How do i get factory blueing off my barrel then polish?

[kennyb]

me sees a mess...right around the corner...

 

[atraain]

me sees a mess...right around the corner...

explain yourself

 

[eddieb1]

nice pics man, vinegar is acidic which means that this will eat at the metal, are u saying this is not true?

"The vinegar soak does not help enough to warrant the trouble." does this mean that the vinegar will not damage my barrel?

Can you tell me if these steps are the right ones?

1. soak in vinegar (3hours)
2. sand down with vinegar still on it with 2000 grit
3. polish with mothers mag & aluminum

i just dont wanna mess anything up, as this is my first firearm

Mine only took a 20 minute soak to remove the blueing. Remember, vinegar is an acid, yes a mild acid, but an acid nonetheless. The less soaking, the better. The rest of the steps are fine.

 

[Dikinalaska]

Your steps above are fine, except don't use mothers until the polishing step. It'll just gum up your scotchbrite pad and sandpaper. I'm guessing that's the mess mentioned. But the scotchbrite pad works amazingly well dry. Your first sanding step can be dry as well, than when moving up to 1000 grit sanding paper do it wet. If the wet sanding isn't working as well as you'd like, use some Mothers with it at that point. All together I'd really suggest picking up a Dremel if budget allows. You can get the Dremel and all the wheels needed for around $60 and you'd be amazed at how handy those things are. It'll probably save you a couple hours. But best of luck to you either way.

 

[kennyb]

explain yourself

i have a better idea...you have nine posts here and already your language has been censored....that being said you explain yourself...

 

[atraain]

i have a better idea...you have nine posts here and already your language has been censored....that being said you explain yourself...

We're all adults here, and i can see your an uptight one, if your not gna contribute to this topic i would appreciate it if you said nothing at all

 

[kennyb]

We're all adults here, and i can see your an uptight one, if your not gna contribute to this topic i would appreciate it if you said nothing at all

there you go!see?you CAN post without being censored!
now...back to the finish stripping

 

[MSG Glenn]

My thinking is if Smith & Wesson blued the barrel there must be a reason. Since so little of it will show it seems to be a bit of a bother to me. It's your handgun & if that's what you want then God bless you. If I were to buy a used gun I would certainly turn down one that had the bluing removed since it adds nothing to the efficiency of the weapon. Besides I carry concealed so nobody sees it anyhow. I think there are some after market barrels available that come without the bluing. Maybe that would be your best route. Then you'd be able to restore your gun to factory original appearance.

 

[Denversteve]

I would simply purchase a stainless barrel, polish and install it. Keep your stock barrel for ... whatever. You'll save a lot of time, unless that's what you have the most of.

 

[Jyezahn]

My thinking is if Smith & Wesson blued the barrel there must be a reason. Since so little of it will show it seems to be a bit of a bother to me. It's your handgun & if that's what you want then God bless you. If I were to buy a used gun I would certainly turn down one that had the bluing removed since it adds nothing to the efficiency of the weapon. Besides I carry concealed so nobody sees it anyhow. I think there are some after market barrels available that come without the bluing. Maybe that would be your best route. Then you'd be able to restore your gun to factory original appearance.

The only reason the factory made them all black is for looks. Besides, if he wanted to return it to factory, he'd just have to buy a factory barrel from S&W, wouldn't he? Why does everyone chime in about selling their guns? I didn't buy my guns with the thought of selling them. To me, they're a source of fun, protection, and a tool. Do I go to the store to buy a tool with the thought of selling it? No. You're entitled to your opinion, but dang, let others enjoy customizing their stuff the way they want to. (Buying an aftermarket polished barrel takes the fun out of it.)

 

[Tinn-Can]

My thinking is if Smith & Wesson blued the barrel there must be a reason.

Cheaper than properly polishing .

 

[Dikinalaska]

The only reason the factory made them all black is for looks. Besides, if he wanted to return it to factory, he'd just have to buy a factory barrel from S&W, wouldn't he? Why does everyone chime in about selling their guns? I didn't buy my guns with the thought of selling them. To me, they're a source of fun, protection, and a tool. Do I go to the store to buy a tool with the thought of selling it? No. You're entitled to your opinion, but dang, let others enjoy customizing their stuff the way they want to. (Buying an aftermarket polished barrel takes the fun out of it.)

Exactly. Half the fun for me is customizing things. The only time I buy something with selling thoughts is when I actually buy something to flip and make a little money. Only motorized vehicles fall into this category for me. Plus having a full custom pistol could be more appeasing to some people.

But to stay on track, OP take lots of pictures while you're doing it. It'll help someone else that wants to do it in the future.

 

[atraain]

before & after pictures

finally im done, and im happy with it, even though its not super shinny, i did the best i could given the circumstances

pictures are at the beginning of the thread ^^^^^^^^^^^^^