Anyone had luck removing electro-pencil foolishness?

MERV5-5505

MERV5-5505

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Hello All-

I realize that no one thought that one day S&W revolvers without internal locks would be, well: a limited, finite commodity, (not rare, but for the most part, not offered new any more.) So I kind of understand why...but:

I have a stainless S&W pre-lock revolver that I got cheap as a project gun. It has all the tell-tale marks of a truck gun...a bait & tackle box gun...it's been used hard, but is still solid. It would be an excellent foundation for a project I have in mind.

Trouble is...the first owner electro-penciled, (to call it engraved is an insult to the engraver's art...) his name and S.S # (no indentity theft back then, eh?) on the frame. It has no charm or beauty and must go...

I realize you can not replace metal...but has anyone had any luck removing bad electro-penciled gibberish off of a stainless steel revolver frame before? I would want the least drastic solution, as I like my gun frames with as much metal on them as possible. The markings are not very deep, but some metal will have to be removed for sure.

Also, if anyone knows a gunsmith that is excellent at such refinishing work...I would love to send them some business.

Thanks for your help...it is always appreciated. :D
 
Bead blast

You can try glass bead blasting it....elctro-pencil etching is not very deep. If you were closer, I would offer to remove it for you...best luck with your project.
 
It's no real trick to remove electro-engraved markings on a stainless surface. Simply use 150 grit emery cloth. Finish with 600 grit wet-or-dry abrasive paper backed with a hard, flat surface, such as a small file. With some slow, careful polishing, first the markings disappear, and then the surface texture will be restored.
 
Check out my thread titled " 66-1 bdps marked " in S&W revolvers 1961-1980. If you start with a fine grit sandpaper, I used 600 grit then followup with mothers mag polish, or flitz you can do amazing things. If you start with too coarse grit sandpaper to begin with it will be hard to remaove the scratches that the sandpaper puts in the metal.
 
I had this one on a backstrap of a PD trade in gun. It did not turn out "perfect", but certainly a 110% improvement. This was done by file, Dremel, and progressive sanding and polishing.

681engrav2.jpg
 
This used to be a quite popular way of marking revolvers for identification. I don't know what the yayhoos with the electro-pencils thought the gun's serial number was for.

Have an acquaintance who has a small collection of guns he acquired back in the early 1960s along with some more inherited from his father-in-law. Seems the father-in-law was a big believer in scribing social security numbers on firearms and had done so with all of his own. He also badgered his son-in-law until he did the same thing to his guns.

It was heartbreaking to see the fine Winchesters, Colts, and a nice High Standard .22 that would have otherwise been good collector's pieces as well as great shooters, marred by this foolishness. The old man insisted that both the frames and the barrels of each gun be marked with social security numbers. It's just goofiness!
 
Hello-

Thank you all for your replies, I really appreciate the information & support. As I learn more, I hope to help those "newer" than me to the forum...I only like to give out advice if it's worth more than say 3 cents...:D

I agree, Robotoid: I say +1 to a job well done.

And SAFireman: Thank you for the generous offer, (if we were local...) I appreciate the thought.

Be well & stay safe everyone,

Mike (MERV5-5505)
 
Nice job 'robotoid' the only thing I could 'add' is we do it across, not the length of the back strap, it comes out nicer, blends better to ,easier and more forgiving, yes, you can 'start' the 'long' way, especially if you have to 'draw file' but we always finish up
across for the final polish..................nice thing about stainless, its the same color all the way through.....;)
yes, 'merv5' you can do it, and pretty easily ,take your time and we'd suggest using a few different grits of emery paper or aluminum oxide paper,and no more than "medium" as the coarsest to start with.........give me a call or email me and I can talk you through it.....
best to do it by hand, yes, with practice & experience one can use some 'power tools.BUT too easy to get carried away or into problems.....we've had a bit of practice, as we've done this since the late 1960's, and through 3 different refinishing shops as well as some of the factories we trained at..........
 
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150 grit is quite rough and I would be afraid of scratches worse than those I am trying to remove. I purchased a nice P&R 4" M/629 not too long ago, it had a rather nasty scratch on the sideplate. I used 240 grit wet or dry strips wrapped around an art gum eraser to remove the scratch, progressing to 320 and finally 400 grit after the scratch was removed. Final blending and finish matching was done with Scotch Brite pad, followed with a light going over with Flitz. An application of Renaissance wax buffed of with a micro fiber cloth and the gun looked like new, no evidense of the scratch at all.
 
Would this work as well on the engraved "Outfitter's Special" on the mountain gun I just bought from Cabela's. I hate it but was willing to put up with it for the price ($789.00). I'd have to remove the sideplate so I could work it flat.
 
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