Getting ready to order my first container of Flitz polish. Noticed the company offers both "blue" and "green" compounds. Which do you regular users of this product recommend, and why. Main use will be on my Blued revolvers.
To what end? Metal polishes will thin, then if used often enough, remove the bluing. You could have argued S&W should have polished with Flitz before bluing, but it's too late for that.
To what end? Metal polishes will thin, then if used often enough, remove the bluing. You could have argued S&W should have polished with Flitz before bluing, but it's too late for that.
K22 thank you for the input, does anyone else feel the same way?
My intention was a good general finish cleaning before waxing.
Metal polishes usually have abrasives in them to polish out scratches. Unless what you are using is nonabrasive I wouldn't use it on anything blued or has a matte finish.
K22 thank you for the input, does anyone else feel the same way?
My intention was a good general finish cleaning before waxing.
Personally I would not use a polishing compound on a blue finished gun with an otherwise rust-free finish just to clean it up. I might use it gently on superficial rust on a blue gun. Flitz and other polishing compounds will remove bluing if you rub hard enough or often enough.
Nickel finishes, in general, seem less prone to polishing through the finish compared to blue guns. Polishes can do a nice job of removing small scratches from the surface of nickel guns or cleaning up, but not fixing, nickel guns with finish "issues" but keep in mind you are still removing a small amount of surface material.
Stainless is another issue. Unless you are looking for a bright shiny finish to a stainless gun Flitz and other polishing compounds should be avoided.
old bear, I'm with all of the other responses who are recommending against the use of Flitz, which is somewhat abrasive and could cause finish problems.
Two other possible choices:
Renaissance Wax - I use this on almost all of mine, especially my outrageously expensive "Pythons" and "Dirty Harry" model 29, or
Johnson's Paste Wax (large yellow can). It has a petroleum base and will allow you to realize both the benefits of the oil and the wax.
Any polish that is going to work is an abrasive even as mild as Flitz is. I use Flitz all the time but almost never on a blued gun. Now don't get me wrong, Flitz is excellent but other than once for a specific problem I'd not use Flitz or any polish on a blued gun.
SIDE NOTE:
I find Flitz is much better than the Simichrome Polish which I find pretty much useless. Anytime I've used it I have quickly abandoned it and grab for the Flitz. Maybe it's just me, but I have found Simichrome to be WAY over-rated!
I use blue Flitz for an occasional polish of my M686, but almost never use it on blued firearms. It'll take away fine scratches and haze, but it does thin bluing with repeated applications. It'll remove case coloring with as little as one application, take a wild guess how I found that out.
The missus uses it on her nickel plated knitting needles with no ill effects thus far, but I'm not sure it's appropriate for nickel considering the blue Flitz has a definite ammonia smell.
I use both Renaissance wax and Flitz Polish (green) on both my blue &
stainless guns,The Flitz polish leaves a more shiny finish then the Rem wax.
Dick
I guess I should have been more specific in my original post. Flitz will pull rust and other imbedded impurities out of the blue on a gun and I have used it for this purpose for years.
Yes It's an abrasive but not nearly as abrasive as Simichrome and used lightly will do an excellent job.
Anyone on this forum is more then welcome to contact me and come over and view firearms I've cleaned with Flitz and show me the damage.
This 50 + year old Colt Cobra was filty when I got it and was lightly cleaned with Flitz before being preserved with Renaissance Wax. It's not the best picture but I think it makes my point.
Jim
I use it a lot, Mostly on Stainless, I have a NIB COLT M4 with a fac finish that was not up to my standards, looked like has dried something all over it, A LITE coat of Flitz make it BEAUTIFUL! I carefully did a CZ 455 Varmint with it, very happy! I have a 629-3 unfired that I set for hours with cotton balls, paper towels etc and rub away, its a thing of beauty. I love the stuff, keeps me out of bars, Regards Ernie
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Rimfires Makes me "Insane"
Last edited by ErnieDeBord; 11-03-2014 at 01:03 AM.
CZ455 in 22LR. I took it apart, detail cleaned, FLITZED, installed a Rifle Basix trigger (10 oz pull), NIB Leupold 6.5x20 EFR with dot in Burris Sig rings (with nylon inserts). Only about 150 match rounds thru it so far, Gosh its a shooter! Regards Ernie
I hope it keeps you from spending more money in bars than you reduce the collector value of your unfired stainless Smiths. Wouldn’t it be smarter to keep your unfired ones in collector condition and polish police trade in and other stainless guns that are finish challenged when you buy them?
I know I’m whipping a dead horse. I guess it’s like women. Some like flashy city ladies and some prefer adventurous outdoor types. A wiser member posted it’s a good thing we don’t all want the same one or the fist fights would never end.
I have had good luck with Maas. This is a 1967 Colt .22 Buntline that I traded for at a gun show. It was very dull when I got it and had some small specs of rust on it. I cleaned it with Maas and it looks almost new.
Flitz has not hurt any blued firearm I have used it on. It will remove rust but not pits. Flitz also makes a pure gun wax with no chemicals for use on guns. Standard Flitz will remove the chemical case hardened look finish. Found that out the hard way. Makes nickel guns look great and I dont think there is any ammonia in it.
I also use it on pocket knives. Once a month and no rust.
I recently bought a few "finish challenged" blue Smith & Wessons. After standard oil and rag treatments didn't clean them up I took a tube of blue Flitz (what I had) and an old T-shirt and lightly polished them. Yes, I'm sure it took off a little finish. So what? I had nothing to lose. The finishes were pretty much shot anyway.
Model 19 (no dash) before
Same gun after.
Model 15 before
Model 15 after
Not as dramatic in the photo's with the 15 as the 19, but in the real world it was a big difference. Both guns had really fine rust on them, that you really couldn't see, but could feel. The finish felt "dirty" for lack of a better word. There was also dried on grease that wouldn't come off, and a lot of fine scratches on both. The worn areas of the blue had sharp edges that could be felt almost.
It took about an hour to do both, as well as a couple of others I didn't post. Remember you're polishing something. You're not sanding a tabletop. You don't really want to take off anything. Just work slowly and lightly.
I actually did two "coats", then wiped them down with a silicone rag. They all looked a lot better, and feel smooth and slick, but as I said these finishes were pretty much shot anyway, so I really had nothing to lose. I doubt I'll ever need to do it again.
Anything with ammonia and abrasive (aluminum oxide) will remove bluing. I use other similar types of polishes only once. When I obtain a nickel or blued gun, I will clean the surface, and/or polish out minor scratches on nickel and never use it again. Ammonia is bad for bluing/plating and repeated use of abrasives will remove the finish. Clean it once and keep it waxed or oiled.
Anything with ammonia and abrasive (aluminum oxide) will remove bluing. I use other similar types of polishes only once. When I obtain a nickel or blued gun, I will clean the surface, and/or polish out minor scratches on nickel and never use it again. Ammonia is bad for bluing/plating and repeated use of abrasives will remove the finish. Clean it once and keep it waxed or oiled.
I didn't have a "before" picture of the Colt Cobra I posted avove but the contrast on the Model 19 shown between before and after is typical.
This above quote I believe represents the approach most of us take when cleaning a poorly cared for firearm. Go slowly and proceed with care.
Jim
Getting ready to order my first container of Flitz polish. Noticed the company offers both "blue" and "green" compounds. Which do you regular users of this product recommend, and why. Main use will be on my Blued revolvers.
THANKS ALL
old bear
?????The only Flitz product that I have came in a gray tube like toothpaste. How is the green or blue packaged?
Flitz polish
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