I've Googled a little, but was hoping someone could recommend a good place to get several stainless slides either bead or sand blasted in the great Chicago-land area (prefer not to go too further west than Aurora, or further south than Bolingbrook).  I'd also be open to a DIY project if there are any shops that allow a person to simply use the equipment by the hour for a fee.  Obviously quality is important, but given the age/value of the slides being refinished, I'd prefer not to sink a ton into achieving a Les Baer level finish.

Thanks in advance!

Come on - someone has to know!

Union Arms in Berwyn has a finish shop...I believe they do bead blasting

Great guys and they do great work!

Definitely appreciate the reply.  Do have to say that their pricing seems more in line with someone looking for "perfection".  That's the crux of my search: I'm realizing that I want to find a shop that doesn't specialize solely in guns, because those that do are going to price their services around sustaining a business that only does firearms.  In contrast, I have to imagine that a general 'blasting' shop that focuses more on car parts would be willing to do the work for far less because their business model is built around generating margin off of car parts, and any incremental revenue that covers variable costs is a win for them.

If Union Arms charges $225 for a refinish, then I'd be spending as much on the refinish as I did on the firearm, in some cases.  I simply want "good" - not "collectors grade perfect".  Maybe it's time I invested in some home-brew equipment.

Contact me off list, I can help you.