Just One Scratch

[skt239]

Hello all,

I know these types of questions come up all the time, however I couldn't really find an answer to my specific question...

My Ruger new Vaquero has a nice scratch on the cylinder that I've been considering trying to remove. It's not very deep and not the only scratch on the gun but certainly the most prominent. I've owned other bright stainless guns in the past so I knew what I was getting into when I bought it. It's nothing I can't live with and I know considering the way this gun is used, it will see many more dings and scratches.

Despite all that, I was wondering if it's possible to remove the one scratch by using some sort of polish (mothers mag?). I have no desire to buff out the rest of the gun, just the one scratch if it's simple, cheap and quick.

Here's a pic of the offending mark..



Thanks.

Shadi.

 

[chris in va]

Contacted Ruger yet?

I used some Mag polish on my SP101. It pretty much buffed out the fine hashes the gun came with, so keep that in mind if you go that route.

 

[fxstchewy]

You could polish it out and use a scotchbrite pad to dull the finish back to match, how deep is it?

 

[14427H]

Feeling brave?

That looks like a pretty easy area to to isolate and you can LIGHTLY use a small piece of 1000 grit maybe 800 grit paper from the auto parts. Go only in the direction of the original finish, go in only one direction and don't move the paper any other way.

 

[skt239]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

Contacted Ruger yet?

I used some Mag polish on my SP101. It pretty much buffed out the fine hashes the gun came with, so keep that in mind if you go that route.

I've had the gun for a while now and all the dings and scratches are my doing.

Fxst,
The scratch can barely be felt by my finger nail so not very deep at all.

I'll probably just leave it be for now. Maybe one day after its really beat up I'll polish the whole thing. I'm sure there is a bigger, uglier scratch somewhere down the road.

 

[Trent]

Scratches add character.

I met a one-armed man at the pistol range once. He used a hook in place of his left hand to chamber his 9mm, and was GOOD at one handed reloads.

The marks left on his gun by his metal claw were nothing short of spectacular chasms - he was slowly eating the slide away by the ejection port with the hook..

But the dude could shoot. And shoot well.

It's like weeds along the fence in the back yard. If it don't bother YOU, who cares what others think.

 

[Drail]

From your photo that looks just a little too deep to "polish out". You will end up with a flat spot that will look almost as bad. I would chuck the cylinder in a lathe and turn the whole thing down a few thous and refinish to match the frame or bead blast the whole gun with fine grit. Or you could just say "Oh well".

 

[texas chase]

Scratches add character.

I met a one-armed man at the pistol range once. He used a hook in place of his left hand to chamber his 9mm, and was GOOD at one handed reloads.

The marks left on his gun by his metal claw were nothing short of spectacular chasms - he was slowly eating the slide away by the ejection port with the hook..

But the dude could shoot. And shoot well.

It's like weeds along the fence in the back yard. If it don't bother YOU, who cares what others think.

I like that answer... And by the way, I'm a prosthetist (I design, build, and fit prosthetics) so that makes it even that much better.

 

[788Ham]

Might try some Mothers mag and wheel polish, go from one flute all the way to the next one, that way the whole area is being worked. I'd stay flat with the cloth, going over the "curve" of the cylinder, might take awhile, but you won't be getting anymore scratches on it! Ha Sorry, couldn't help myself.

 

[Remllez]

skt239,

If you can live with it....leave it!! It appears to deep to polish with Mothers. Too many people actually make the scratch more noticeable trying to "fix it". Like you said "there are more scratches yet to come".

I've found if you actually use a gun....carry and shoot it, they will show it. Unless you abuse your piece I think as some of the others have said, it adds character. I find nothing wrong/ugly with honest carry wear.

If people don't care for scratches, turn lines, carbon fouling etc. then leave the gun in the safe! Once a gun has been shot it is a used gun....treating a used gun like a museum piece seems silly to me. Most of the time the "scratches" bother the owner more than anyone else.

Nothing good comes from worrying about things we have no control over. You bought your gun for enjoyment, just enjoy it!! Don't let a little scratch wreck your fun....

 

[Trent]

Remllez -

Correct, except "once a gun has been owned it is a used gun."

After it leaves the FFL's hands all guns are no longer "new in box". All of them are officially "used".

Once it hits private hands, the grading scale is all you have. It's unlikely that ANY gun will hit 100% .. because it can't be authenticated that the gun is unhandled / unfired.

99%, sure.

But values don't tend to change much until it shows noticeable and substantial wear and tear. 10 years of holster use might knock 30-40 bucks off a value of a gun. Might not!

Rust is the only FOR SURE THING you want to AVOID. Because pitting.. that is a sure sign of neglect, and that'll drop the value of a gun faster than a speeding bullet.

 

[Skyshot]

there's not another one like it now!

 

[Trent]

Hell, turn it in to a decoration.

"What's that? A scratch? NOOOO my friend, THAT is a MERMAID."

Hey, they did it with B-24 nosecones.

Why not revolvers.