slide release scratch

[radavis321]

I have a slide release scratch on my frame. doesn't seem to be real deep,just an eyesore.Does anyone know what to use to make it less visible? Besides to refinishing. :confused:

[Deacon Aegis]

Hehe, when you hear folks talk about an "idiot mark" they are refering to this very scratch and I think we all get a kick out of it because we've all either done it or had to wrangle with wanting to fix it on a pistol we've owned because someone else we let handle it did it. Anyway, how it got there isn't important, how to fix it is. Anyway, the way to work on repairing one of these scratches all depends on your gun's finish. Is it blued, stainless, polymer, etc?

[radavis321]

its blued,and it was some other idiot that it belonged to before me ;) is there a chance that i can cover this up :D

[Deacon Aegis]

Hehe, I like grabbing up a deal because the former owner sold his pistol because it lost its charm for them due to the scratch myself. :D Well a blued pistol actually is easier in my opinion to repair this problem on than a stainless, so you're in luck I feel. With the scratch not being very deep, what you might find works well for you is to start by breaking the pistol down as far you can with the frame, stripping the components out of it and getting the frame to the point where basically the only componets left on it are the plunger tube and grip bushings. From there get yourself a good super-fine grit sandpaper or emory cloth from like home depot or such. You'll want no courser grit than 400, but go ahead and even get as fine grit as 600. Work the scratch out gently with this and you'll end up with an area of maybe only an inch and a half or so of finish needing to be refinished, but the scratch will need to be blended back into the frame by this removal of material. Once you have the area blending the scratch out, I prefer a product called "Blue Wonder" for the refinishing. So far, I've used half a dozen products trying to find a cold blue that produces a near perfect hot blued result and the Blue Wonder product has been the one I've had the best success with. Use this product according to directions and you will probably get a real good and nearly unseeable repair.

[radavis321]

i have some 800 & 1000 grit,do you think that is to fine,& talk about a deal,i won this gun off a ballboard for $20.00,scratch & all. :D

[Deacon Aegis]

Oh a couple of tips... Get yourself something like a plastic tupperware box or something like that at walmart and put all of the parts of the project in it while making the repair and you'll thank yourself. Expect to spend a couple evenings doing it as well as the the steps in their full execution can be a little time consuming. If you're married, your wife will also probably have a something to say about you using the oven to bake the frame during the finishing process. Hehe.

[Deacon Aegis]

Sweet, well I'd actually avoid going with the super-fine grits as you can end up polishing the steel to a level where the finish takes on a mirror effect. If the rest of the frame is mirror-glossy then working with 800 grit to 1000 grit on up might allow yoiu to blend the cold blue finish, but you don't want too fine a grit if the blued surface isn't that mirror black look. Few firearms are finished in mirror polish blue, but are more in a matte to gloss spectrum of polish. Above the 600 grit you'll start making the leap from gloss to mirror though a good mirror finish tends to get out into the 2000 grit range.

[Deacon Aegis]

By the way, you're a meanie for taking delight in knowing a deal like that will make any 1911 buff jealous. :P Heheh