Hi - I am going to be trying some different refinishing techniques on a few older guns - nothing that is irreplaceable or a family heirloom - just regular, everyday shooters that I like to tinker with.

I am probably going to bead blast an SKS bolt carrier - what do I need to do to preserve the serial number?  

Thanks!

If the numbers are deeply engraved you'll be OK with a light blasting without doing anything.  Or, you could apply one or two layers of painter's tape or the like, cut to just fit over the numbers you're concerned about.  Another way is to fill the engraving with clay before blasting and pick it out afterwards.  The finish will come off fairly quickly with proper technique and the right grade of media and generally leave most engravings intact.  Just don't go crazy with the dwell time while blasting!  Good luck.

Thanks Fbuckshot - I decided not to bead blast the SKS bolt carrier - given the texture that the beadblasting leaves on the surface, I thought that the original smooth texture with some polishing would work better given that the bolt carrier would be moving against other surfaces.

I did decide to bead blast a Star B 9mm pistol and it came out really nice.  The serial numbers and markings all came through intact.