How would I go about taking say a Springfield milspec that is stainless and having the finish or I guess surface dulled to look satin like my Beretta 92 and Couger? Would having it bead blasted do this(completely unassembled of course)? I am thinking of picking one up and making a project out of it.

I never liked 1911s then one day when I was at the gun store I was looking at a SA G.I. with some overtime in my pocket and the little lady says "get it." Now I have the sickness I guess. I wanted to make it a project but after I fired it I can not touch it. I like it just the way it is. I also have a SA loaded Bitone with the aluminum frame but it came loaded except I changed the grips and the saftey (I hate SAs gas pedals). It is time for a blank canvas I think. I know what I want to do but the shiny finish will not work.

Yes on the glass bead.  
As for the color sheen, glass bead in the 400- 320 range will give you a bright satan finish, with 220 glass taking  more french gray. The courser the glass, the deeper the gray (but remember that glass is going to peen, so you will always have sheen to the finish.  If you want to go to a matt type finish, then Oxide will cut, and leave a flat type finish.


22O-300 glass bead on the frame. Mag well and safety may be just the lighting but looks like they were done in 320 glass.


120 oxide on the pistol matt section, shinny sections are polished.

220 -300 glass sounds like what I am looking for. Thanks a bunch. I might even have my m-77 done while I have my pistil done.

Glass bead blasting it will give it a satin type finish and using an aluminum oxide will give it more of a matte look.  Don't use sand for a blasting media as it is too course.

You can have someone blast it but if they do it in a cabinet make sure that it has only been used for SS as if it has carbon steel in the media it can blast it into the surface of the SS and you will end up with some rust spots.  You can buy a cheap blaster from Harbor Frieght for like $20 and do it yourself if you have a compressor.  It's messier than with a cabinet but not hard to do.

Good luck

Thanks.