Question: On Stainless Steel Polish
- Thread starter Piper1410
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
TAROMAN
US Veteran
Mother's polish works for me.
Jar says mag and aluminum but works just fine on SS.
Jar says mag and aluminum but works just fine on SS.
Bumpus13
Member
Birchwood Casey makes a lead-away cloth that works like magic on burn rings.
kev74
Member
Hoppes and a brass bristle brush work for me.
Just know going in that your 686 wears a brushed stainless finish that was done with bead blasting and if you polish it, it will never look original again unless you have a professional (or S&W) restore the finish. Furthermore, enough polishing, especially with a compound is eventually going to impart a mirror finish which is fine if you like it.
Lastly, if you end up with a mirror finish, polishing to keep it looking that way is going to be something you keep doing until you no longer care, the gun is gone or you leave this earth.
Many folks use Flitz for this or a "Lead Away" cloth. This too is something that can be discussed. These burn marks will reappear the very first time you fire the revolver again, especially with full-spec .357 Magnum. These burn marks are just part of a revolver that gets used.
It's also worth at least mentioning that removing these requires some level of an abrasive. However incrementally, you'll be removing metal if you demand the burn rings are removed, especially if having them removed becomes an addiction.
As a final thought, I'll always be 100% in favor of folks doing what they wish with guns they own, and it's even easier to get on board with this when we are talking about a modern gun of extremely high production volume, which the 686 surely is.
So I absolutely back your will to do whatever you choose to do, but I would do neither of these things. Being under the thumb of Prime Minister "Black Face", it kind of sounds like there is no future market for your 686 regardless of what you do to it.
IMO, the finest stainless steel cleaner for your revolver is called "Blue Magic." (See Amazon)
It removes dirt and residue and can make your dirty gun cleaner than when you first got it. After you clean the dirt, you can use a bit to polish it, and then follow-up with Renaissance Wax to protect the finish.
I don't use any other product on my stainless firearms.
It removes dirt and residue and can make your dirty gun cleaner than when you first got it. After you clean the dirt, you can use a bit to polish it, and then follow-up with Renaissance Wax to protect the finish.
I don't use any other product on my stainless firearms.
Hair Trigger
US Veteran
Clean it like you would any other revolver, then wax it with Renaissance Wax, don't worry about the burn rings. The wax doesn't polish it or remove any metal, but does make it a little shinier, and fingerprints don't show when you handle it.
For cleaning the front of the cylinder and under the top strap area I too use the lead away cloth. There's also another one called "Miracle Cloth" that works wonderfully too.
I can't address polishing the gun beyond using Mothers, as for me a polished stainless revolver ruins it. Every time I'm looking for a stainless gun and see one that has been polished I pass and also don't feel their value is the same as the non-altered version. Of course the sellers of these guns disagree with me lol.
That being said, if it's what you want and like then by all means go for it and enjoy the revolver for as long as you like. It's still a S&W so that means something.
I can't address polishing the gun beyond using Mothers, as for me a polished stainless revolver ruins it. Every time I'm looking for a stainless gun and see one that has been polished I pass and also don't feel their value is the same as the non-altered version. Of course the sellers of these guns disagree with me lol.
That being said, if it's what you want and like then by all means go for it and enjoy the revolver for as long as you like. It's still a S&W so that means something.
I'm another one who doesn't worry about the burn rings ever since I started using Mother's polish to remove them from my 617 and pretty quick I had a high gloss finish on the face of the cylinder. I decided I would rather live with burn rings than that.
Invictus357
Member
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2012
- Messages
- 554
- Reaction score
- 501
Use Mother's Mag for polishing.
I do it sparingly on all my new stainless revolvers and stop there. Too much and it's a fingerprint magnet.
For burn marks, on stainless guns use Birchwood Casey Lead Remover cloth. Like everyone else's first time, you will buy the cloth and think it is stupid and won't work. It removes the burn marks in seconds.
I do it sparingly on all my new stainless revolvers and stop there. Too much and it's a fingerprint magnet.
For burn marks, on stainless guns use Birchwood Casey Lead Remover cloth. Like everyone else's first time, you will buy the cloth and think it is stupid and won't work. It removes the burn marks in seconds.
bigwheelzip
Absent Comrade
This is the product for cleaning the cylinder face.
Sent from my motorola one 5G using Tapatalk
smoothshooter
Member
I do not worry too much about burn marks. Wipe them with Hoppe’s #9. What does not come off easily stays on.
Highly polished stainless catches too much glare from the sun for my tastes.
My guns are “ using “ guns. I do not worry about making them look like new.
But a lot of people enjoy cleaning and polishing, and that’s okay.
Highly polished stainless catches too much glare from the sun for my tastes.
My guns are “ using “ guns. I do not worry about making them look like new.
But a lot of people enjoy cleaning and polishing, and that’s okay.
I use several different products to clean guns with.
Here is what I use to clean my stainless guns.
The toothbrush is brass and I use a little brass wool too.
Before polishing and waxing I clean them good with brake clean.
I like clean guns.
This Model 66-1 is very special to me.
My brother BUFF carried it for the first 10 years that he was a
Salt Lake County Deputy Sheriff.
Last edited:
litenlarry
Member
Flitz and a paper towel,
Ivan the Butcher
Member
My 686 was a police trade in. It looked like a 586 Nickel it shined so much! It came from the Westerville, Ohio PD (which is 5 miles from my home!) So I ask around and found out the officer was an Auxiliary, that sat if front of his TV every night and polished his weapon, then liked to flick his wrist and slam the cylinder shut! He bent the crane, but I have a S&W revolver armorer in the family and it was repaired in about 1 minute.
I have kept the 686 polished with "Flitz" and use it on my stainless watch also. My brother used just regular Colgate tooth paste and an old toothbrush, I was amazed at what the tooth paste removes!
Ivan
I have kept the 686 polished with "Flitz" and use it on my stainless watch also. My brother used just regular Colgate tooth paste and an old toothbrush, I was amazed at what the tooth paste removes!
Ivan
I've Mother'ed all of my stainless guns. The first go-over gives a nice sheen, and subsequent polishings add more mirror to the finish.
I bought my 686 used...and while not being beat up, it definitely had some miles on it and had the typical dull stainless look. I've got two polishing sessions on it now...(my garage lighting gives it an odd sheen)
And it works great on cloudy, dull nickel...
I bought my 686 used...and while not being beat up, it definitely had some miles on it and had the typical dull stainless look. I've got two polishing sessions on it now...(my garage lighting gives it an odd sheen)
And it works great on cloudy, dull nickel...
SWFan27
Member
Flitz metal polish and a soft tooth brush will get rid of them.
Here is my model 65 that I bought at a small town gun show. It was pretty scratched up and had the original rubber grips. I used Mothers Mag Polish and put on a pair of pretty Hogue's. I think it turned out nice for a cheap gun.
AveragEd
Member
The best polish for making a stainless steel firearm resemble a 1960s Cadillac bumper is NONE. But that's just my opinion.
As far as the burn rings, I am one who likes them removed after every time I shoot one of my stainless S&W revolvers. I dissemble the cylinder and crane assembly (use the right tool for the ejector rod) and stand the cylinder face-down in a small puddle of bore cleaner (I use Butch's Bore shine) and the deposits will almost wipe off the next day. Or you can buy a Krazy Kloth on Amazon or eBay. I use them to remove the blackening from the necks of my centerfire rifle cases during barrel-cooling periods when shooting those rifles and they do well on revolver cylinder faces without any metal removal or polishing aftereffects.
Just please don't destroy your gun's factory brushed stainless finish. Some day you will mature and wonder why you ever did that. Trust me, I have a friend who polished two Classic Hunters several years ago, a 686 and 629, and regrets it today.
Some time back, I bought a no-dash Model 67 that the seller had polished and got lucky - my gunsmith was able to restore the finish very nicely as shown in the photos below for $115 but another one didn't come out as well so I sold it.
Ed
As far as the burn rings, I am one who likes them removed after every time I shoot one of my stainless S&W revolvers. I dissemble the cylinder and crane assembly (use the right tool for the ejector rod) and stand the cylinder face-down in a small puddle of bore cleaner (I use Butch's Bore shine) and the deposits will almost wipe off the next day. Or you can buy a Krazy Kloth on Amazon or eBay. I use them to remove the blackening from the necks of my centerfire rifle cases during barrel-cooling periods when shooting those rifles and they do well on revolver cylinder faces without any metal removal or polishing aftereffects.
Just please don't destroy your gun's factory brushed stainless finish. Some day you will mature and wonder why you ever did that. Trust me, I have a friend who polished two Classic Hunters several years ago, a 686 and 629, and regrets it today.
Some time back, I bought a no-dash Model 67 that the seller had polished and got lucky - my gunsmith was able to restore the finish very nicely as shown in the photos below for $115 but another one didn't come out as well so I sold it.
Ed
