Would it be okay...

[Duke0313]

Would it be okay to remove the backstrap/trigger guard portion of my Blackhawk and simply take off the paint down to the bare aluminum? Or would I need to apply some sort of protectant before putting it back on?
Thanks in advance!
DUKE

[DanChamberlain]

If it is aluminum and not steel, simply buffing it down to bare metal is fine.  No protectant needed, but it won't keep a high gloss look forever.  If you leave it satin brushed, the look will endure a long time.

Dan

[btmidwest]

Duke0313,   Depending on the alloy bare aluminum can rub off on your hands.  I have a friend in a wheelchair who wears the coating off of his hand rims and then stains his hands till he gets new ones. Regards,  BT 

[rice paddy daddy]

I see that done on Rugers sometimes pictured in gun magazine articles. John Taffin comes to mind. I've thought about doing it myself, but on my New Model, not my old flattop.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive done it to the aluminum frames. I used a dremel tool but was told afterward that oven cleaner works great so it may be worth a try. I polished it up afterward and it stayed shinny for a long time and polishing it back up with some fitz is easy to do. if your going to sand it off like i did. Go gently and leave the grips on so they still fit well afterwards.

[guzzijohn]

DO NOT USE OVEN CLEANER!!!
It will look like crap and be hard to fix. A friend of mine tried it on a motorcycle engine case. It turned out very splotchy and took several years of wear and cleaning to get it to look better.
GuzziJohn

[oldandslow]

Aluminum can be polished to a very bright finish but raw aluminum oxides readily. It is easy to bring back the shine with a mild polish like Semi Chrome or even Brasso. Like stated, raw aluminum will turn your hands black if you handle it quite a bit. If I were doing this I would clear coat the handle to keep the luster and prevent the black hands. Clear lacquer is easy to use and to redo if you eventually wear it off.

[MGMorden]

Clear lacquer is easy to use and to redo if you eventually wear it off.

There are clear versions of Durakote and the like too.   They'll probably wear a bit better.  Not quite as simple as a spray can, but if you've got an air compressor you can get cheap single action airbrushes for $10-15 that will work fine.   The stuff is a bear to clean out though.  I usually just sacrifice a cheapo brush to the stuff and call it a day.  If you've got a nice double-action brush don't try to spray using it. 

[44 Man]

I've done several.  Some have been bright polished with auto chrome polish which also contains wax and have stayed nice for very long times.  Others I have bead blasted (the easiest way to take off the anodizing) and I have left them satin finished.  Whichever you decided to do, it is easy and looks good.  Just be warned that sometimes you run into a grip frame with rough places or tiny air bubbles in the casting that were hidden by the anodizing.  If you do, you cannot salvage the grip frame unless you repaint it with a satin black paint.  Or purchase another one from a gun show, they always seemed to be available at reasonable prices when I was looking for one.  Good luck with your project.  44 Man

[Duke0313]

Anything in particular I should be aware of before removing the grip frame? Springs jumping out at me, etc.

[torpedoman]

I polished my down tubes to a chrome level and waxed them and they lasted for years.

[zoner]

Read  your Ruger owner's manual.....everything you need to know to disassemble and reassemble your SA....Mike