Polish on a bead blasted 625???

[ColumbusJBR]

Sorry for yet another metal polishing question.

I just acquired a Model 625-3, 5". It's the "glass bead blast" finish on stainless. There are more than a few light scratches / marrs in the finish, which got me to thinking about giving it the Mothers Mag polish treatment. I must have some hillbilly in me, as I admit I do love a shiny stainless revolver. I did it to a Model 66-3 2.5" recently and it turned out great, however that started as more a brushed / satin finish.

So I have 2 questions:

1. Has anyone tried hand polishing a factory bead blasted finish with any luck? I imagine w/ enough elbow grease you can polish up about anything, but figured I'd ask.

2. This model has the laser engraved markings. Am I at risk of polishing those off? FWIW this would all be by hand with a rag, no power tools. I'm not trying to make it look like a factory nickel finish, but definitely wanna shine it up a bit. Definitely don't want to do it if I'm going to lose the laser markings.

Thanks! If/when I do this, I'll make a post with pics. Waiting on some new VZ grips too for a photo-op

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

The lazer ID's will disappear........You got's ya work cut out for ya iffen you do..........Personally I wouldn't do it.

 

[jughed440]

That is a very desirable gun. I'd leave it as is, or sell it before ruining it. Once you Bubba away the beadblast finish enough to make it shiny the laser engraving will be gone....and posting pictures of a highly Bubba'ed 5" 625 will get you tarred and feathered.
If you want to remove any scuffing or light scratches you can use grey Scotchbrite

 

[DR505]

You will be tarred and feathered if you do that to such a nice revolver. It is your property, so do as you see fit, but that will likely reduce the value to a small fraction of what it would otherwise bring for resale. And be ready to take some broadsides.

Here is my 625-3...I would hate for it to look like chrome.

 

[ColumbusJBR]

Well I certainly don’t wanna be tarred & feathered. More importantly don’t want to lose the laser marks. I’ll give it a bath and some new grips and be happy. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Baxter6551]

If it really bugs you, I’d try a grey scotchbrite pad (Lowe’s) under the grip area just to see what it would do, but that is generally the method for a factory stainless finish not a bead blasted. Go slow if you do.

 

[chase45]

I think the brushed finish is a nice look. Not too shiny and not too matte

Bonus points for being easily touched up with a SS brush when you perhaps sweated on it too much

Not sure I would do it to that gun though

 

[ColumbusJBR]

At lunch I handled the gun, those laser marks ARE super shallow. Fear not, I’ll follow the advice and leave it alone, instead focusing efforts on loading up moon clips.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

OR.........Auto Rim.

 

[smoothshooter]

Why would you want a really shiny gun?
The shiny surfaces have a habit of creating unwanted glare in sunlight and indoor range lights and interfering with your sight picture.

 

[ColumbusJBR]

OK put away the pitch forks. I gave it a cleanup w/ oil and some 0000 steel wool. Cleaned off some gunk, didn’t really affect the blemishes (hard to photo) but it looks better and I’ll leave it at that. Still waiting on the VZ black G10 boot grips, just never loved the Pachs. I’ll post new photos once it’s re-gripped and with better lighting. Thanks again for the insight!

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I don't remember if my Series of 1989, 625 is a -3 or -4, but I won't do a thing to change it in any way! The Series of 89 guns were assembled by Elves under a full moon with a sacrificial goat still steaming. They shoot like nothing else!

Ivan

 

[Lou_NC]

The bead blast has to be the least practical stainless finish.....I have a few 625’s and I wish they were brushed stainless like my 686 rather than the bead blast, which shows way more handling marks that are very difficult to remove without re blasting the gun. I’ve cleaned the front of the cylinders and as a result have them looking nearly like a brushed stainless gun, so I bet you could hand polish out the bead blasting. In fact I might try it on one of mine one day just to see how it turns out (and perhaps just to annoy the purists).

Lou

 

[Rick Sanborn]

I picked up a mini-bead blaster, like an air brush, from Harbor Freight. I’ve used it to tough up matte/bead blast finish on stainless Colt 1911’s, it removed idiot scratches quite nicely. The grit that comes with the kit seems fine. I haven’t tried it on my Smith revolvers yet but plan too.

 

[DR505]

In fact I might try it on one of mine one day just to see how it turns out (and perhaps just to annoy the purists).

Lou

Somebody get a rope!

 

[CH4]

What's the best way to get from a bead blast finish to the matte finish, similar to the original?