Feed Ramp Polishing

[SafeTFirst]

Is it worth the effort to polish feed ramps on semi-autos even if you’re not having problems? It seems like the ramp should be nice and shiny. Thinking of my 3rd gen’s and Glocks in particular.

 

[Dave Baird]

If working, I'd leave it go. But if you do it very sparingly it shouldn't hurt anything. I'm sure you know not to change any dimensions?

 

[Hairtrigger]

Grab the Dremmel and have at it!
Kidding, if it works now why mess with it

 

[dfariswheel]

Shiny...NO.
What's needed is SMOOTH. No machine marks or roughness.

Polishing to a bright shine does nothing useful and risks ruining it.

So people ask why custom guns have mirror polish feed ramps: That's because the customer pays for a feed ramp polish and if he doesn't see a mirror surface he figures the gunsmith forgot to do it, or charged him for work not done.
A custom smith can do a mirror polish because he knows how to do it without botching the frame.

 

[cololab]

I have pretty much always polished them; but VERY carefully. A felt pad and metal polish (sometimes with my Dremel) are all I use. It may be pointless, but I figure a shiny feed ramp certainly doesn't hurt.

 

[stansdds]

We here at Bubba's Skool of Kitchun Table Gunsmithin believe that every feed ramp needs a polishing. We teaches to get out the Dremel an a sandin drum to polish, polish, polish until you can see yerself shavin in it. Like we say, if it ain't shiny, it ain't Bubba's!


Seriously now, if it ain't broken, don't go fixing it.

 

[chief38]

Do not open a can of worms! If it's working - don't fix it!

 

[WR Moore]

There's also a Bubba's Outboard Repair and AR factory just down the road.

 

[Greyman50]

Sadly most QC people don’t have a CLUE about tooling marks. Cratex fine stone works just fine.

 

[taz666]

Is it steel or an alloy?

 

[gwpercle]

Smooth beats Rough ... Seven ways to Sunday .

The way corners are cut in manufacturing ...
You just about have to be the inspector and finisher your-self .
If the ramp is rough ... it will do no harm to to smooth and polish it .

When I get a rough one ... I finish the job myself .
Gary

 

[stansdds]

There's also a Bubba's Outboard Repair and AR factory just down the road.

Yep, they is one of our subsiddsss, subsidery, subsdizer, ehhhh... sister outfits.

 

[ken158]

We here at Bubba's Skool of Kitchun Table Gunsmithin believe that every feed ramp needs a polishing. We teaches to get out the Dremel an a sandin drum to polish, polish, polish until you can see yerself shavin in it. Like we say, if it ain't shiny, it ain't Bubba's!


Seriously now, if it ain't broken, don't go fixing it.

And when you get the pistol perfected you should dive into your vehicle engine and get some of those parts smoothed up - ya know, for more horsepower and better gas mileage!

 

[stansdds]

And when you get the pistol perfected you should dive into your vehicle engine and get some of those parts smoothed up - ya know, for more horsepower and better gas mileage!

Absolutely! Bubba's Skool of Car n Truck Fixin specializes in teachin how to get more power out of any engine. The Dremel comes in handy when it comes to grinding out an then polishin them ports and valves. Sometimes ya find a water jacket when grindin, but we just fill it in with some JB Weld and it's all good then.

 

[cracker57]

let the nose of your bullets do the polishing.

 

[tom2]

I must be bubba cause I have polished plenty of ramps with rubber Cratex abrasives in a Dremel and then maybe red rouge on a felt pad to finish. Also cleaned up sharp edges around chamber with same. IF you wanted to drastically change the dimensions of a ramp to make it wrong with a fine Cratex, you best have alot of time on your hands to do that. If you only shoot ball ammo, maybe don't waste your time. Some guns come from the factory with good clean ramps that need nothing, some will at least shave led bullets and such if they were done on Friday afternoon close to closing time.

 

[Autonomous]

We don't hear about Glocks needing their feed ramps polished because:
1) They do not need it.
2) We don't have an internet to afford mass communication.

 

[BC38]

And when you get the pistol perfected you should dive into your vehicle engine and get some of those parts smoothed up - ya know, for more horsepower and better gas mileage!

Umm ever heard of polishing and port-matching an intake and heads? It's a "thing"...

 

[Autonomous]

Polishing ports was a thing 'till it was shown to be inferior to managed texture.
10 Myths Of Cylinder Head Porting | Speed Academy

 

[Sgt. Buzzard]

Bubba's Outboard Shop doesn't mess nothing up. All Bubba does is slap a 9.9 HP decal on 15 horse motors to make them small lake legal. I don't know how I know that.