(UPDATE) + NEW PICS - Finished the 686 "Mirror finish" I was going for.

[Dash4+]

The title says it all. After I hit the range yesterday (She shot beautifully, no problems what so ever), I cleaned the 686 and decided to give it a good polish. I'm liking the results, Mother's always did good by me when it came to polishing chrome bumpers and rims.

Now that I know I got a good polish, I'm going to have the gun buffed to remove all the tiny haze marks and get the stainless back to a clean, non haze, polished finish. Here's some pics of how the gun looks currently.

UPDATE. I Went ahead and wet sanded this beauty from 600 grit to 3000 grit and then elbow greased the heck out of this with Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish . I finally think I achieved the "Mirror Finish" I was looking for.

 

[UNCLE PAULY]

Great looking gun! Looks fantastic.

I bought a new Talo 3" 686, cleaned it and then put a mirror finish on it using Mother's.
After a year or so of shooting, a quick touch up brings the shine right back.

 

[Dash4+]

Great looking gun! Looks fantastic.

I bought a new Talo 3" 686, cleaned it and then put a mirror finish on it using Mother's.
After a year or so of shooting, a quick touch up brings the shine right back.

Good to know, Cant get much better than a stainless finish. It lasts forever.

 

[GerSan69]

I'm a big fan of polished stainless. I've done several myself and I've picked up a couple new-to-me's over the last year that were polished up nicely.

 

[SeamasterSig]

Lookin' good! Mother's works well. It doesn't take a lot of elbow grease to make stainless shine.

 

[F75gunslinger]

I would suggest, instead of " having it buffed " that you keep working on it with the mothers. Far more control and just as good or better finish quality.

 

[75Vette]

Looking good! Try going over the gun with Hoppes to get rid of the "Mothers" haze and follow up with Ren wax. Fingerprints won't show near as bad.

 

[RobertJ.]

Very nice, I love that look!

I love the look of a nicely nickeled handgun. However, I think one of the ugliest is a nickeled handgun with the finish flaking off. Polished stainless remedies that nicely. And for me, a nicely nickeled handgun would more than likely never get real use, while all my stainless are working guns, regardless of how nice.

I have a Ruger Super Redhawk I've had plans to do the same to, but haven't gotten to it yet. Your photos have helped get that project moved back up nearer the top of the list!

 

[nw creek]

No buffing wheel

I agree that elbow grease is much better than having it power buffed; I've done both. The irregularities you get using a buffing wheel will make you use more elbow grease later.
That is one fine looking 686!
John

 

[Dash4+]

Looking good! Try going over the gun with Hoppes to get rid of the "Mothers" haze and follow up with Ren wax. Fingerprints won't show near as bad.

Thanks for the tip. However, the haze is actually tiny fine scrtches from being in a holster over the years. I don, t think they will rub out.

 

[75Vette]

Thanks for the tip. However, the haze is actually tiny fine scrtches from being in a holster over the years. I don, t think they will rub out.

Use 2000 grit sandpaper with oil very lightly and those will disappear. Take it easy and don't get carried away.

 

[Cousin Jack]

Kind of a related question: how do you polish an old nickle finish? Or do you? Got a beautiful Series 70 Nickle Plated Colt Commander that's beginning to show some age......

 

[Rick_A]

Kind of a related question: how do you polish an old nickle finish? Or do you? Got a beautiful Series 70 Nickle Plated Colt Commander that's beginning to show some age......

Flitz followed by a waxing works for most. Just don't get carried away with the polishing.

The OP's revolver looks "Pythonesque" in finish.

 

[Dash4+]

Use 2000 grit sandpaper with oil very lightly and those will disappear. Take it easy and don't get carried away.

Trust me I won't get carried away. I'm a certified auto body technician so I know my wet sanding well

 

[Dash4+]

Flitz followed by a waxing works for most. Just don't get carried away with the polishing.

The OP's revolver looks "Pythonesque" in finish.

I hope that's a good thing D:

 

[Laketime]

Looks great.I always thought a highly polished 686 looks the most like a Python than any other L frame.

 

[Krell1]

Mother's, Flitz and Renwax can be your friends. I've heard people criticize highly polished stainless but I really like the way it looks. I obtained my Model 60 used with what looked like a few holster marks. I buffed them with 2000 grit paper and polished with Flitz following up with Renwax. I intentionally did not polish the flutes on the cylinder and left them kind of a matte finish. I put some rosewood grips on and I think it looks great.

Your gun looks great. One word of caution though, don't buff with a Dremel or other power buffer. You can easily go too far and you can't come back from that. Do it by hand and take your time. You'll be happy with the results.

 

[H Richard]

This is a Mod 60, mid 70's vintage that has been shot and cleaned many hundreds of times, and with the brushed finish nearly all worn off, I took Mothers and Ren Wax to finish up the job a few months back. I'm inclined to like it.

 

[arjay]

Found a dirty mildly scratched up model 60 at my LGS several years ago.$175 and some mothers mag polish got me this.

 

[MattJames]

Nice job on that 686. I'm a fan of polished stainless and have done a few by hand and with a wheel. I've found that ending with a round of Simichrome really brings out the color. Protect it with a coat of Ren wax and cleanups after a trip to the range are pretty effortless.

And in regard to using a Dremel - limit that to the inside of the trigger guard only.