FIX THIS PIG

[HUGH]

Any advice on refinish for this Colt Commander?
Can it be reblued? Scratches on the slide and wear on the barrel.

Anyone in the I.E do this sort of work?
Thanks.

[brassburnz]

If you can feel the scratches with you finger, that's bad. If it's only a surface scratch, you might be able to "disguise" the scratches with cold blue from Birchwood Casey.

The bushing you could replace. I'd try using some 400 then 800 grit emery cloth to take down the scratches, then try the cold blue.

[bak]

scratches look deep. send to louderthanwords.us gunsmith for a highpower cut to slide.

[HUGH]

Gentleman, thanks for the help.

[buffybuster]

Just rebluing it or touch up bluing wouldn't really do anything other that change the color and in my opinion would make it look even worse.

That can't just be buffed out either, since the front edge of the slide looks dinged. If you tried to buff it out, it would make the slide flat wavy, which is a dead giveaway. The barrel bushing can be easily replaced and is of no concern.

If you want the slide repaired correctly, you need to contact a good gunsmith/metalsmith that can draw file, peen or if needed weld up the areas.

If those are honest wear marks, I'd just leave it. If it's a reminder of some idiocy, then I might have it repaired as to not have a constant reminder. The barrel wear is entirely normal.

UPDATE:
Looking at the pics more closely, it looks like you might be able to get a decent repair by some light draw filing, then getting the slide flat brushed and then the slide reblued. Understand that doing this will kill any future collector value (unless this repair is done by Colt).

[Asphodel]

Hugh,

I'd get the impression from your reference to that Colt as a 'pig', that you are a discriminating gentleman of means who is accustomed to having nothing less than the very best.

That Colt no longer qualifies as 'the very best', as, no matter what could be done to refinish it, the finish would no longer be 'original'.

Your realistic option, given your discriminating tastes, is to replace it with one in suitably perfect condition.

Now, there are doubtless quite a few folks whose requirements are not as discriminating as yours. For someone in that position, it would be a relatively simple procedure to polish out the scratched area, gently and carefully polish the entire slide, and then re-blue the slide, using either a hot caustic (Du-Lite) process or 'traditional' rust-bluing technique.

I should note that blending-in a flat surface like that when polishing is 'not easy'.........it involves using ultra-fine emery on a known flat backer, and delicate, careful hand work. The wheel-polishing technique favoured by many gun-tinkerers who call themselves 'gunsmiths' is guaranteed to produce a slightly wavy surface, which is invisible, or nearly so, 'in the white', but easily seen once blued, when seen from the appropriate angle, in good light.

Another option, one which I'd not mind doing were it my personal Colt, would be to a mil-spec 'arsenal repair' finish, simply glass-blasting the slide with ultra-fine glass-beads, and dark-phosphate 'parkerizing' it. I prefer the mil-spec 'non-glare' finish myself, but thats purely a matter of personal preference.

The finish wear on the barrel and trigger is a 'fact of life', and is inescapable when the weapon is used. If a collector wishes to preserve the original finish, he/she does not use the weapon, or even hand-cycle it more often than very rarely. As a reference to this grade of finish care, note advertisements for collectible revolvers, which will specify whether or not the cylinder has been turned.

cheers

Carla

[HUGH]

As expected,OUTSTANDING replies. Thanks to all.