Refinishing help...

[RabbleRouser]

I was at my local funstore and saw a colt 1911 in the used case that I really liked. it has an aluminum (bead blast finished) frame and a stainless slide with a bead blasted top and polished sides. I had them take it out so I could examine it. It has a severe idiot scratch on the frame and several scratches and scuffs on the slide but is otherwise great shape and the trigger break in incredible. I am considering buying this gem but want to find a shop that can restore the finish of the frame and slide before I shell out the cash.....any suggestions?

I don't want to do a painted coat like duracote or ceracote, I would prefer the original polished slide finish and satin aluminum frame.

 

[Lammchop93]

send a PM to Indygunworks. He refinished my 1911 for a great price, and it looks fantastic! Very fast too.

 

[rockhopper46038]

If the price is right and the gun feels that good to you, I wouldn't hesitate over a couple of scratches. Re-bead blasting the finish on the slide top is easy. Polishing the flats is easy, too. As a matter of fact, if you get a piece of glass to use to ensure flatness, you can repolish the flats yourself. The deep idiot scratch may be more problematic. You can blast the aluminum alloy frame, but if the scratch is really deep you may not be able to take it out without being more aggressive with the bead blast than you might want to be on the aluminum. If it were a stainless frame I say it would be no problem, just dollars spent. Hopefully one of our forum refinishers can give you a better answer on the aluminum. I'm sure it can be done, but maybe not as easily as if the frame were stainless.

 

[IndyGunworks]

The aluminum is probably anozided, which is the hard layer. the idiot mark on it cannot be removed w/out filing and blending it in which will require a refinish. If its black, birchwood casey makes a product called aluminum black that sometimes works for touching it up. Either way, what you have going on is not terribly hard to fix, just time consuming which may or may not make paying someone to "restore" it for you not worth while. Some people think the money is well spent, some think its a wast, only you can decide.

Either way, get some pictures and get some quotes to fix her up, and see if the gunshop wont spit the cost of redoing it with you.

 

[IndyGunworks]

ALso, i am unaward of a factory offering of a stainless slide on an aluminum frame. Perhaps you might want to get some more information before you jump as well, but i dont know every make model of 1911's out there, its just something i have not seen.

 

[88E30M50]

ALso, i am unaward of a factory offering of a stainless slide on an aluminum frame. Perhaps you might want to get some more information before you jump as well, but i dont know every make model of 1911's out there, its just something i have not seen.

I think I saw the gun that the OP is referring to. If so, it's a Kimber Ultra. Kimber does offer stainless over aluminum. My Kimber Compact is a stainless over aluminum, but the aluminum is either anodized or painted. Either way, the finish is not that durable and scratches easily which is probably why the owner of that Ultra had his frame bead blasted. Aluminum can be a tough metal to make paint adhere to.

Edit: After re-reading the original post, I may be wrong. The OP states it's a Colt and the one I saw was definitely a Kimber.

 

[IndyGunworks]

If the frame has been blasted and is aluminum be prepared for LOTS of scratches. the anodizing is what makes aluminum hard, otherwise its just a soft metal.

 

[RabbleRouser]

If the frame has been blasted and is aluminum be prepared for LOTS of scratches. the anodizing is what makes aluminum hard, otherwise its just a soft metal.

it's a colt lightweight commander

 

[RabbleRouser]

so Indygunworks.....what kinda price (ballpark) would I be looking at to polish up the slide and possibly buff and re-anodize the frame of a Colt Lightweight Commander?

 

[IndyGunworks]

I dont advertise on the forums. Rules are rules and i respect those that have paid to advertise on here openly. Send me a PM w/ some pics of what you got going on and we can take it from there.