Cosmetic repair on Stainless Steel

[TechBrute]

Greetings all. This might seem like a silly question to some of you, so please go easy on me.

For the first time, I've gone and bought a used gun. It's a stainless steel Colt Anaconda in .44 Mag. It's in great mechanical condition and it's a helluva shooter, but there are slight wear marks in various places on the gun, as if it has rubbed up against something. Some of it appears to be holster wear. There's a ring along the side of the cylinder where the part that locks the cylinder in place rubs it if you spin it. None of them are deep, but I'm looking for a way to bring the cosmetic condition up a notch.

I've always wanted an Anaconda, and it was $350, so I didn't care about the light cosmetic imperfections. However, if there's an easy way to polish the rub marks out, then I'd love to do it.

 

[dfariswheel]

There are a variety of methods, but one of the best is to use a synthetic abrasive pad. These are similar to the green scrub pads sold in grocery stores.

The green pads are a little too coarse, so go down to the hardware store or Lowes and take a look in the sandpaper department. They usually carry several different "grits" of these. The best one is the (usually) gray pad that's equivalent to 0000 steel wool.
DO NOT attempt to use steel wool. It will embed into the stainless and will rust, damaging the finish.

Another source of these is from Brownell's Gunsmithing Supply.

Simply rub the gun LIGHTLY in ONE direction, NOT "back and forth". Look at the gun, and you will see a grain pattern which is different on different areas of the gun. Rub in the same direction, just enough to remove the wear marks.


I recommend using the pad dry. When it gets dirty, just wash it out and let dry.

While nothing short of a trip back to the factory for a fresh polish job will totally restore it, the pads will give a very good, near-factory finish.

By the way: If you bought an excellent condition Anaconda for $350.00, Ya STOLE it. Congrats. Shoot it and enjoy.

 

[JohnBT]

The cylinder ring is normal. Don't worry about it. JT

 

[TechBrute]

Sweet guys, thanks!!

 

[Standing Wolf]

There's a ring along the side of the cylinder where the part that locks the cylinder in place rubs it if you spin it.

That's known as the "bolt" because it locks the cylinder in place.