# polishing gun parts



## TranTheMan (Aug 17, 2009)

I watched those folks on youtube 'polishing' their handgun trigger connectors and other parts using Qtip and Flitz. I very much doubted that it would do anything good in the long run. Surely they would a very clean and shiny connector and probably a less gritty trigger pull for a short while. So basically it is a good cleaning job, no more no less, and the parts would get dirty right after the next few trips to the range.

However, if you use a Dremel with felt wheel and Flitz, or jewelry polishing compound to polish gun parts and since you are not exactly 'grinding' away metal, would it be a better way? 

I think it would clean out the oxidation, dirt on the surface of the being polished parts and perhaps any microscopic scratches that might be there. There should not be any danger of removing metal from or reshaping of the metal parts (yikes!), which are very hard to begin with. 


Your opinions, comments?


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## Ernest (May 21, 2004)

Done it a bunch. Typically, just stuff like flitz and a rag. Careful with heating stuff up using a Dremel tool. Also, gotta be careful around edges of parts. Don't want to change angles or polish off any edges. 

Goal here is to just smooth things out. Its typically not going to make a 8 lb. trigger pull into a 3 lb'er. 

That said, once I took a old military weapon, packed the trigger parts with valve grinding compound and light machine oil, and worked the action 100's of times to smooth out one gun. Not saying I recommend it, but it was a weapon with readily available replacement parts and it was cheap, so no big risk. And, the compound was not easy to clean out.


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## TranTheMan (Aug 17, 2009)

Ernest said:


> Don't want to change angles or polish off any edges.


A typical nowadays handgun design such as Glock or Ruger SR9 has a disconnector and a trigger bar. Both are in contact and rubbing against each other with each firing. I am sure the metal to metal contact is much more comparing to a mere polishing by a rag and Flitz.

Also is it not that regular usage and dry-firing also rub the parts together and smooth out the edges eventually and naturally to the point that the gun is "broken in"?

I am not saying to take the grinder to the parts, but wondering about the effectiveness of manually polishing the parts vs a Demel with felt wheel.


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## Capt Scott Reeh (Jan 21, 2006)

TranTheMan said:


> A typical nowadays handgun design such as Glock or Ruger SR9 has a disconnector and a trigger bar. Both are in contact and rubbing against each other with each firing. I am sure the metal to metal contact is much more comparing to a mere polishing by a rag and Flitz.
> 
> Also is it not that regular usage and dry-firing also rub the parts together and smooth out the edges eventually and naturally to the point that the gun is "broken in"?
> 
> I am not saying to take the grinder to the parts, but wondering about the effectiveness of manually polishing the parts vs a Demel with felt wheel.


Yes...polishing helps !Dremel w/ felt wheel works great. I use Semi-Chrome on ALL trigger related surfaces that come in contact w/ each other.This is on all my Glocks.Along w/ springs and connectors, the mirror finish makes for a " smoother " trigger feel.I also strip my pistol down after every IDPA match to inspect, clean and lightly lube the slide.
Hope this helps you out


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Arkansas stone on sear


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## dwilliams35 (Oct 8, 2006)

I generally use a Dremel with the cotton tips, with varying grades of jeweler's rouge..


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## glenbo (Apr 9, 2010)

This is probably not anything to worry about in Galveston County, but if you do any polishing on a carry weapon and use it, even justified use, you could likely expect some hotshot young DA who hates guns and gun owners to try to use that against you. Mas Ayoob writes extensively about this in his books and magazine articles. If you have to shoot and get a moron DA, he could try to make it look like you're some kind of maniac who is looking to get the most "killing power" or some other garbage out of your guns. They've done it many times against gun owners who used hollow points, claiming that they are cop killer bullets and therefore, somehow, too lethal for everyman carry. For a carry gun, at least, it's probably better to leave it alone to reduce your liability in case you have to use it. If you're not familiar with Massad Ayoob, look him up. He's probably the single smartest guy out there about concealed carry and use.


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## pg542 (Oct 9, 2006)

glenbo said:


> ......... If you're not familiar with Massad Ayoob, look him up. He's probably the single smartest guy out there about concealed carry and use.


.....without a doubt.....I read anything Mas" writes. Extremely knowledgeable about real world carry and tactics...


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## Ernest (May 21, 2004)

I was talking about more traditional triggers. I don't do striker fired pistols.


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

> Arkansas stone on sear


That's what I always use on fit parts.

To polish the feed ramp I use a Dremel tool with polishing compound. If I want to polish parts I toss them into the brass tumbler with fresh media.

TH


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## Bottomsup (Jul 12, 2006)

Any polishing is removing metal.


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## TranTheMan (Aug 17, 2009)

Bottomsup said:


> Any polishing is removing metal.


Sure, no doubt about it, but it would be in the nano-, picometer magnitude.


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## Bantam1 (Jun 26, 2007)

I use a Dremel on the low speed setting with Flitz. Work slowly and just clean it up. It doesn't take much work to polish the trigger parts on a Glock for example. Just shooting it a lot will have the same effect.


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