Remove idiot scratch from satin stainless 1911.

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stchman

stchman

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I recently acquired a Para-USA GI Expert in stainless.

It is a very pretty gun. I bought the gun from a gentleman and he claimed he had it for ~5 years and never fired it. I can believe that as there was zero sign of him ever firing it. He apparently sprayed a bunch of silicone lube into the gun for long tern storage. Upon inspection of the firearm I noticed that the gun had the infamous "idiot scratch". I pointed it out to the gun and I was able to negotiate an additional $50 off the price of the 1911. I paid $600 and the guy included 2 Wilson Combat magazines in addition to the two factory Para mags. Good thing he did as the factory Para mags SUCK.

My question is, the gun is satin stainless. I have read that any attempt to remove the scratch will only result in making matters worse. I have read that the frame will need to be bead blasted to get that satin look.

If this is true, I can live with the scratch, but people will look at ME like I am the idiot. Is it easily removed?

Thanks.
 
On a satin stainless gun, I don't think you're gonna remove it yourself without making matters worse.
 
I like having a gun with a free scratch - I don't feel bad adding to it.
 
One persons “idiot scratch” is another persons “love marks”.

Why don't you take that thing out and give it some love.
The more love you give it, the more marks it will get on it.
The more marks it gets on it, the more you will love it.
After all, you did buy it to shoot it didn't you?
 
rskent said:
One persons “idiot scratch” is another persons “love marks”.

Why don't you take that thing out and give it some love.
The more love you give it, the more marks it will get on it.
The more marks it gets on it, the more you will love it.
After all, you did buy it to shoot it didn't you?
Click to expand...
Any scratches on a pistol I want to put them there.

I have pistols that I have shot a lot that are still in beautiful shape. You don't need to beat your guns up to use them.
 
The goal is to blend the scratch in with the satin finish. To not polish or shine the spot. If the rear of the thumb safety or slide stop, maybe even the msh is the same finish as the mark's finish, you can experiment with something like 0000 steel wool, perhaps 600 grit (nothing finer) wet/dry sand paper. Scotch-brite pad is another alternative. I would use a small amount of a light oil in the process. If the satin finish has that brushed appearance, go with the grain. The whole trick is to blend without smoothing/polishing. It's best to go one direction only.
 
You could take and post some before and after pictures to let us know how that works out for you... I bought an Ed Brown stainless with an "assembly mark" on it; kind of like a bikini model with a birthmark nobody sees but me. I got used to it.
 
Absolutely scotchbrite. They have white, grey, burgundy and green. Each color has a different level of coarseness, grit if you will, like sand paper. I'd start with grey, go with the grain and watch. You can actually replicate a factory finish with these pads. Get them at an auto parts store. They are for detailed gentle sanding.
 
jgh4445 said:
Absolutely scotchbrite. They have white, grey, burgundy and green. Each color has a different level of coarseness, grit if you will, like sand paper. I'd start with grey, go with the grain and watch. You can actually replicate a factory finish with these pads. Get them at an auto parts store. They are for detailed gentle sanding.
Click to expand...

Unless i missed it the finish is bead blasted to a satin finish not brushed or polished. In no way shape or form would I ever do this.

I've bead blasted stainless finishes to renew the finish but there are drawbacks and a person who has never done it might not want to grab a blaster, strip the gun and have at it.

It takes the right blast material with the right diameter first of all to get the finish back like it was. Also your removing material so sacrifices must be made because it will dull scribing and letters will look like crap. They need to be filled properly to blend the new finish to the edge. If you have never done it your better off masking the letters off and hope the material creates the finish well enough to not notice the edges of the masking.

One could mask all but the scratch and attempt a blend too. If you get the materials and air pressure right it can turn out good. But again. Its really better to have someone else do it if you have no experience with finish blasting stainless.

If it were me i would leave the scratch because more will come. Minute and very light scratches too. Its character.

Ymmv.
 
My personal take: This is a chance for you to take the character building approach to the problem...and realize that it isn't a problem. :)

BTW, I have one of those exact same Para's and I like it. It ain't a cheap gun...it's well made...but it isn't a $2000 gun, either. I would just enjoy it as is.
 
I have a sig 1911 that is satin stainless. It had an ambi safety which I changed to a single sided safety. The right side of the frame had marks from the safety. I used a harbor freight bead gun and some fine glass bead material. The frame came out great. It looks factory. The gun was only about $10 and so was the material. I already had a compressor. Here's where I got the bead material.

https://www.riogrande.com/Product/glass-bead-blasting-media-extra-fine-grade/336193
 
Absolutely scotchbrite
Click to expand...
Oh good grief!

Not again!!
Please!!!

Bead blast Matt finish and Scotch-Brite pads have absolutely NOTHING to do with each other!!!

And never the twain shall match!!!

rc
 
Is that you, my friend, Milo ?
He treats his ordinary guns like they are Faberge eggs ...
:rolleyes:
 
You can't polish a bead blasted surface without it looking different than before. If you are mechanically handy I would go the harbor freight route with the mini bead blast setup. It would be best to disassemble the frame prior to basting so you don't get grit in your internal parts.
 
jgh4445 said:
Absolutely scotchbrite. They have white, grey, burgundy and green. Each color has a different level of coarseness, grit if you will, like sand paper. I'd start with grey, go with the grain and watch. You can actually replicate a factory finish with these pads. Get them at an auto parts store. They are for detailed gentle sanding.
Click to expand...
Absolutely Scotch-wrong. That isn't going to work on a bead blasted finish. Mmm kayyyyy?
 
Bead blast is matte finish unless it is glass beaded and if so it may have some luster.
Satin finish could be a rough grit grained stainless finish. Brushed if you will. The OP needs to describe accurately what finish the gun has for the repair to be recommended properly.

Joe
EDIT ...If it is an as built recent Para it looks like a glass bead finish so the repair should require a matching bead blast touchup
 
I put an idiot scratch on my SR 1911 when I hadn't had it long. I was talking to an older gentleman not long after. He runs the hardware store where I have had some transfers done & does some gunsmithing. He suggested to me finding an abrasive (sand paper) that matched the look of the grain on the bead blasted finish (if the grit is coarser it will make the finish look darker). Putting it over the effected area. putting a copper dolly bar on top of the paper (I think I used a piece of wood but whatever it is needs to be soft) and tapping it with a hammer to obscure the scratch. It did make it less noticeable but it was still there. I wound up sending the pistol back to Ruger because I found some rust specks under the grips. When it came back the scratch was gone. My opinion is bead blast it or leave it alone.
 
Last edited:
Jolly Rogers said:
Bead blast is matte finish unless it is glass beaded and if so it may have some luster.
Satin finish could be a rough grit grained stainless finish. Brushed if you will. The OP needs to describe accurately what finish the gun has for the repair to be recommended properly.

Joe
EDIT ...If it is an as built recent Para it looks like a glass bead finish so the repair should require a matching bead blast touchup
Click to expand...
Matte or satin they are still blasted and finish depends on bead size and coarseness. A coarser material will make sharper edges and deeper cuts and a finer grit not as much. The difference is in depth, sharpness/ dullness of the blast and how much material is removed in the process.

The velocity of blasting also affects the finish. That's why satin finish vary from gun to gun maker just like matte finishes do.

Brushed is not blasted in any way and is done in one direction in the length of the steel along the grain.
 
Buy new if it's that big a deal. Otherwise you'd better perform a thorough inspection before you buy.
 
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