Posted: 3/11/2007 1:42:16 PM EDT
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I'm beginning to mod my GI, and one of the features I want is to polish the bbl. If I just lightly polish the barrel to remove the parkerizing, will that affect the fit? I just plan on using a fine grade sandpaper to get the bulk off, then a polishing wheel to finish it off. I've seen it done with Glock barrels, but I am aware that there may be subtle differences between Glocks and 1911s... Anyone have experience with this? Will it affect the corrosion resistance of the metal so much so that it would be a bad idea to remove it? |
Um, no, it won't rust if you take care of it. Guns have had bare polished steel on them for hundreds of years without problems if maintained properly. Further if it is blued or parked it cannot be stainless steel. Plus, any "stainless" barrel isn't real stainless anyway. You still have to keep it oiled and clean or it will rust, too, if at a slower rate. (Real stainless won't attract a magnet. Try your favorite SS gun sometime...) |
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If you're talking about just polishing the barrel hood, go for it. I've got more than a few guns done like this and it won't hurt a thing. It might rust if you neglect it, but so would blued steel. And that's one place you really kind of want oil on a 1911. You can do it by taking a strip of 240 grit paper and doing a shoeshine motion across the barrel hood. It'll look great until you shoot it, at which point you'll have scratches back on it. |
You're absolutely right. I just find it amusing how many guys think that bare steel, if it's not "stainless," will begin to rust like a Minnesota car fender if exposed to air.  Even better is when you see "put some cold bluing on it to prevent rust." Cold blue affords NO rust protection at all. |
I've actually left my 380 Automatic in my car overnight. It was well oiled. In MN as you know we have salty roads. That salt gets inside our cars on our boots. And salt IS in the air in the form of humidity inside our cars. After ONE night in my glove box all of the exposed areas (even though it was OILED the day before) were spackled with bright orange rust. When I sold the gun it had some pretty good pitting started.  I don't like Blued Steel weapons very much because Bluing itself is simply just a form of RUST. I'd rather own a Stainless gun, or a steel weapon with a finish along the lines of Duracoat or the Glock Tennifer finish. However, even an OILED bare steel weapon will rust if exposed to air with salt & humidity. |