Repairing SS Slide .. Help ...

C

CZ Gunner

New member
I've found a custom built Colt 45ACP w/ long SS long slide, match grade barrel, fantastic trigger, etc. for a great price .. however, it has two UGLY scratches on the SS slide (purely cosmetic.)

So my question is: What is the best method for polishing out and/or removing light-to-medium depth scratches ("idiot marks")?

The piece is like new, except for these marks.

Any ideas?
 
It can't be done.

(Care to tell me where you saw this gun?)

Joking aside...

You'll probably find the answer more quickly on The Smithy forum, elsewhere on The Firing Line.

I suspect you'll find that various grades of wet/dry sandpaper wrapped around a small piece of flat wood, emory cloth, and -- depending on the level of sheen you want -- jeweler's rouge will do the job.

(It kind of depends WHERE the scratches are, and whether they go through markings that should be left intact, etc. as to how much effort you put into removing them completely.)

You CAN do it yourself, but if the gun is a great buy, and its as nice as you say, you might want to let a local gunsmith do it for you.

In this situation, amateur efforts could be costly, while a professional job will enhance your investment.
 
U R Funny Walt!

Yeah, probably should have posted it at the Smithy forum ..

Scratches are at the slide stop ... like I said, "idiot marks". No lettering or anything to get in the way. Should be easy fix.

I've polished a lot of "ramps" and such with my Drimmel, but never anything as "cosmetic" as this on Stainless ...

Looking for ideas ..

Thanks!
 
If no metal is missing, i.e., the scratches aren't "gouges" where metal is gone, you may be able to put the upset metal back before polishing.

Imagine a plowed furrow in a field. The dirt isn't removed, it's just piled up on the sides. If you sand such a scratch, you'll be removing the metal that was just upset. If you lightly rub your finger over the scratch at a right angle to the length and can feel the scratch, it's upset, and you can probably work the metal back into the "furrow" before polishing.

Get the gun, then ask different gunsmiths questions about how to "fix" the finish. Sanding and polishing is the last resort.
 
If it's such a great price I would pick it up for a shooter. There are a lot of rounds left in that old Colt, I'm sure.

A flat brass drift might be able to punch the furrow back into place without marring the finish further. This would minimize the amount of metal you would remove polishing, but if it's a deep scratch, I would just keep it as a shooter as I've seen pistols where one side of the slide is thinner than the other, don't look good nor is prolly as strong.

If you are going to polish the slide's surface, do it on a piece of flat glass like a windshield. Any sandblasting in matte areas will have to be redone. Who does that, BTW?
 
I use a flat piece of glass with the sandpaper taped to it. Then clamp (I use my Black and Decker workmate for this job) a straight edgealong one side of the paper. Place the slide on its side with the bottom edge in contact with the straight edge. You simply move the slide back and forth along the straight edge. This leaves your sanding marks perfectly along the length of the slide.

Depending on the scratch, i usually start with 360 grit and work up to 800. On stainless guns I consider that as done.

Mike
 
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