Hey,

I just picked up a nice older Model 915. From what I read, it has a steel receiver with an anodized alloy frame.

There's some very slight holster wear on it. I attached a couple of photos.

Even though it's very minimal, seeing it really bothers me. I'm sure some of you know the feeling.

Short of refinishing it, does anyone know a way to cover up this wear?

Thank you.

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Keep it in the holster.

I'll throw this out - will Birchwood Casey Aluminum Black help with this?

I wouldn't put anything on it.. only open a can of worms(like touch up paint on your car, you can always spot it)... honest wear is not a problem in my book..

The best thing to have done is not buy it as now it is a problem.

Hey Bruce,

I asked a very specific question.

i'm looking for a way to cover up the wear, not people's opinion's on "honest wear," or people telling me I shouldn't have bought the pistol in the first place.

I got a great deal on this 915. I have no regrets about buying it. I'm simply trying to make it look a little nicer.

Understand?

Please don't mess with it. Enjoy it like it is. Attempting to refinish alloy frames is just a nightmare, and you will do more harm than good, both to the gun and to your investment.

This guy cleaned up a 915 frame a bit - New Model 915

Mike - I spent a couple of hours this week polishing and touching up an M64 I just traded into. So, I understand where you're coming from. The mark on your 915 doesn't look too difficult to cover up. I would try aluminum black first but it hasn't worked well for me before. Another thing to try is plastic model paint pens although it's prolly going to be tricky to match the finish on your frame. Last but not least - I just did this on a couple of (much smaller) marks on my LCP frame - you could try a laundry marking pen. Last resort - Allegheny Gun Works up in PA does actual re-anodizing and I've seen a bunch of comments about the quality of their work. Around $120 + shipping costs.

Black Sharpie

Geez shawn, I just figured someone would know a way to cover up those little blemishes. It's not a major problem for me but I do like to keep my firearms as nice as possible.

Maybe, other than a complete refinish, there is no solution.

What makes aliminum alloy so hard to work with?

I figured we put a man on the moon a long time ago so there was probably a touch up pen or something else that would work on this.

I used a Birchwood Black pen to touch up a 469 but it looked spotty and didn't stay on. The only other alternative I know would be a full refinish with Duracoat or Cerakote. Nice pistol

You quoted my entire post, and I guess you didn't understand it.

In your OP you say the wear bothers you, my point was that adding touch up paint to your gun will annoy you even more.

Guess it's just a bad day, I'll get over it.

Bruce,

I understood your posts, both of them. But it's apparent you didn't understand mine.

Your first response as to how I could cover up these wear spots was, "Keep it in the holster." Not really a solution.

In your second post, you told me:

"I wouldn't put anything on it.. only open a can of worms(like touch up paint on your car, you can always spot it)... honest wear is not a problem in my book.

The best thing to have done is not buy it as now it is a problem."

Again, no solution here.

Thanks to all of you who offered serious responses.

I'll try a few of them of them and report back.

And thanks again.

Yes black Sharpie. Bare aluminum will corrode.

Just use a black Sharpie and be done with it. It will work fine at little or no expense.

The frame/receiver is aluminum alloy. The slide is carbon steel. Since the 915 is Value Line gun the finish is extremely thin. As others have said, a Sharpie will work fine.

__________________
Can open, worms everywhere.

There's nothing you can personally do to improve the looks. Anything you do will make it look worse. Cold Aluminum Blacking won't take unless the wear is actually through the frames anodizing. The black is only color added, not the anodizing itself. Anodizing is pretty hard and holster wear alone won't usually wear through it. In order to have something you'll be happy with you'll have to have it done professionally. You can have the anodizing on the frame redone, or have it refinished with one of the spray on finishes: Duracoat, Cerakote, etc. If you don't want to go to that expense, it's really best to just leave it alone.

Try the sharpie. It may look enough better to satisfy you. If not, nothing lost.
To really fix it right and permanently will cost more than you want to spend.
It won't increase the value of the gun as much as it costs you to do it.
It's a losing proposition.

Let me know if the sharpie works, I’ll try it too.... 🤪 I might need a few of them.... before you get upset, calm down... we all like to have our own guns the exact way we want them and if you want yours to be cleaned up, then go for it... but I love the way my 3914 looks, (slightly) worn finish... functions perfectly though! Hope you find something that works!


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I bought a older model Beretta 92s that had a lot of holster wear. I tried the black sharpies, I tried Casey Birchwood's aluminum black touch up marker. I even tried Ford touch up paint for my car.

They all rubbed right off within days and IMHO, not worth the effort and make my gun look like a inverse black dalmatian. I left the gun alone and just accepted the fact that my beretta has holster wear....

Hi Don,

The Sharpie works pretty well. I've been experimenting.

Best way I found to use it is to use a little alcohol to degrease the area of the frame you want to work on. Then dry the alcohol off immediately.

Next, lightly hit the spot you want to darken with the Sharpie. It will turn the area a dark purplish color, darker than the frame.

Let it dry for two or three minutes. Then run your thumb or a fingertip lightly over the spot. Back and forth, back and forth. Keep checking to see how much the purplish color is blending in with the frame's color.

Stop when it matches best. It took me a few attempts. But I got it pretty close.

Here's before and after.

It looks a lot better to me. I'm satisfied.

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Contest for well worn?

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Brother from another mother... nice piece!
Ladder13

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I cerakoted a 915 frame mat silver/titanium(?)....... $70 at LGS........ has held up well for 3 years now...... also did a 6904's frame......

I had my 6904 slide cerakoted for $50 bucks. No more holster wear. Pic later, I don't have any on my phone.