Scratched my new SP101!

dementlr · Oct 4, 2013

So I made the mistake of trying to rush the installation of a Monogrip on my last pre-HQL purchase, Ruger SP-101 stainless. I made 2 small scratches. Any thoughts on the safest way to try to remove them? Was thinking about rubbing compound and a dremel buffing disk.

jwalker3181 · Oct 4, 2013

How deep are they?

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dementlr · Oct 4, 2013

Not deep, was trying to use a screw driver to pry up the edge of the rubber so it would not fold under. Drug the sharp edge of the driver across the brushed stainless. No real pressure involved.

hvymax · Oct 4, 2013

Scotchbrite.

Numidian · Oct 4, 2013

Oh noes! Not a scratch! Whatever will you do?! It's an SP101, not an original Colt 1911. Take it to the range, run a few hundred rounds through it and it'll have a few more scratches to keep you from noticing the first two.

Polecat · Oct 4, 2013

That will buff right out. :lol2:

jwalker3181 · Oct 4, 2013

Dremel and a buffer if it really bothers you. Do you have a picture? I put the idiot scratch on my 1911 after the first take down. I left mine as a reminder. The funny thing is that I never put a scratch on anybody else's gun

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Blaster229 · Oct 4, 2013

It's a tool. Who buffs their tool out?

hairba111 · Oct 4, 2013

If the scratches are on matte stainless use scotchbrite or steel wool and strike with a weight inside. DO NOT RUB! Pound it away, it works.

Blaster229 · Oct 4, 2013

hairba111 said:
DO NOT RUB! Pound it away, it works.

Yes it does. Advice guys have been heeding for ages.

lee2 · Oct 4, 2013

make sure you work in one direction with a scotchbrite pad.
easy does it.

DaemonAssassin · Oct 5, 2013

Blaster229 said:
Yes it does. Advice guys have been heeding for ages.

He needs to beat it like it owes him money! :lol2:

Marauder · Oct 5, 2013

Blaster229 said:
It's a tool. Who buffs their tool out?

It's your chicken, you can choke it any way you like.

NickZac · Oct 5, 2013

Depending on the finish, ScotchBrite is incredible, as are silicone blocks and scratch pens.

If it is a polished finish, MetalGlo is exceptional and probably the most aggressive compound that one can use for a one-stage polish and have it look good (i.e. it doesn't leave tons of visible microscratching). Cape Cod Polishing Cloths are great because they are very easy on finishes (and smell great). For high polished finishes, I generally do MetalGlo and then Cape Cod. 3M also makes an exceptional polish similar to MetalGlo.

But with delicate finishes, Prism Polish is arguably my favorite tho because it can be used on brushed, tumbled, and stonewashed surfaces without removing them (it's among the mildest of abrasives tho, so it's speed is going to be much slower than something like MetalGlo).

Wading cloths like NevrDull can also be very useful, but again it is dependent upon the finish.

But IMHO, if the scratches are from a screwdriver slip, they are probably pretty deep, and getting them off would then mean you have to take off a good bit of metal, which IMHO would be a bad decision based on what I've seen deep polishing due to the integrity of knife blades. Also, the time it could take may well be effort far beyond the desire to fix the scratches. Refinishing the finish to one that uses tons and tons of scratches (stonewashed/tumbled) offers an alternative to heavy cut polishes.

mopar92 · Oct 5, 2013

Dude it's a Ruger GP100. A flucking tank of a gun. Just use it and don't worry about it.

If it bothers you so much I'd give you fiddy bucks and a sammich.

august1410 · Oct 5, 2013

Hell, I have a Colt 1911....it's got scratches, holster wear and and an idiot mark that was there when I got it.

It's a Series 80 Combat Commander and not a vintage model, but it's an everyday tool for me and not a safe queen.

Hopalong · Oct 6, 2013

You don't scratch Ruger revolvers. They scratch everything else. The visible mark is just the warning, like a cool scar, to everything else around them saying "Don't mess with me". They're so heavy because if they weren't, they'd fly out of your hand and karate-chop what you're shooting at. Their trigger pulls are so long and heavy because if they weren't, they'd go full auto and clear a room.

Rugers are the only revolver that Chuck Norris can't break. True story.

NickZac · Oct 6, 2013

You should get it coated in boron carbide or boron nitride. Unless you are using a diamond screwdriver, you should be good. If you are, then you should go for the enhanced boron nitride coatings as they are harder than diamond. That might get expensive.

On second thought...

HT4 · Oct 8, 2013

dementlr said:
So I made the mistake of trying to rush the installation of a Monogrip on my last pre-HQL purchase, Ruger SP-101 stainless. I made 2 small scratches. Any thoughts on the safest way to try to remove them? Was thinking about rubbing compound and a dremel buffing disk.

Please do not use a dremel.

The best thing that I've found for a less than mirrored, but polished surface is sand paper and oil... somewhere around 800 grit, depending on the surface. Slightly higher or lower grit can be used to match perfectly. The lowest I ever went was 500 grit to match a stainless 10/22 barrel... the highest was 1200 grit on a NAA mini revolver. Go in the direction of the existing finish and do the entire facet. Tape off all other parts. It will look factory if done right. For a matte finish, there is something called an "air eraser." It's nothing but a sand blaster the size of an air brush. Cheap versions can be found at Harbor Freight. 220 grit aluminum oxide creates a perfect matte finish that can be easily blended (much the same way you would feather paint with a normal air brush). If you use this, completely disassemble the gun or tape off the entire gun except for the part you are working on in a plastic bag. Work outside or in a different room from the rest of your guns or gun parts. Also, change clothes and clean all grit off yourself before removing the masking or attempting reassembly. Trust me when I say that you don't want ANY of the media inside your gun!

The other option -- the one I recommend -- is just to shoot the gun and don't worry about it. :thumbsup:

PS - If this is really bothering you that much, you should drive to a free state and purchase a standard capacity ball carrier assembly... once you install that, you will not feel so bad about little scratches on your gun.

Polecat · Oct 8, 2013

august1410 said:
Hell, I have a Colt 1911....it's got scratches, holster wear and and an idiot mark that was there when I got it.

It's a Series 80 Combat Commander and not a vintage model, but it's an everyday tool for me and not a safe queen.

Is it 12 ga? :lol2:

Scratched my new SP101!

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