"Idiot Scratch"

[ojisan]

The classic frame-located scratch:

[BLOWN RAIDER]

Thanks guys

[Toast]

I have one on my week old RIA :|. It happened when I was re-assembling, the slide stop wasn't perfectly lined up so I had to tighten my grip on the slide (grasping with one hand) to move it a fraction of a centimeter back. It shifted and the weight of the part made it swing down and put a faint little scratch on the inside of the trigger guard. Oh well. It's gonna get cerakoted anyway.

[rogervzv]

It can easily be avoided with care. Wish I had avoided it on my Colt Gold Cup.

One trick is to put a playing card under the slide stip pin when reassembling the gun. I may try that when I pick up my Dan Wesson PM7 from DROS. One idiot scratch is enough.

[Buddhabelly]

Idiot marks on a 1911 is a right of passage. It's a gun, a tool of death and destruction, for heaven sake

I don't agree with this at all. It's called idiot scratch because the person will feel idiotic after he makes this mistake. It's a mistake that's totally can be learned and avoided, like the OP is doing. It's not about the 1911 being more revered than any other tool. It's about making an avoidable, stupid (idiotic) mistake on your tool.

[dasfkilla]

I have a scratch on the right side of my slide, but it does not look as deep as any of the pictures. I was wondering if I could use some fine sand paper or something to buff it out?

[Brandon04GT]

I have a scratch on the right side of my slide, but it does not look as deep as any of the pictures. I was wondering if I could use some fine sand paper or something to buff it out?

Is it a stainless finished gun?

[echang86]

I got an idiot mark that tops all you've ever seen. The worst part of it is, it wasn't on my first 1911. Hurts me every time I see it..

[tacticalcity]

A member bought a 1911 on here from another member that advertised no idiot mark. Worst I've seen. Rotated all the way arount the gun several times in large circle. It was stainless, so he could high polish the entire gun...but that is not the most ideal look.

I've got a bunch of tiny little marks around my slide catch, but not full on scratches. Thankfully I got mine used and at a good price with a few marks already. So I don't feel to bad. Made for a nice guy to learn about 1911s on.

I would feel bad if my first 1911 was a factory new $2K+ Nighthawk and I jacked it up.

[The Cable Guy]

Oh no, there's a scratch on my gun. Will it buff out? How will I ever shoot it now?!

[dasfkilla]

Is it a stainless finished gun?

Yes it is.

[Twiggz]

Oh no, there's a scratch on my gun. Will it buff out? How will I ever shoot it now?!

With your head hung low in shame

Last time I cleaned my 1911, I noticed a slight idiot mark. I don't remember ever slipping while I was putting the slide release back in, but sure enough a scratch is there. I think if I scratched the slide like the pic above, i'd be a little upset.

[Brandon04GT]

Yes it is.

I don't have much experience with guns but I am somewhat familiar with buffing scratches out of metals. I suppose you can try using fine-grit sandpaper and then finishing it off with some rubbing compound and then some metal polish. Always start with the least abrasive method first. How deep is the scratch? Depending on how deep it is, it might not be a good idea to buff out the scratch completely otherwise you might take off too much material.

[Toast]

You could buff out the scratch and sandblast it if you don't want it to be shiny.

[Hopalong]

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Try pushing the slide stop in and up with the big fat part of your hand at the base of your thumb

Instead of your thumb

This large part of your hand can't slip off, and holds the slide stop in place.

I've never had a problem