How to remove metal etching?

[aterry33]

I just picked up a Model 28 for a great price. On the grip frame underneath the grips, it appears that someone used a metal etcher to etch their name and (I'm guessing) social security number).

The etching is not particularly deep. I'd like to buff it off, but I'm wondering if there's a way to do it that won't take off too much metal or hurt the integrity of the frame.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[dfariswheel]

Removal of electro-penciled or etched marks from the side of the grip frame will not compromise the frame.
Depending on where it is you could bore it out with a drill and not cause any problems since the grip frame is not a high stress part of the frame.

What would be difficult would be to remove the marking without leaving any signs it was removed.
Removal requires removing metal until you get to the bottom of the markings, and even electro-pencil marks are deeper than they look.
My suggestion is, lacking a milling machine which you could use to mill a neat groove to remove the marks, I'd use the dreaded Dremel tool and a rubber abrasive disk to carefully grind the metal down until it's gone.
This will leave a slight dished-out area where the mark was.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

You could take an etching pencil on low speed and etch over the name giving the area a stipled appearance without removing any metal. If you were not satified with that then you could peen the stipling back down with a small ball headed hammer.

 

[aterry33]

Thanks guys.