stainless slide refinish

[tatt00edangel]

What's the best way to refinish a stainless slide? I have a Beretta 96 Stainless that has shiny holster wear marks. I'd like the finish to be even.

Thanks

[meaty-btz]

polish the entire slide to look like the holster wear? Kind of blingy and you will be wiping it all the time

[automatikdonn]

agreed. You can do it with a buffing wheel, and the rouge that comes with a dremel tool, but it will take forever.

I buffed my sigma, and all the marks came out...

[RickD427]

You may also want to consider a brushed finish.

The "quick and dirty" way to do it is to wrap fine emery cloth around a block and then lightly abrade the sides of the slide, being very careful to move the block in a straight line and not to round off the edges. No matter how careful you are, this method always seems to produce some rounding of edges.

A far better way is to glue down a strip of fine emery on a long flat surface. Set up a straightedge along the surface, and form a block that will fit inside the slide and ride along the straightedge. This arrangement will keep the slide in position so that all strokes are parallel, and it will prevent edge rounding. You need only a few strokes to impart the finish.

Whatever you do, never reverse the direction of movement while the slide is in contact with the emery. You'll wind up with ugly "squiggly" marks on the slide.

[tatt00edangel]

I like the factory brushed finish, I don't want it shiny at all.

[Mikeb]

bead blast?
mike

[FredoSD]

bead blast?
mike

Plus 1

[9mmepiphany]

another vote for bead blast...that's what I've done to my stainless Sigs

[sfguyhere]

I love the wear marks on my guns . . . gives them character.

[freonr22]

glue 400 grit on a piece of glass, or you can tape the sides, bead blast the top and sand the sides

[586L-Frame]

You can use a green scotchbrite pad and wipe lightly horizontally to try and retain your brush finish.

[Ledbetter]

Double plus one on the plate of glass. Tape some emory cloth or wet-dry sandpaper tightly to it and move the slide STRAIGHT across. You may have to experiment to find the right grit. I would think 300-400 might give you the look you want.

On the other hand, guns don't stay perfect forever unless they just stay in the safe. Holstering marks = character.