Stainless Refurb

[kaseofkors]

So I've been on a third gen buying spree and have been picking up LE trade ins of different models. My latest was an NYPD 5946. The pistols are in excellent mechanical condition, especially the interior of the 5946. Looks barely fired. With them being LE trade-ins there is holster wear on the exterior stainless however. I would like to see about removing the wear and bringing them back to their former glory. In researching it bead blasting appears the best way. Have any of you blasted your slides or restored the stainless? If so what grit did you use to match the S&W finish? Or if you sent it out who would you recommend?

 

[Aegis]

Send to forum member BMCM he can restore to factory original finish in far less time than S&W..

 

[terrancemc]

I've been doing beadblasting for over 20 years, the correct beads are 270 grit, Brownells sells them and some abrasive suppliers have them also. I got this information directly from Jimmy Rae of the PC. I have compared my blasted guns to new ones and they match perfectly.

 

[skjos]

Might be of some interest:

Glass Bead Media Testing on 5906 Frame

 

[kaseofkors]

Thanks for all of the information! Awesome replies!

 

[armorer951]

I had some serious oxidation issues with this police trade in 5906. Had to use 60 mesh silica for the blasting media. Still a "round" shaped particle, but a bit more aggressive than glass beads.

If you do this yourself, make sure you protect your eyes and wear a good quality filter for breathing. Clean the surfaces well and "de-grease" everything before blasting. Use good lighting when inspecting your work as you go along....this will help keep the end result uniform. (sunlight if possible)