No, I was kidding. The polish job took more than Mothers and a cotton rag. It's not hard or all that time-consuming, but it does take some initial prep work and patience. It is free, though. For those interested in doing this kind of thing, here are some tips:
Naturally, you have to first remove the really tired-looking original bead blast finish. This finish looks good on new and re-finished guns, but on (even slightly) used pistols it quickly builds up a surface patina of tiny scuffs, scratches, darker and brighter areas, minute line-crazing on the flats and other surface flaws. The S&W factory SS machining and finish metal-work on guns of this era can also be a bit crude, with small tool and machining marks hidden under the bead blast finish.
Front frame edges, the sides and rear of the tang, the entire trigger guard and various transition areas around the magazine release assembly, the magazine well and bottom edges of grip can all be knife-sharp. The ejection port edges, the front, rear and bottom leading edges of the slide, and so on, can also be rough. These areas need work. However, be careful with the logos, letters and numbers, the slide gripping ridges, the frame's front-strap grooves and the trigger guard's front checkering; these just take a bit of steel wool to clean up, while still maintaining definition.
I'm not a fan of "gun melts"; the entire gun often ends up looking like a bar of soap after a few long showers and it ruins the original lines. I also don't like the dremel tool and bench grinder/buffer approach...stay away from power tools. I do appreciate finely finished, perfectly smooth flats blending crisply into polished rounded areas, with all "cutting" edges eased away (slightly rounded), just enough so the entire gun looks more unified and handles comfortably. In the end, it's all about the details.
I broke down the frame and slide completely. All broad and long surface areas have to be free of protruding obstructions so you can do all the flats and rounds evenly using a sanding block. It's also easier to work into all the tiny crevices, and such. The hardest part on these double-stack frames is the sharp "step" from the thicker to the narrower portion at the front.
I also removed the sights so I could re-blue them and freshen the dots with bright-white acrylic paint. The side plate and all pins, slide stop/release lever, magazine release button and opposite flat end of catch assembly, barrel hood, all exterior trigger and hammer surfaces were all done separately. It's easy to do these small parts when the gun is totally stripped; the more time you devote to these small parts, the better the end result.
Wet/dry or emery paper works well, from around 400 to 1500 grit, and finer. Work with the grain of the metal, straight motions front to rear, no circular sanding. The surface flaws and bead blast finish go quickly with the 400 paper. Some spots need additional time, and the broad, flat or rounded areas need a sanding block. You're then left with a slightly porous SS surface that looks pretty dull.
Work quickly and progressively with finer grits. You'll notice that the worn paper leaves a more burnished finish as you go finer, closing up the surface pores of the SS as it becomes more reflective. Keep your worn papers, they work better towards the end of the polishing. The Mothers (or Flitz) is great for the final steps, and for fully burnishing the finish over time. You can go to a full mirror-finish if you like, but I stop before I get to that point.
I find the finely polished SS finish is easier to clean and maintain than original bead blast. Powder residues, grease and dirt are quickly removed and any handling/shooting damage can be easily repaired with the (old, used) emery paper at every cleaning session.
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