Any M&P owners try the vinegar soak trick?

meth0d

meth0d

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I had read a few threads about people soaking their M&P barrels and slides in vinegar to strip off the black coating to get to the stainless steel, and since the coating seems to be coming off when I clean it with Hoppe's #9 nitro anyway; I figured I'd give it ago.

I put it in about a pint of vinegar last night around 7, took it out today at 4 today, so it's been about 21 hours. I've been scrubbing it with a regular dish sponge to try to coax off some of the finish without damaging the metal.

Most of the black is off, and the stainless looks a little dull.

SO, I was wondering who, if anyone else has tried this on one of their guns, and if anyone has any suggestions on what I can use to polish up the barrel.

Pictures...
barrel1.jpg


barrel2.jpg
 
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Well, if you do decide to polish it, go buy some 1200-1600 grit wet/dry sand paper. Fill up a bucket with some water (or a sink) and then use the wet/dry sand paper on the barrel while underwater; should polish up nicely!

Good luck!





(Disclaimer: I have not tried this on an M&P barrel but I have used this method on stainless steel and it works great, but use this method at your own discretion.)
 
meth0d said:
I had read a few threads about people soaking their M&P barrels and slides in vinegar to strip off the black coating to get to the stainless steel, and since the coating seems to be coming off when I clean it with Hoppe's #9 nitro anyway; I figured I'd give it ago [sic].
Click to expand...

Sounds like that old Saturday Night Live skit with Billy Crystal:

You know that sharp pain you get in your nose when your soldering iron gets stuck up there? I haaaaaaaaate when that happens!

[rolleyes]
 
RemingtonUNH said:
Well, if you do decide to polish it, go buy some 1200-1600 grit wet/dry sand paper. Fill up a bucket with some water (or a sink) and then use the wet/dry sand paper on the barrel while underwater; should polish up nicely!

Good luck!





(Disclaimer: I have not tried this on an M&P barrel but I have used this method on stainless steel and it works great, but use this method at your own discretion.)
Click to expand...

jhrosier said:
Mothers Mag Wheel Polish will have it shining like a mirror in no time.

Jack
Click to expand...
Thanks for the suggestions, kind sirs!

I wasn't expecting such disapproving responses from everyone, haha, oh well, different strokes as they say...
 
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Hey man its yours customize it the you like it. I think it would look cool with ss, you could try sandblasting with a fine aluminum oxide. A machine shop would have and I cant see it being very expensive they would just hit it for a few seconds. good luck with it tho post pics when you get it finished.
 
Okay..a question for you? Does the black coating serve as some kind of protection for the barrel?

Stainless steel does rust you know. I've had it happen on a couple of stalnless guns I've owned in the past.

If you think it looks nice, it is certainly your choice, but I am inclined to think that it is an answer to a non-existent problem.

Just my two euros,

Mark L.
 
Since the finish protects the metal from rust, I'm not sure why you'd want to basically ruin your gun. If you want a stainless gun, you should have it media blasted and refinished. Go to Burwell's site, his teflon nickel finish looks bad-ass.
 
polishing

if you wnat to shine up the barrel use a grinder with a felt polishing wheel
and some white rouge... it will put a mirror finish on it.

Don't force it against the wheel, let the wheel do the work, medium pressure
will work just fine.


JimB
 
As the coating has a 68 Rockwell hardness rating, I would think it vastly preferable to bare stainless, regardless of the polish. NO maintenance to speak of, far less holster wear and no glare off that shiny slide when shooting.
 
mark056 said:
Okay..a question for you? Does the black coating serve as some kind of protection for the barrel?

Stainless steel does rust you know. I've had it happen on a couple of stalnless guns I've owned in the past.

If you think it looks nice, it is certainly your choice, but I am inclined to think that it is an answer to a non-existent problem.

Just my two euros,

Mark L.
Click to expand...

Excellent point. +1 rep point

Unless you are going to refinish the metal, just stripping it is looking for trouble (rust) down the road IMNSHO.


jhblaze1 said:
Since the finish protects the metal from rust, I'm not sure why you'd want to basically ruin your gun. If you want a stainless gun, you should have it media blasted and refinished. Go to Burwell's site, his teflon nickel finish looks bad-ass.
Click to expand...

See comment above. Fully agree here.
 
Just an FYI. The vinegar thing only does so much. I've done a few for NES members by blasting them and then polishing. Yes stainless can rust, if it is low grade stainless. The M&Ps are made with some very high quality and hard stainless. If you are using vinegar, you have to plug the barrel since the vinegar will etch the stainless inside as well as out. Blasting gives a nice matt finish almost a satin finish. Next one I do I'll post some images. Greg
 
Typically, the stronger/harder grades of stainless will be more prone to rust but it takes some effort to make them rust. Salt water (including sweat) can do it but they'll rust slowly.

THere are plenty of guns with bare stainless parts (slides, barrels, cylinders and frames on revolvers) so I think you'll be fine. My S&W 1911sc has a bare stainless slide and barrel. I'm not worried about it.
 

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