Flitz - Use per instructions

[VaTom]

I have read multiple posts on cleaning revolvers. Here is my positive experience with Flitz. Flitz is a very fine metal polished. It can be used on factory bluing but must be used according to instructions.

*Use it very gently and and in small amounts.
*Use a q-tip on crevices. Can use fingers. I use large gun cleaning patches also.
*Do small areas at a time.
*Finish with a clean micro fiber cloth.

You will be surprised at the results. Dirt and oxidation that can't be seen will come off especially in crevices. It will remove small spots where pitting may have started.

In the past year I bought two blue revolvers at auction. A 1956 Colt Official Police and a 1971 S&W Model 15. Both were 95-98% original finish but bluing was dull. The Colt also had some small pitting spots on frame under grips.

Can also be used on stainless. Black oxidation that can't be seen will come off.

After using the Flitz, both look brand new.

 

[Inusuit]

Yeah, Flitz is great stuff with multiple uses. I just polished the headlight covers on my Xterra with it. You can make anything shiny with it. As VATom says, a gentle touch is best even though Flitz is not very abrasive. If you follow Flitz with Renaissance wax on firearms, the results can be amazing.

 

[armorer951]

Flitz paste does contain aluminum oxide as an abraisive, and ammonia. The instructions on the Flitz liquid polish container say "not for electroplated metals". The liquid contains "cristobalite", which is a silica compound. I'm not sure if there is a similar warning on the paste, however, I don't see ammonia listed on the MSDS for the liquid.

Apparently, Flitz has many uses, can even be used for brass tumbling, but as the OP advised, be sure to use according to directions.

paste: http://www.flitz.com/content/SDS - Flitz Metal Plastic Fiberglass Polish-Paste_16pt.pdf

liquid metal polish: http://www.flitz.com/content/MSDS-LiquidMetalPolish_16pt.pdf

 

[Sgt 127]

"Black oxidation that can't be seen will come off."

That's actually metal being removed. If you keep rubbing, all the way down to bare shiny steel, it will still come off black. Try it on a kitchen knife.

Flitz is actually pretty abrasive. It works well, but, its taking metal off.

Mothers Billet Polish is the least abrasive metal polish I have ever used.

 

[DWalt]

"Flitz is actually pretty abrasive."

I have three tubes of Flitz. The label on all three clearly says "Non-Abrasive." Is that a lie on the part of the manufacturer? And where did the information that it contains ammonia come from? Nothing like that is stated on the label.

 

[armorer951]

Ingredients are listed by the manufacturer on the MSDS, "material safety data sheet". Links are listed in post #3 above.

 

[DocB]

It would take a really strong man a really long time to rub the finish off the gun down to bare metal with Flitz. Good luck with that. Might make the Book of World Records.

 

[Hoosier45]

I've had mixed results with Flitz. It works very well on modern nickel and stainless guns I own. However, when I gently used it on an antique DA 38 in nickel it appeared to make the finish worse, almost like it was stripping the finish away very faintly. I had very small spots emerge in the nickel. Also when I used flitz on a dull satin blued Winchester 67 rifle it took the finish off very quickly and turned it into a rust type color. This was applying with finger pressure on a cotton rag. So my lesson was when in doubt either don't use it or apply lightly to a non-visible area of the weapon. I keep my guns very clean, so I generally just apply Ren Wax and wipe/buff and it will remove any prints/oils/powder etc.

 

[Sgt 127]

http://www.flitz.com/content/SDS - Flitz Metal Plastic Fiberglass Polish-Paste_16pt.pdf

Yes, they lie. It's quite abrasive. Folks use Flitz to get a mirror polish on satin stainless steel guns. That means you are taking enough metal off to get to the bottom of the brushed steel.

Aluminum oxide (polishing compound) and ammonia.

I've got an old barrel laying around. I'm betting in 10 minutes, by hand, I can take the blue off.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Nice looking guns are, well, nice. That said, mine are never nice looking for long, because the few I have, I shoot. And, I do not spend too much time cleaning - just enough, but not enough to come even close to returning them to looking like they just came from the factory. Thus, I do not use Flitz, or paste wax, or anything other than Hoppes No. 9 (where safe) and Break Free.

 

[VaTom]

Great responses to my post. Thanks. Regarding blued guns - Flitz is only recommended for factory hot bluing finishes. Not cold blued.

The two revolvers I used it on was only after I had purchased them at auction and brought them home to do a thorough cleaning. Both finishes were dull and one has some scratches in the bluing and the other had some minor oxidation / pitting starting to appear in a couple of places in the bluing and on the hammer (the gun was a 1956 Colt). The Flitz took care of the pitting issue and helped with the scratches on the other.

I do not use it on a regular basis.

 

[29aholic]

Actually you'd be amazed how much **** Johnson's Paste wax will pull out of the pores of a gun. It does not create as much of a barrier as Ren Wax, but it's about $5.00 a pound.

 

[italiansport]

I agree that Flitz is abrasive but will do a good job getting the gunk out of the surface finish if used gently and sparingly. I also recommend following up with a coat of Renaissance Wax. A gun treated this way and not used will stay clean and shiney indefinitely.
Jim

 

[VaTom]

I also used Flitz sparingly on the feed ramps of two 1911A1 pistol feed ramps that were "in the white". I had read about folks having the feed ramps polished for better feed.

 

[Malysh]

Nice looking guns are, well, nice. That said, mine are never nice looking for long, because the few I have, I shoot. And, I do not spend too much time cleaning - just enough, but not enough to come even close to returning them to looking like they just came from the factory. Thus, I do not use Flitz, or paste wax, or anything other than Hoppes No. 9 (where safe) and Break Free.

Sounds like me. I have very few guns I don't shoot. And those are very rare ones.

I don't baby most of my guns, though I do keep them clean.

 

[caddy2507]

There was one reference that suggested using Flitz when tumbling
brass. This is bad advice, since anything with ammonia in (and
Flitz does have that) is not something you want to use on brass.

Brass can chemically absorb ammonia. This weakens the
brass and makes it more readily stress crack, something you
don't want on your brass cases.

As far as a polish for factory blued and nickel finished guns I've
used it with great success. It's especially good at brightening up
old factory bluing which can take on a "cloudy" appearance,
especially on the cylinder area. Keys are: Use sparingly, don't use
a lot of pressure (not necessary) and finish with a microfiber cloth.