Polishing a stainless steel revolver?

[Glockster30]

I have a Dan Wesson SS .357 revolver that I bought cheap about 10 years ago. The price was reduced due to what looks like minor casting or forging marks on it alongside the barrel and underlug. I had a yen to someday see if I could polish or buff out the marks and the time has finally come to try it. The gun is a great shooter.

Do any of you guys have experience polishing out minor ding-like imperfections on a stainless gun? I can just barely feel a slight indentation with my fingernail, but the imperfections have a grayish color to them. I removed the grip but did not find any imperfections there to practice on to see if polishing would work.

Would you use something like a 2000 grit sandpaper to remove some of the metal to smooth it out and then buff it afterward? Would this cause any issues with the stainless making it more susceptible to rusting? How about a buffing wheel on a grinder?

Any other ideas would be appreciated.

 

[dhuze]

I wouldn’t use any grit sandpaper. Is it nickel or chrome plated? They could be scratched through the plating and therefore not be able to polish out.

 

[snax]

If it is stainless, try beadblasting to a satin finish.
I did the controls on a pistol with 1500, 2000, and polishing cream by hand and some dremel. A whole gun? Sounds like alot of work, but could work.

 

[Wickedcoolname]

On stainless guns I use sandpaper followed by Mother's mag wheel polish. I don't use a Dremel or any other power tools. Just some mag polish and clean rags after the scratches are sanded out. You'll be surprised what a mirror-like finish you'll get in a short amount of time.

 

[MuzzleDiscipline]

wherever possible always back the sandpaper with something flat and unforgiving like a file or special built sanding jig. Harrison Design has one suited to the purpose. When you take steel to mirror polish it is astonishing what fine detailed mistakes will show up. Uneven finger pressure on sandpaper will really show. Best solution for anything less than a showgun is bead blasting.

 

[radioman]

I did my 629 and my wife’s 617. They both came out as above. Used a cheap buffing wheel with green compound. It’s much easier if you disassemble as many pieces as you can.

 

[Glockster30]

wherever possible always back the sandpaper with something flat and unforgiving like a file or special built sanding jig. Harrison Design has one suited to the purpose. When you take steel to mirror polish it is astonishing what fine detailed mistakes will show up. Uneven finger pressure on sandpaper will really show. Best solution for anything less than a showgun is bead blasting.

I should have mentioned that I found an old NES thread where the consensus was that bead blasting makes the stainless more difficult to clean oily fingerprints and also causes less overall corrosion/oxidation protection.

thinking of bead blasting my revolver

 

[greencobra]

i've used scotch brite pads on a stainless ruger security six to buff out heavy scratches and light dings. you can find them at home depot or lowes in different "grits" for lack of a better word. most people think they only come in one course size, those green ones you see in the supermarket. each level, from xx-fine to super course has it's own color. they wrap around rounded bits really well and will conform to angles nicely. you do it like auto body, start as course as you want progressing down to fine. i left my ruger with a matte finish look. i just think any mechanical tool that spins is dangerous, one momentary pause in an area and you'll possibly ruin the contour. if i don't bead blast i to the scotch brites.

 

[greencobra]

I should have mentioned that I found an old NES thread where the consensus was that bead blasting makes the stainless more difficult to clean oily fingerprints and also causes less overall corrosion/oxidation protection.

they do tell you after bead blasting to store it with some sort of protectorate on the surfaces to protect it from rust. i wipe one of mine that was blasted down with a light coat of break free clp. i don't drench it in the stuff, a lightly impregnated rag is what i use. never had a problem cleaning fingerprints off. if something tough gets on the blasted surface you can use a nylon bristle brush. bronze or copper ones may scar the area you are cleaning.

 

[Nick Fury]

I held a Ruger SP101 that had its stainless finish all scratched up like someone buffed it with steel wool. Brand new gun. Looked horrible. Dunno WTF is going on up in Newport but someone should be ashamed...

 

[greencobra]

I held a Ruger SP101 that had its stainless finish all scratched up like someone buffed it with steel wool. Brand new gun. Looked horrible. Dunno WTF is going on up in Newport but someone should be ashamed...

your right about that. i have a dealer acquaintance that lives near the ruger facility in nh and has a couple of friends who work there. he was told they had a big turnover not too long ago and a lot of experienced employees retired. i guess it left them lacking on final polish with poorly trained people. so much so they shut down that area to do intensive retraining. i got that 3rd hand so i don't know how true it really is. my 45 colt/45 acp redhawk was horrible. i called to get a return label and the lady let it slip they were getting a lot of guns returned because of the bad finish on the stainless guns.

 

[seanc]

I would say think really hard before doing anything. If it is really minor, I would view it as character. Many times if you are not skilled you can make an insignificant nick into a major eyesore.

You may want to have a pro look at it and give an estimate of polishing or ref8nishing before starting any work to get an idea of what it would cost should things go horribly sideways. Maybe consider something like a cerakote as well.

 

[Matt_SERE]

On stainless guns I use sandpaper followed by Mother's mag wheel polish. I don't use a Dremel or any other power tools. Just some mag polish and clean rags after the scratches are sanded out. You'll be surprised what a mirror-like finish you'll get in a short amount of time.

When you take steel to mirror polish it is astonishing what fine detailed mistakes will show up.

If you are certain it is not plated then you can polish by hand using "Mothers" or "Flitz" polishes. This is mine that used to be my EDC and I loved it. I did this with "Flitz" and the blue rags, diapers and cotton balls. If you have deep scratches you will have a polished, scratched revolver. I have heard that the Scotch Brite Pads work very well on stainless.

Flitz Paste Polish (Multiple Sizes Available)

There have been days where I thought about bringing it back to the brushed look using the Scotch Brite pads but have just left it this way.

Good luck with your choice.

Matt

 

[greencobra]

Many times if you are not skilled you can make an insignificant nick into a major eyesore.

oh yeah, very true.

you need to remember also that once you get going you are probably gonna have to do the whole gun or else that one spot is sticking out like that sore thumb forever. me, i'm not fond of using any type of "compound", it makes the gun too shiny and i'm a matte finish person. nothing wrong with shiny, just not my taste.

mr. sere, nice job on that!

 

[Dennis in MA]

I can't tell you the # of old US Property marked 1911's on GB and other places that are practically ROUND because some dolt decided to polish the F out of them. Markings almost gone. It's a damned shame. All for a bit of surface rust or someone wanted to refinish the pistol themselves.

Don't. Leave it alone. If it ain't rusting, it ain't worth bothering.

 

[Stape]

I used soft cotton cleaning patches, Mothers Mag Polish, and tiny tiny circles changing the patch often.

 

[not new guy]

I've had good results with Cape Cod polishing cloths on stainless in the past, but not on a gun.

 

[afeid]

If you are going to use anything abrasive you will want to do the entire gun, even using mild compounds can cause a pattern change (roughness average). When finished you will want to passivate the surface, this will remove free iron from the surface preventing discoloration and oxidization. At my work we use a product called citrisurf to clean and protect stainless. Do not use this on metals other than stainless, it can turn them black.

 

[DW357]

Got any pics? Love me some Dan Wesson revolvers. What barrel length?

I would HIGHLY recommend sending it to Bob at Dan Wesson for refinishing if you're not comfortable doing the work. He's the lead revolver smith at DW and has done amazing work on my DW revolvers. A friend of mine sent his stainless revolver to Bob to rebrush the stainless and it only cost him $125 (not including shipping) and had it back within a week. They're in Norwich, NY so shipping isn't very expensive - no need to overnight it.

Bob Collins
Lead Revolver Smith
Dan Wesson Firearms
607-336-1174 ext 3324 or ext. 5
[email protected]


EDIT: I see you said it's just on the barrel shroud. You could just ship the shroud (assuming you don't have a fixed barrel model) to Bob for refinishing which would be even cheaper. Send him an email - he's very good at responding to emails.

 

[Glockster30]

Thanks for the info, Andrew. I have the 6" fixed barrel/shroud model, so just sending the shroud isn't an option. I could purchase a new one for $305 (6"), but I don't think the one I have is bad enough yet to replace it. It might be bad enough after I screw it up though. For another $70, I could get the 8" barrel, which piques my interest.

I'll send an email to Bob and see what he says.

 

[DW357]

Thanks for the info, Andrew. I have the 6" fixed barrel/shroud model, so just sending the shroud isn't an option. I could purchase a new one for $305 (6"), but I don't think the one I have is bad enough yet to replace it. It might be bad enough after I screw it up though. For another $70, I could get the 8" barrel, which piques my interest.

I'll send an email to Bob and see what he says.

Ohh you got one of the fixed barrel models - nice. I got a Monson 6" stainless non fixed.

You could purchase a new barrel assembly but Bob would have to convert it to the interchangeable barrel system first - not sure what that costs but I do know he offers that service.

I've got an order in with bob for a custom stainless 10" 44 mag assembly, with shroud cuts/slots on the side, laser engravings, and a scope mount drilled and tapped. Can't wait to get it.

Anyway, definitely report back when Bob responds. I'm curious what he says.

 

[seanc]

I think we have all been to gun stores and shows and have seen the results of amateur “gun smiths”. We will inevitably look at it and say to ourself, or the seller wtf was that guy thinking?

Don’t be the guy that “polishes” to the point it looks like a botched attempt to deface the serial number.

Don’t be the guy that takes a nice straight line and puts waves into it.

Don’t be the guy that tries to carve the “hunting scene” into the wood to cover the scratch or botched refinish job that looks like 3 year old drawing; a moose? No, it’s a dog. No, it’s... an aardvark? Oh, it’s you’re mother-in- law? Wow, sorry bud...

Or, just go for it do the work and you can then always get a target gift card at a buy back to destroy all evidence and deny all knowledge...

Ymmv

 

[Glockster30]

Sean, I gave up a budding career in gunsmithing when I was 11 years old. When I took my BB gun apart to fix it and lost some springs, I couldn't put it back together again.

 

[seanc]

Sean, I gave up a budding career in gunsmithing when I was 11 years old. When I took my BB gun apart to fix it and lost some springs, I couldn't put it back together again.

Paul at Alpha arms had a great side business of reassembling Ruger Mkii types that would come in a parts kit form of multiple baggies..

You paid extra to have your name and picture not put on the Ruger Loser wall of shame..

It was part gunsmith part extortion racket.

 

[Glockster30]

Ohh you got one of the fixed barrel models - nice. I got a Monson 6" stainless non fixed. Anyway, definitely report back when Bob responds. I'm curious what he says. /QUOTE]

Tomorrow will be a week and I still haven't heard from Bob. So, being the impatient soul that I am, I started on it myself after doing a lot of reading, watching videos, etc.

I think we have all been to gun stores and shows and have seen the results of amateur “gun smiths”. We will inevitably look at it and say to ourself, or the seller wtf was that guy thinking? Don’t be the guy that “polishes” to the point it looks like a botched attempt to deface the serial number. Don’t be the guy that takes a nice straight line and puts waves into it. Don’t be the guy that tries to carve the “hunting scene” into the wood to cover the scratch or botched refinish job that looks like 3 year old drawing; a moose? No, it’s a dog. No, it’s... an aardvark? Oh, it’s you’re mother-in- law? Wow, sorry bud...

Or, just go for it do the work and you can then always get a target gift card at a buy back to destroy all evidence and deny all knowledge... Ymmv

seanc, I don't think I made it on the amateur Gunsmith Wall of Shame yet, but I'm still working on it.

This is what it looked like before I started it. Maybe the picture scared Bob at DW. Although it looks like rust, it isn't as it's gray in color under natural lighting.



After about 5 hours of sanding with #000 steel wool, emery/crocus cloth, and metal polish, it now looks like this. Any type of new sanding paper or technique that I use, I try it on the metal that is covered by the grip first so that I do not screw up the gun. I'm not a big fan of the mirrored polish finish that looks like chrome, so this might be as far as I go, but I'm not satisfied yet with the polish I do have. Some casting? marks are still visible, but I don't know if I want to remove any more metal than I already have.

 

[seanc]

Wow! Looks great! Seriously nice work.

 

[DW357]

Wow!! That came out great!! Surprised Bob didn't get back to you. But that doesn't really matter as you did an excellent job!

 

[Glockster30]

Wow! Looks great! Seriously nice work.

Wow!! That came out great!! Surprised Bob didn't get back to you. But that doesn't really matter as you did an excellent job!

Thanks guys. Maybe the before pic scared Bob. It's really weird that the marks were only on the barrel and shroud. The frame and the bore are pristine. This one was made in the Palmer MA factory sometime between 1991 and 1995 when the company was back in the hands of the Wesson family. They moved from Monson to Palmer in 1991, but I don't know if they bought new equipment for the Palmer move.