Any recommendations on buffing out minor scratches on a stainless handgun?  I have acquired a Colt 1911 with scratches in various places (especially around the slide stop) and just was wondering if it's really worth the trouble.

Thanks!!

i have the same problem w/ the same pistol....i'm anxious to hear the outcome on this one

There are a few things you can do.  If it is on a polished area you can get some sand paper and blend and then polish out the scratch.  If it is on a matte surface you are kind of screwed.  Here is what I did.  Do a web search for a hobby grit blaster / glass etcher.  Find the fine aluminum oxide blasting media.  You will need a compressor and a make-shift booth.  Or just do it outside in a well ventilated area.  If it is a deep scratch you will need to blend it.  Once it is blended tape off the polished areas and blast away.  It works great and you get a factory finish.  I went through a stage where I tried a bright Stainless finish.  It was a pain in the ass to maintain so I did a 100% matte finish.  Looks great.  I think I bought  a Badger grit blaster from Micro-Mark.

Brownell's used to sell some "Scotchbrite" type pads that would allow you to do this to some degree, but I can't tell you much more than that as I never used them. Not sure if they still sell them or not. They were very inexpensive as I recall.

Some old fashioned gas stations used to have sandblasting booths.
I have done several guns there...a 629, and lots of 1911's, to name a few.
Scotch brite pads still come in several "grits"...white, green, red and black, but either operation requires a lot of masking.
Lapping compounds come in handy too in certain areas.
Sometimes, the best you can do is to blend it in, minimizing the scratch.
If you like to keep your gun mint, it's probably worth the trouble.
Even if you "mess it up", it can always be glass beaded by anyone who refinishes firearms.

Thanks for all of the info guys!~!!

interesting

I've used Remclean on a cloth for removing small scratches on stainless guns.

DONT BOTHER ,jee wizzz,does you car have any scatches on it ????o k i rest my case!

btw your only gonna make it worse the more you try to fix it !!!

Quoted: btw your only gonna make it worse the more you try to fix it !!!

Nope, That's the cool part.  You can spot polish it and spot grit blast and it is just like new.

I had a satin-finished S&W 4506 that had some bright marks on the slide where the holster had polished the satin surface over time.

Using 80 grit glass beads in a blast cabinet, I was able to spot-blast the area and match the rest of the finish perfectly.  

Before using aluminum oxide (which tends to be much more abrasive), be sure it will match the rest of the finish, otherwise you will likely have to do the whole piece.

You could also use wet or dry sandpaper (start with 600 grit) but this will turn a satin finish into a polished one.  If 600 grit doesn't do it, go down to 400 grit.