What to use?

[hooey]

I have a polished steel 1860 Colt Army (Uberti) that has some minor rust specs on the barrel and grip frame, what would you all recommend to polish these out? This is polished steel, not stainless.
Thanks!

 

[mykeal]

Nevr-Dull

 

[Omnivore]

It's polished, as in polished bright on a buffing lathe? If the corrosion is very shallow, some 0000 steel wool, followed by polishing. If it's deeper, I've had good results using a blue (fine) Nyalox wheel (nylon bristles impregnated with abrasive-- it's very gentle and controllable compared to metal wire) turned no faster than about 1750 RPM or the nylon overheats. If it's too deep for that, sandpaper it. I like 400 grit carbide, dry, followed by 600 grit carbide paper with oil, followed by buffing for a bright finish. On steel, the oiled papering gives you pretty close to a bright polished surface all on its own. For satin, the 600 paper, dry, and/or 0000 wool is plenty good. There is a carbide abrasive-coated mesh strapping material that works very well also, and I use it a lot on steel to remove small pitts and scratches.

Never try to buff out any but the smallest of pits on a buffing machine. You remove them with the abrasives first, then buff (for the really nasty stuff, I use a file, then sandpaper, then buff). Otherwise you just end up smearing the pits into larger pits and troughs. As you buff, you must also continously change the angle, for the same reason. But then I'm getting into the industrial art, rather than the home hobby.

 

[hooey]

Yes, it's polished bright, from the factory, it looks like polished stainless steel, but it's not stainless.
Thanks for the info.

 

[scrat]

never dull will not remove the scratches. your going to need something with a grit it in. Mothers mag and wheel would be the best or flitz. go to any auto parts store mothers is available easier than flitz

 

[mykeal]

Scrat - you are correct that Nevr-Dull will not 'remove' scratches. But I didn't see any reference to scratches in the OP's post, just rust specks. Nevr-Dull will remove minor rust that has not pitted the surface.