Paint removal from Glock

[Flying Sig]

I bought a Glock 19 a couple years ago that the previous owner had bubba'd up pretty bad. He rattle canned the frame and undercut the trigger. I don't mind the undercut too much, but the paint job is BAD. I don't know what kind of paint he used but it's flaking off and just generally looks like ****. Normally I would've walked away from something like this but the price was too great to pass up (If I can clean it up)

Any ideas how to strip off the paint without damaging the plastic frame?


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[Citadelgrad87]

I have seen 100% simple green eat "chrome plated" thick silver paint off a model, leaving the plastic underneath untouched.

I am NOT saying this is safe for you to try, but its pretty tame stuff.

[sonofeugene]

Simple Green is used in the medical device industry to clean plastic parts before they are built into product. While I can't say for sure, it's likely fine, though whether it will clean off the paint, I can't say.

I see some pretty good chips out of the paint. Why not get a small dental tool and try lifting all the paint off? I did that once with the chrome on my Mini door handles so I could have them painted to match the car. It took a couple hours but it worked perfectly. Just choose a tool that won't gouge the gun.

[Garv]

Try rubbing the paint with a cotton swab and alcohol to start.
Then try rubbing with a swab and CLP.

Next peel off a small chunk and soak it in a small jar with CLP and cap it.
Might dissolve or soften at least.

[Barbarosa]

The guy at the local pawn shop took in a Glock 23 that had been spray painted white. It was pretty ugly. He put the frame in an ultrasonic cleaner he uses for jewelry and it came out spotless. There wasn't a speck of paint left.

[sonofeugene]

Yes, but what was in the ultrasonic cleaner? Just water? Or?

[ar15barrels]

Any ideas how to strip off the paint without damaging the plastic frame?

Get a gallon ziploc bag, paper towels and acetone.
Strip down the frame of all internal parts.
Soak a couple paper towels in acetone and wrap them around the frame.
Place wrapped frame in the ziploc bag and squish out as much air as you can before sealing the bag.
Let soak a few hours or even overnight.
Repeat as needed.

[Flying Sig]

Thanks for all the input guys.

Randall - the acetone wont hurt the plastic/polymer? Seems like a pretty harsh chemical. Thanks

[ar15barrels]

Randall - the acetone wont hurt the plastic/polymer?
Seems like a pretty harsh chemical.

No.
It will dry out ALL the oils and the plastic will look lighter because it's completely degreased.
Wipe down the frame with an oily rag afterwards and it will look factory shiny again.

[sonofeugene]

I'd still be real nervous about using acetone.

[ar15barrels]

I'd still be real nervous about using acetone.

Lack of experience will do that.

[Mr. Helio]

Dishwasher first. Then Ultra sonic and simple green. No kidding.

[buffybuster]

DOT3 brake fluid. Strip the frame, douse liberally with brake fluid and put in ziplock bag, come back in a few hours and brush with plastic brush. No danger to polymer.

[sonofeugene]

Lack of experience will do that.

I have zero experience using acetone on a Glock. However, I have 30+ years using acetone, on a daily basis, cleaning parts in the medical device field. Experience has shown me that sometimes acetone, and even the much more benign isopropyl alcohol, can sometimes cause unexpected problems in plastic parts, rendering them into junk. And the problems sometimes don't show up until after the product is built.

Just sayin'.....

[SkyHawk]

I have seen people use acetone many times to degrease Glock frames before Cerakote or other paint, with seemingly no ill effect.

However the CEO of Polymer 80 says never let a drop get near a Polymer frame:

http://guyjsagi.com/2019/02/26/how-long-will-polymer-handguns-last-and-is-acetone-a-killer/

For an instant disaster, however, Borges cautioned, “Acetone is the single most potent chemical that will nearly destroy any polymer components. While gunsmiths use it for cleaning metal components, you shouldn’t even get a drop of it near polymers.”

So it may have to do with the specific type of polymer, but Glocks seem unaffected.