new finish on a stainless revolver.. Blasting?

[Swede 45]

I got a Ruger GP 100 in stainless.. but the finish are starting to be a bit scratched by the years of use...
I´m thinking about giving it a finish overhaul, but dont want to spend alot of polishing hrs on it.
Blasting perhaps?

I would like a dull finish similar to this one.. (pic found on the web.)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v149/Baphomet/PistolsII004.jpg
I got a friend with a blasting cabinet that I may get to use..
He has regular sand media and a black Aluminiumsilicate at hand.. are any of those media good to go or should I get anything else?
He only do blasting of heavy rusted carparts.. no true superknowledge to lean on there :-)
Is the above media to abrasive or any other negative ?

Perhaps have a pro shop do the blasting?
I know there is a bunch of different methods and media as glass, plastic, stainless balls et.c
Any advices?

[dubber123]

Glass beads is what I use. The more "used" they are, the finer the finish they produce. Be careful to not blast down the bore or into the chambers, and avoid blasting any internal parts. It's a quick and easy way to dress up a stainless firearm. Good luck.

[DougGuy]

I always used glass beads.

For contrast like on the sided of a 1911 slide, I polished that on 400 then 600 grit 3M wet or dry automotive paper soaked in oil on a marble block, then used that really good thick aluminum duct tape to tape off the glossy part, and glass beaded the top and back and the cutaway and they came out really nice. You could do the other way around too, tape off the sides, glass bead, then untape and polish. Works the same.

[44man]

Scotch Brite in the same direction of original polishing will remove scratches fast.
I would not use sand but glass beads will do good.

[country gent]

I also would use glass beads and mask of everywhere you dont want blasted, trigger recesses, dovetails,bore, chambers ect. Plug holes with clay. I would even becarefull around the muzzle. The hardness of the stainless, Air pressure, newness of the beads moisture and nozzle condition all affect the finish you will get. If possible pick up some scraps of stainless and experiment a little with the above to get what you want.

[Moleman-]

Glass beads or even plastic is about as rough as I'd go. I had a springfield armory 1911 SS loaded NM model for a few years. I was sort of disappointed with it as it was tighter than my loose as a goose colt but wasn't as accurate as my other pistols. One thing that bugged me was that the interior of the pistol was abrasive blasted with something very aggressive which made cleaning it after shooting tumble lubed ammo a real chore to get it out of all those pits.

[BigEyeBob]

Fine scotch brite lubricated with a drop of oil .

[imashooter2]

Did this magwell with a terribly cheap 1quart sand blaster, fine white children's play box sand and about 80 psi. Blended with the original Kimber Stainless Target II finish nicely.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

For touching up a small area which has been rubbed bright, you can hold fine abrasive paper over the spot, and tap it with a small hammer or mallet. Start too fine, and progress to a grade that gets the result that blends in with the rest.

[imashooter2]

For touching up a small area which has been rubbed bright, you can hold fine abrasive paper over the spot, and tap it with a small hammer or mallet. Start too fine, and progress to a grade that gets the result that blends in with the rest.

That's a great tip! Thanks!

[Swede 45]

Thanks for the input.. Glassbeads it will be..
I´ve spoken to a local buisness that do blasting commercially, and they will give me a call next time they got things to glassbeadblast.. They will run my "small" order alongside another order to keep my cost down. Will tape/protect throats, crown et.c prior to protect sensitive areas.

[AggieEE]

Be prepared to do a detailed strip and clean. I touched up a Smith 969 auto and I found glass beads in places I thought that I had avoided. Bead size and air pressure both affect what the finish looks like.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Unless your bead-blasting specialist can recommend a tape which is really sure to stay in place, I would be more inclined to plug the bore and cylinders with wooden dowels or washers held with end to end threaded rod. AggieEE makes a good point. If any beads remain present, they are likely to migrate to somewhere they will pose real danger. I'd remove everything that doesn't need bead-blasting beforehand.

[pietro]

Scotch Brite in the same direction of original polishing will remove scratches fast.
I would not use sand but glass beads will do good.

+1 I've had excellent results, using ScotchBrite pads to "refinish" stainless steel guns.

BTW, I also wouldn't use it for a highly-polished stainless steel gun, unless a change to a matte finish is desired.


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[GoodOlBoy]

Krylon?

God Bless, and One Love.

GoodOlBoy

[Swede 45]

Yes, I plan to detailstrip the gun into bare frame, and have all part areas that are not to be blasted sealed of in a proper way with material recommended by the pro guy..

[TRX]

AMT used to use a finish so coarse I call it "gravel blasting."