stainless steel polish

[ggardner]

Could some one tell me the process and products needed to polish a stainless revolver to a mirror shine?  Thanks, ggardner

[TScottO]

Flitz is about the best I've found.

http://www.flitz.com/

I wouldn't encourage using this on the cylinder face, it's a mild abrasive. This stuff with a little elbow grease really shines things up.

Be Safe,
Scott

[Questor]

You did say "mirrror shine", right? In that case, my recommendation is Simichrome polish. It comes in a tube and is sold at hardware stores. A tube will last a very long time.  I used it to restore the mirror finish to the sides of a mirror-polished semi auto that had been marred. It doesn't get all the scratches out, but it did remarkably well considering the marring that was there before. My understanding is that Flitz is a direct competitor made for the same purpose, but I have not tried it.

If this were a satin finish, I would recommend JB Bore Paste instead.

In general, be careful of using polishes because they may leave polishing marks that contrast with the finish of the gun.

[R. Tillery]

Whatever you do, DO NOT use steel wool! Steel wool is made from CARBON steel and polishing SS with it will embed microscopic pieces of the steel wool in the surface of the SS causing it to rust.

[ggardner]

This compound is for a Ruger SS that comes right from the factory with the standard semi-?satin finish.  I was giving thoughts to making it shine like a nickle finish.  If that is what these compounds wil do ok, if not let me know befor I screw up.  Thanks, GG

[Questor]

I think this is a job for a professional metal polisher. One who knows guns and will not let the process get so hot that it messes up the heat treating.

[Glanceblamm]

I dont think you can really get a nickle finish if the plating wasn't there to begin with. Sounds like a job for a professional.
I have used semi-chrome or never-dull on bike parts. You get a very clean, shiny surface on exposed bolts or spacers but is nothing like the plated or chromed surfaces.

[savageT]

Turning a semi-polished stainless finish to mirror-plated finish is NOT something you can do by hand.  This requires an experienced operator with powered buffing wheels and rouge to bring up the mirror finish.  Just as in plating auto parts with chrome, it is always required the finish is "perfect" before plating.

Jim

[ggardner]

The more information I get the better this satin finish looks.  Thanks for the input boys.  Gary

[wild willy]

You can make the brushed satin finish on a Ruger look like new with a 3M pad

[ra]

I will tell you what worked for me, I have a Ruger 22 with the slab side barrel and I wanted to polish the flat sides of the barrel.

I bought some 1500 and 2000 grit wet-dry automotive finish sandpaper. I started with the 1500 and finished with the 2000. I tried it wet and tried it dry, dry to me worked better. I polished both flats and also the back of the bolt, and it took several hours over several days time, usually as I watched TV at night. When you first start polishing and you start getting some shine, the finish looks like a lot of small scratches, but as you keep working they will disappear.

When I finished the finish was as good as a stainless Vaquero that I have. This worked great for small flat surfaces, but a whole gun you would have a hard time getting into all the nooks and crannies, plus it would take a looong time.

I have worked around a machine shop and the machinest would take a stainless steel nut  and grind off all the flats but one and shape it into a ring. Then they would take hours and  hours polishing it up using sandpaper. When they were finished you could not tell their rings from a store bought silver ring.