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Thread: High polish on a S&W 629?

  1. #1
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    High polish on a S&W 629?

    I'm thinking about sending in a S&W 629 to the custom shop for a high polish job on the standard Stainless Steel. Anyone ever done this?

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    Boolit Man
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    Just be ready for the war on fingerprints! I did my Ruger Redhawk.

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    Quote Originally Posted by FlyfishermanMike View Post
    Just be ready for the war on fingerprints! I did my Ruger Redhawk.

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    always wipe down my SS guns with a clean rag with a little oil on it.

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    Highly polished guns tend to pick up scratches, even the smallest will stick out to where it draws your attention. If you really have to have it, get it. Myself, I think bead blasted finish is the more practical finish for stainless steel.
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    The bead finish is what is keeping me from buying a new competition 44 mag from the S&W custom shop. I hate the look of bead blasting period. If you knew me you would know that anything I own is treated with respect. I don't scratch things, throw them around or otherwise abuse them. If I owned good backstand with good polishing wheels I would polish the gun myself and have a finish that I know will be the best possible finish available. I guess if it gets scratched I will polish it.

    Don't tell me to buy a Ruger Redhawk because I'm not a Ruger fan other than their bull barrel semi automatic 22's.

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    I had some 1500 grit paste I used to polish a SS handgun, it took many hours to get it the way I wanted it and it looked beautiful!
    But, putting into a holster produced small scratches, even an Uncle Mikes holster. Stainless steel guns that come from the factory are covered with small scratches.
    I'm at a point in my life where practical out weights pretty.
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  7. #7
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    HATCH's Avatar
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    Bead blasting a ss gun will lower its resale value. Ask me how I know


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  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Another issue with a high polished gun is the rub / burnish marks from holsters, cases, and gun mats show a lot more due to the difference in the finish. I have bead blasted and don't care for it a lot but do like a hand polished finish where the lines are all north and south ( along with the screw slots and heads finish) This is to me the finish I prefer and unlike the mirror polish its easier to produce and accomplish. I have done the high polish mirror finish on parts at work. It never fails about the time your almost done that a dull spot appears that isnt the same and your working it over to get it to blend in. We had to mirror finish grippers and other gage parts to reduce scratching on the parts.

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    I like the satin finish like on the older model 629's and 66's. With use minor marks seemed to blend well. The bead blasted factory finish seems to show scratches worse than the satin, at least on one's I've seen.

    Some older satin models were polished afterwards, probably easier for the one polishing.,

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hickory View Post
    I had some 1500 grit paste I used to polish a SS handgun, it took many hours to get it the way I wanted it and it looked beautiful!
    But, putting into a holster produced small scratches, even an Uncle Mikes holster. Stainless steel guns that come from the factory are covered with small scratches.
    I'm at a point in my life where practical out weights pretty.
    Well, its a target gun only. No holster, and no rough handling. Would like to have something once in my life that really stood out above and beyond. I can live with some small scratches or for that matter I could buff them out if needed.

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    Boolit Man
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    Sounds like your mind's made up. Do it and post pics!

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    [QUOTE] Well, its a target gun only. No holster, and no rough handling. Would like to have something once in my life that really stood out above and beyond. I can live with some small scratches or for that matter I could buff them out if needed. [/QUOTE

    I hate polished pimp guns, Don't understand how a polished SS gun stands out above anything.
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    I'm white and I guess I want a pimp gun just for the hell of it.

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    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by 6bg6ga View Post
    I'm white and I guess I want a pimp gun just for the hell of it.
    I thought that is what nickle and pearl grips was for?

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    Boolit Master murf205's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 6bg6ga View Post
    I'm thinking about sending in a S&W 629 to the custom shop for a high polish job on the standard Stainless Steel. Anyone ever done this?
    I might be wrong, but I thought you asked if anybody had done this. I like high polish and nickel myself, but that's is no issue. If YOU like it, do it. It is your gun after all. When you say the custom shop, do you mean S&W custom shop? Their work is really top notch.
    IT AINT what ya shoot--its how ya shoot it. NONE of us are as smart as ALL of us!

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    Quote Originally Posted by murf205 View Post
    I might be wrong, but I thought you asked if anybody had done this. I like high polish and nickel myself, but that's is no issue. If YOU like it, do it. It is your gun after all. When you say the custom shop, do you mean S&W custom shop? Their work is really top notch.
    According to some of the members I must be black and a pimp to want a highly polished 629. Certainly not black and certainly not a pimp either. I just wanted polished 629. Is that so hard to believe or understand? Well, maybe for some members here with the Darwin award sitting on their shelf in their mobile home. Yes, I like nickle also but don't think it wears quite as good.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master murf205's Avatar
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    You're probably right about nickel as far as scratches and fingerprints are concerned but if you carry one in a holster a lot, blue finishes tend to wear on rub spots worse, IMO, than nickel. BUT...you say that you will probably only carry it to the range, so it's a moot point. Stainless does wear better, no doubt about that, but that's why they make different models. Attachment 202395
    I think that everyone of us has a safe queen/range only gun and one of mine is a nickel model 24 S&W that I mounted a scope on to find the most accurate load and then took it off. I had to look high and low to find a nickel 24.
    IT AINT what ya shoot--its how ya shoot it. NONE of us are as smart as ALL of us!

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    Here's what it will look like when they get done with it.

    This one came that way.

    I highly recommend getting an X Frame Grip while it is being polished. The extra padding at the top of the back strap really helps the web of your hand survive shooting these guns.

    Randy

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    Attachment 202702
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  19. #19
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    I've been using a metal polish on my 686 every time I cleaned it since 89 or so. It's got a high polish now.
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