[glockster157]

I picked up a LNIB SA Champion SS PX9142L except it has the circular scratch on the frame from the slide stop (not deep) and it some fine scratches on the left front side where it was rubbed by something.

1. I was wondering if I could scotchbrite those out? Maybe a rubbing compound? What grits should I use?

2. The safety is a little stiff and does not click in place smoothly. Should I just polish those surfaces and check the spring tension on the plunger?

3. Does anyone have any idea what the going rate would be on a "melt job"? I saw a Kimber that way and I really like it.

[carnaby]

1. Some folks report good luck with scotchbrite, I find 400 grit followed by 600 grit wet-dry works. There's a thread here or on 1911forum somewhere where a guy recommends a particular one-direction motion on the fine grit stuff on a hard flat surface (move the slide, not the paper) to get a good refinish.

Best thing to try is find a piece of fairly smooth scrap stainless at a college machine shop, scratch it, and then see if you can fix it in a way that matches your existing finish.

2. Is it the factory original? Are the sear, hammer, dissconnector and all that original? If not, you probably have some parts that weren't quite fit correctly. The contact point between the thumb safety and the sear is probably not right.

3. You can get a good melt at Subway for $6, comes with bacon and turkey :p

[mike101]

A little tip I picked up from the smiths at Ruger, 25 years ago. Try 3m 0000 Synthetic Steel Wool. If the scratches are too deep, you may have to start with 00 or 000, and finish with 0000. It works great. :)

[H. Faversham]

Do the above methods make a satin finish shiny where the scratch was?

[glockster157]

I am playing with different things. I used I tested under the grips and found that plain course steel wool actually did ok. I wasn't able to remove all the mark but did get 80%. Now it looks like a rub not a scratch and it did not change the finish. I am going to try the synthetics wools you mentioned as soon as I have time to get by a Lowes or wherever I can find them.

While I had it stripped I deburred all the parts that were rubbing, cleaned everything thoroughly, greased the high stress areas and lubed the rest. It is a lot smoother and I look forward to getting a few rounds through it to break it in further. If it shoots well, and it has so far, I am thinking of having it dehorned all over and am even thinking of sand blasting that frame and doing a flat black Duracoat. Kinda like a Kimber CDP except it will actually work (I have had to send several Kimbers back, I know many of you have not but I did).

[carnaby]

Refinishing by any method of abrasive rubbing is certain to make your satin finish shiny, I think.

[glockster157]

The sides of the frame and slide are shiny. The top of the slide, underside of slide nose and the bottom of frame area, are sandblasted dull gray. I would also be tempted to buff everything out to a shiny finish and then bead blast with a fine glass. I definitely would want the slide dehorned if I decide to refinish that way. So far I really like the pistol, more than I have any other 1911 I have had in a while. So I plan to carry it and shoot it a lot. It will get scratched up and it will give me a chance to see what I really need to do.