Barrel Polishing

[jdeere18]

Anybody have any good ideas on barrel polishing on a G22 gen 3?

 

[sloughfoot]

Barrel polishing? What is that? What does it do?

 

[netsecurity]

Barrel polishing? What is that? What does it do?

I know, like yesterday everybody starts talking about "polishing their barrels", and I thought it was a joke at first. Apparently kids these days want to pimp their firearms, I dunno what else it is about, other than tricking out, and simultaneously devaluing the firearm. If I'm wrong, someone please explain why one would do this?

 

[Mosinguy]

I know, like yesterday everybody starts talking about "polishing their barrels", and I thought it was a joke at first. Apparently kids these days want to pimp their firearms, I dunno what else it is about, other than tricking out, and simultaneously devaluing the firearm. If I'm wrong, someone please explain why one would do this?

It makes the gun more tactical!


It's just a modification to do to your barrel to make it shine. No harm no foul. To the OP, I can't help you but someone probably can soon.

 

[Colt556]

I usually polish all my Sig, Glock, Colt and HP barrels just b/c I like the looks. I start with Blue and Rust Remover and a Scotch Brite pad. Once all the blue is off I use Semi Chrome or Flitz and polish to the desired luster. I use Flitz and a Dremel to polish the feed ramps. Once done I oil em up and reassemble the guns. Never had an issue after doing it this way for over 10 years.

 

[sloughfoot]

Do you mean that you polish the outside of the barrel? I can't see how that would hurt anything. It is your gun...

I can kind of understand polishing the feed ramp but certainly not the lands and grooves.

 

[Colt556]

Do you mean that you polish the outside of the barrel? I can't see how that would hurt anything. It is your gun...

I can kind of understand polishing the feed ramp but certainly not the lands and grooves.

Yeah, I take the blue/black off the outside and clean up the hood area. I don't like to see the wear marks on the bbl and by polishing that area it eliminates them. I don't really polish the outside as much as removing the blue/black and getting rid of machine marks etc. I polish the feed ramps to a high luster to help feeding issues. I don't touch the chamber or inside of the barrel itself.

 

[sloughfoot]

I use a cratex wheel on my 1911's feed ramps to polish and contour. Flitz doesn't remove metal to smooth out machining grooves but it sure makes it shiny.....

 

[netsecurity]

Doesn't this remove much of the protective Melonite (or equivalent) layer on M&P, XD, and Glocks? The whole point of bluing, melonite, etc, is to create a very thin outer layer of rust and abbrasion resistance, and you're saying you want to remove that, just so it will be shiny. I still don't understand.

 

[Tydeeh22]

i thought the melonite was only on the slide, and barrels are blued? the melonite finish is slightly rough.

 

[Colt556]

I use a cratex wheel on my 1911's feed ramps to polish and contour. Flitz doesn't remove metal to smooth out machining grooves but it sure makes it shiny.....

I've only had a couple bbls that need me to use a heavier compound or wheel on to smooth them up nicely. Flitz is the final step in those instances. I only polish the feed ramps, not the whole barrel.

netsevurity.... The bluing is only a thin outer layer and doesn't really offer much protection. The Melonite/Tenifer(sp?) is a process that impregnates the metal and then has a black finish applied over that, at least that's how I understood it. I'm only taking the blue/black off and cleaning up any machine/tool marks. The barrel will last a lot longer than I will with proper care and a little oil. It's just something I prefer and not advocating this process to anyone else. A lot of ppl do it though.

 

[netsecurity]

i thought the melonite was only on the slide, and barrels are blued? the melonite finish is slightly rough.

No, the barrel and slide have the same expensive Melonite finish. It's called Tenifer on Glock and XD's, but essentially it is the same. It is like an advanced form of bluing. It provides the most high tech rust and abrasion resistance available, better than nickel or chrome plating I think. It does impregnate the surface, but removing the surface surely removes most of it. You are not protecting the barrel by exposing the stainless steel, but just the opposite. It doesn't matter if slide marks appear on the barrel, all guns do that. It may look cool to shine the barrel, but I'd guess you've done up to $100 in damage to the value of your gun.

http://firearmshistory.blogspot.com/2010/08/metal-treatments-ferritic.html

"Tenifer's properties have reached semi-legendary status. There are lots of videos and articles available on the Internet showing how hard and tough it is. People have subject their Glocks to ocean immersion for months and sharpened their knives with glocks, all without any effect on the finish!"

"The melonite process also produces a black finish instead of the gray color of Tenifer."

"Ferritic Nitrocarburizing treatments produce some of the most corrosion resistant and hardest metal treatments in existence."

 

[combat45acp]

For the hood, use 400 grit sand paper, then 600 grit sand paper. make sure you keep the edges square, take your time on the two thin angles. then use a cloth buffing wheel with emery rouge, then stainless rouge.

don't be shocked at the mill marks you see once the black finish is off...keep sanding

I have been jeweling Glock barrels sense 1996 and this is about the quickest, and best way to do the barrel hood on a glock. ( Custom Jewel Shop - Precision Engine Turning by Moskalick )

The barrel you can normally just polish with the wheel.

 

[Colt556]

It doesn't matter if slide marks appear on the barrel, all guns do that. It may look cool to shine the barrel, but I'd guess you've done up to $100 in damage to the value of your gun."

Like I said I do it to my guns b/c I like the way it looks and they do seem to run a bit smoother, but that may be all psychological on my part. I don't encourage others to do it but if they want to I'll tell them how I do it. There are several methods to get the same results. Oh also, I've done maybe 20 or so guns this way and the few I've sold or traded the new owners said they liked the bbl work. I've never had an issue with rust in all the years I've been polishing barrels. The price of the gun has never been affected either b/c of a polished bbl. To each their own.....