I have a stainless steel Ruger GP100 and a MRI Baby Eagle in brushed chrome. Both guns have minor scratches on them that I would like to remove. Magnum Research suggested I use a "white" piece of 3M Scotchbrite, which I assume means a clean piece, since I have never seen Scotchbrite in any color other than green. Any other informed suggestions would be appreciated.
Light Scratch Removal
- Thread starter O/U Mike
- Start date
Actually, 'white' Scotchbrite is different than green Scotchbrite. The white is commonly used in auto body repair/paint finishing, and can often be found in auto body repair, auto parts and paint stores. The white is equivalent to a 'fine' grit and the gray is equivalent to an ultra fine grit. The green is equivalent to a coarse grit.
Avoid steel wool, since that will imbed very small particles of steel wool into the stainless, and those particles will subsequently rust. You can also use a fine grade of emery cloth, or you can use a regular cloth and a polishing compound. The trouble with using a polishing compound, is unless you are careful and choose the right grit of compound, you end up with a shiny spot where you polished out the scratches. Then, you may feel compelled to polish up the whole gun to match. Please don't ask me how I know this. 
Polish
How minor of a scratch? If you are talking about the fine cobweb scratches, sometimes just using Simichrome or Flitz or equivalent helps that. Best to start with the least abrasive or erosive thing you can find, before getting coarser. Once it is over done, you have a hard time going back.
How minor of a scratch? If you are talking about the fine cobweb scratches, sometimes just using Simichrome or Flitz or equivalent helps that. Best to start with the least abrasive or erosive thing you can find, before getting coarser. Once it is over done, you have a hard time going back.
Dfariswheel
New member
While these methods well work fine on the stainless gun, DO NOT attempt scratch removal on a chrome plated gun.
Any attempts to "polish out" a scratch will break through the plating and ruin it.
Stainless is stainless all the way through, but plated finishes are a ultra thin coating.
A scratch cannot be "buffed out" without thinning or breaking through the thin coating.
On plated guns, just like on blued guns, scratches are forever, unless the gun is re-finished.
Any attempts to "polish out" a scratch will break through the plating and ruin it.
Stainless is stainless all the way through, but plated finishes are a ultra thin coating.
A scratch cannot be "buffed out" without thinning or breaking through the thin coating.
On plated guns, just like on blued guns, scratches are forever, unless the gun is re-finished.
Jim Watson
New member
It is tough to blend the finish. You start rubbing on a scratch with something of different grit than what the gun was originally done with and you will end up with a large patch shinier or duller than the rest. Call the scratches "character" and go shooting.