Scratch ... to fix or not to fix ...

[TEXASJake]

Hello,

Picked up my Pre-model 27 today from Rock Island Auction. I had to do an absentee bid on it and it has a scratch. I saw something in the photo's but they were not as good as they could have been. Still VERY happy with the purchase and now just debating to fix or not to fix.

The scratch is pretty visible under the right light angle. Shinny metal underneath so was pretty recent. Slight feeling under the finger if you run your finger over it.

Now, I could ....

(1) leave alone (but it would always bother me)

(2) Send off somewhere and have the professionals address it.

(3) Do something myself. Say tape it off, run a brass punch over the scratch to flatten the metal edges, Clean the area, heat it slightly, and apply some cold blue ....

Thoughts?

 

[ms]

It looks like it has already been refinished, so if you touch it up nicely, or have it done, it shouldn't hurt the value.

 

[burneyr]

Looks far worse in picture 1 than 2.

I would go option 1 as long as I could stand it.

Then cold blue with no tapping. Hard to estimate the depth in your picture.

Beautiful pre 27 scratch or not congratulations on the auction win!

 

[ColbyBruce]

Consider using a toothpick to apply the cold blue directly to the scratch rather than the entire area.

 

[Piwo]

I got a fair deal on a used, 3 T, 6 inch model 19 Combat Magnum years ago. Had a similar scratch, but above the thumb release. After worrying about it for months, I just left it alone and shot it. Maybe one day I will do something about it, maybe. But knowing my luck, right after having it blued, I would scratch it worse somewhere else! I vote for just leaving it alone and try to shoot it enough to get honest wear on the rest of the gun to match.

 

[TEXASJake]

I am with everyone on their thoughts ... I like the idea of leaving alone and just might ... but I did order a set of nylon dapping punches as I have tapped down "gouges" in the past. Let me take it to the range tomorrow and see how I feel. I will say, I was very surprised by the ultra-heavy double action on the thing. I suspect someone put a new trigger rebound spring in the thing at some point and that is the cause of that.

 

[2152hq]

Trying to hide it with cold blue and attempts to push any raised metal back into place will only make the scratch more visible.
It's right on a dead flat high polished surface. Tough to hide that or just touch it up.
You can darken the bright metal scar of course with the cold blue.

But elliminating the scratch altogether isn't going to be done w/o some polishing and blending the polish lines with the surrounding finsh.

Installing factory Target style grips will cover about half of it, but you may not like Target style grips.

Having someone 'fix' the scratch by polishing it out and then rebluing is not going to be inexpensive. The end result will not be a guaranteed outcome most likely.

 

[.38SuperMan]

I was a photographer for 55 years and retouched thousands of photographs.

The way I would approach it is to get a really good quality 000 artists brush not a cheap brush from hobby lobby. Go to an art store and get something like Windsor Newton as an example. The fiber the point the better. It might cost you $6 or $7. When I retouch a hairline flaw in a print I take the retouching dye and dilute it with water to about 10% of its original strength. I take the brush and dip the tip in the dye and use a piece of white paper to touch the brush to to make certain I don't have the brush too heavily saturated with the dye. Now under really good light I apply a very faint amount to the area. Some people use magnifiers but I generally don't.

The trick is to build up the density little by little with multiple applications. It takes time but prevents over doing the density of the dye. You may not match it exactly but the trick is to get it close enough to where your eye doesn't do right to it. Patience and a steady hand are very important.

You'll be using a very dilute solution of cold blue and water. It's like when you were a kid and your parents told you to stay inside the lines with your crayons when coloring. Just go slow!

I think cold blue is a selenium solution but could be wrong however it's a plating process where the longer the solution sits on the metal the more dense the blue. You might periodically wipe the area with a patch saturated with water to stop the density buildup. Then if you need it to be darker do a little more. Unfortunately like retouching a photo, if you go too far you can't correct your mistake.

Good luck!

One last thing, have a glass of wine before starting and send the kids and wife to another part of the house.

 

[Laketime]

I have had my fair share of used guns with all sorts of blemishes over the yrs.A scratch is almost impossible to get out on a blued finish. Attempting to fix it could make it even more noticeable.

 

[marinevet]

It's your gun.......do what you need to do to make yourself happy......if it is going to be a shooter........shoot it.......it will get banged up along the way.........not a bad scratch In my opinion..........

 

[Laketime]

Put a set of targets on it that will hide most of it.

 

[chief38]

As I see it there are quite a few scratches other than the larger one. The only way to really fix the issue is to have the entire gun refinished. To do so you are looking at at least $300+ or so with shipping. If the pictures were that poor you really couldn't see the damaged areas, then you have a legitimate gripe and you should call them and see what they will offer to do - if anything.

If they won't do anything for you, then you have three options - live with it the way it is, spend the money to refinish it or sell it and buy one in better shape. My guess is the third option would be the way I'd go. Cut your losses, sell it and replace it with a better one.

Anytime photos are not clear and sharp, one should always ask for better pictures before buying. If they will not furnish better & sharper pictures - PASS! I have found that when poor pictures are posted - they are done that way for a reason. If nothing else, use this as a learning experience. Sorry you have to go through this but I bet it won't happen again.

 

[Beemerguy53]

I've been able to polish out light scratches using a cotton swab and (don't laugh) Crest toothpaste. The key is to use very light pressure and take your time.

Good luck.

 

[Hondo44]

There's only one way to deal with a scrartch like that other than refinish or resell the gun.

The bright metal is what makes the scratch stand out. Oxpho blue paste from Brownells is the only choice. Degrease the scratch with Acetone, heat the surface with a hair dryer, and apply the paste in the scratch with a sharp needle. Use magnification! Wipe off the excess after a minute and reapply. Give it 3 or 4 coats a couple of minutes between each and reheating each time. Touch up the smaller scratches while you're at it.

You'll still see it if you look for it, but once you blue the bare metal, at least it won't shout at you: "Hey look at me." every time you pick up the gun.

Do not use punches, you'll end up with a string of tiny dents! If it has a raised edge, burnishing it with a highly polished hard steel tiny curved convex surface is the way to do it. But this takes skill and magnification to see what you're doing. However, beware, the burnished metal may not accept the cold blue as well as the raw metal scratch.

Good luck and hope that helps you,

 

[LI Ammo]

I was a photographer for 55 years and retouched thousands of photographs.
...The way I would approach it is to get a really good quality 000 artists brush not a cheap brush from hobby lobby. .....
The trick is to build up the density little by little with multiple applications. It takes time but prevents over doing the density of the dye....Unfortunately like retouching a photo, if you go too far you can't correct your mistake.

.

I'll add something from another former photographer and retoucher. DO NOT paint this very long line with your brush in a long stroke. On photos, I and most of us in the profession, would tap small dots of touch up color from the pallet along the length of the line . By making several passes of tiny dots, with dry time in between, the white line would slowly disappear.
We only stroked the brush when the white line was very short and easy to fix.

I was taught this by a full time professional retoucher who spent 40 hours a week in front of an easel with a brush in her hand. She was a magician with retouching.

 

[jem102]

There's only one way to deal with a scrartch like that other than refinish or resell the gun.

The bright metal is what makes the scratch stand out. Oxpho blue paste from Brownells is the only choice. Degrease the scratch with Acetone, heat the surface with a hair dryer, and apply the paste in the scratch with a sharp needle. Use magnification! Wipe off the excess after a minute and reapply. Give it 3 or 4 coats a couple of minutes between each and reheating each time. Touch up the smaller scratches while you're at it.

You'll still see it if you look for it, but once you blue the bare metal, at least it won't shout at you: "Hey look at me." every time you pick up the gun.

Do not use punches, you'll end up with a string of tiny dents! If it has a raised edge, burnishing it with a highly polished hard steel tiny curved convex surface is the way to do it. But this takes skill and magnification to see what you're doing. However, beware, the burnished metal may not accept the cold blue as well as the raw metal scratch.

Good luck and hope that helps you,

This is the way to go if you want to attempt a repair. I have used this product in a similar fashion over the years with surprisingly good results...Don't forget the heat, oil it right after you like what you see, warm it up well again and leave it wet with oil for 24 hours. You may be well pleased and in my experience this product wears very well. As stated by Hondo, good luck and hope it is of some help.

 

[ruger 22]

If doing nothing is always going to bother you then have it done professionally. A gun of that quality deserves nothing less.