This differs from the rest of the gun, which is a smooth dull stainless. With the polishing, i’ve gotten the smooth matte surfaces to a comfortable level of shine.

However the top strap seems like it would take 1000 years to get it to that level. I’ve been doing it for a while and it’s just an endless amount of grit. It seems like this is how it comes from the factory, and it would take a more significant level of force than just my hand and some Mothers Mag.

My gut tells me that this is to prevent reflection of sun affecting the sight picture. Does this just have to stay like a fine matte sandpaper? Thx

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The matt finish is generally called "bead blasted", and is INTENTIONAL, and considered a desired feature of the gun.

The intent is as you guessed, to present a rough surface which does not reflect light like a polished surface does.

High end S&W revolvers actually have checkering to accomplish this.

People often think of only bright reflected sunlight affecting their sight picture, but the effect is there not just at high noon, but also at midnight. Reflected light will allow you to "see" the sights differently, and what is on target at noon with the light strait above may not be on target when the light is from over your left shoulder, or at any other angle.

Like having a brass bead on a front sight, the angle of the light will cause shifts in impact with the same sight picture.

A matt surface is consistent, no matter what angle the light comes from.

Polish it all up nice and shiny if you want its YOUR gun. People who want to be certain of hitting what they aim at generally prefer it matt, like it came from the factory, when that is an available option.

Lots of us that have stainless guns, including high polish guns blacken the sights, and dull the sighting plane, in order to shoot them better.
 
You got it right. Its matte finished so you can see the sights well. Polishing obviously doesnt work on that section. If you want restore her back to new lookimg you'll have to do a litule research on what "blasting" technique was used to achieve that finish, or find something close. Be it fine bead blasting, media blasting etc.
 
Well, you've pretty much screwed up the bead blasting, and you won't be able to polish the top strap with just polish and a rag. So, you've screwed up your gun. You can have the top strap re-blasted.
 
Tape the sides of the top strap and barrel where the rest can be blasted once again, a gunsmith or machine shop should be able to spruce it up as new.
 
Well if everybody else made you feel so embarrassed you want to get rid of the gun I'll volunteer to take it off your hands, :D.

(and I bet they would too).

Like some folk have already said, it's your gun.
 
However the top strap seems like it would take 1000 years to get it to that level. I’ve been doing it for a while and it’s just an endless amount of grit. It seems like this is how it comes from the factory, and it would take a more significant level of force than just my hand and some Mothers Mag.

My gut tells me that this is to prevent reflection of sun affecting the sight picture. Does this just have to stay like a fine matte sandpaper? Thx
Click to expand...

You've spent a lot of time polishing the top strap while having a strong suspicion that it was done with a purpose by the manufacturer. If you want it polished, go for it. You have/will not remove enough material to "ruin" your gun with polishing compound. Yes, it will affect value if you decide to sell or trade, but it isn't unsafe to shoot and it's your revolver. Enjoy!
 
OP: I have a S&W 64-2 which I am pretty sure has not been refinished or polished. The top strap is much shinier than the one you are showing there, and yet I can shoot with it. You haven't ruined your gun at all. I would suggest using a 320 grit wet-dry sandpaper and taking some of the shine off of the areas you polished and be happy with it.

I've had enough stainless S&W revolvers over the years and if you are using the sights properly, you never see the topstrap.
 
rblrbl, you learned an important lesson. If you're not sure how to do something, ask before you start the project. But look at this way your model 65 is still a great revolver and should give you years of good service.
 
Get some 220 grit paper and some oil, work your way up to 600 grit, and then switch to 000 steel wool. Finally finish with some flitz. Now it will all be uniformly shiny. Take a picture of your reflection in the top strap and post it here and on Instagram!

It may make shooting it accurately a bit difficult, but you can get another non shiney one for actual shooting.
 
Definitely affected the value and shootability of that piece, in a somewhat negative fashion.

Still, it's your gun. If you like it that's all that matters.
 
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