Buffing/Polishing 629

[AudieMurphy]

I have a stainless 629 in 44 mag. It apparently is a newer model....629-4. My question is, It has tarnished and I would like to have it Buffed. But on the plate side there is what looks like a decal..."Trail Boss"..it is not engraved or etched into the metal. My fear is the buffing will remove this....any help will be greatly apperciated. Also Ive noticed the logos on some barrels on newer model are done in the same fashion. thank you

 

[Alk8944]

Is what you are referring to as "tarnish" a somewhat cloudy appearance to the finish? If so that is the result of the final finishing operation done to the guns parts known as "Passivation". This is a process also known as "pickling". This is a process that removes the free iron ions that occur in stainless steel. When these are exposed on the surface of stainless steel it makes the metal surface more prone to surface rusting. Passivation makes the steel less likely to rust or corrode than the original un-treated metal. This is what is really happening when people believe that using steel wool (dead soft iron) embeds in the surface of the gun causing rust! It is the polishing with typical mildly abrasive products that removes the very thin passivated surface that causes this problem. The more aggressive you are polishing the more likely the gun will be to rust!


My recommendation is to leave the original finish alone!