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GENERAL => CZ Gunsmithing => Topic started by: barrelproofdrinker88 on May 17, 2022, 08:25:24 PM

Title: Pre-B restoration and slow rust bluing
Post by: barrelproofdrinker88 on May 17, 2022, 08:25:24 PM

Over the past couple months, thanks to the helpful folks in this group, I was able to go from no previous experience with refinishing or detail stripping a CZ-75, to having multiple projects going at once.

Special thanks to Earl Keese for his help at multiple steps along the way.

This was a 1987 pre-b Israeli surplus that I refinished with slow rust blue.  During the process I learned the hard way multiple times that there are no shortcuts.

Started with a lot of wear to the enamel finish:

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220518/506b0e79a04ffc9cb838deaba252e796.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220518/4b56f3389c7152543a0603d9dff01e11.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220518/e2b6932ef926d26ff534229ffef9947f.jpg)


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Title: Re: Pre-B restoration and slow rust bluing
Post by: barrelproofdrinker88 on May 17, 2022, 08:29:46 PM

After stripping (photo shows the underlying phosphate finish) and sanding to 320 grit

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220518/13edf41d9f8f0d3205e6d092d4aa02af.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220518/c9538f4b20eceb3659ec6d5b2fb918f1.jpg)


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Title: Re: Pre-B restoration and slow rust bluing
Post by: barrelproofdrinker88 on May 17, 2022, 08:31:42 PM

Rust bluing with Laurel Mountain

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220518/46843c908ba646a61d97aedf1791370b.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220518/4c761583de79c3764d832edaaae7da55.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220518/b59b6efc72a352e97651e96aab51164c.jpg)


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Title: Re: Pre-B restoration and slow rust bluing
Post by: barrelproofdrinker88 on May 17, 2022, 08:39:22 PM

Finished product after a week of soaking in motor oil, eventually I’ll put the rear sight back on.

Again, thanks to the CZ community for all your help. 

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220518/e590c4e35259b63bc5d49582ffcae41d.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220518/b3ce0ac89374badb1d0b27c75235c764.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220518/9add9416e0554687dd9305c362c3fb36.jpg)


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Title: Re: Pre-B restoration and slow rust bluing
Post by: barrelproofdrinker88 on May 17, 2022, 08:43:39 PM

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220518/46cb2af6408fd8d1f3f7e9ba7864615e.jpg)


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Title: Re: Pre-B restoration and slow rust bluing
Post by: Earl Keese on May 17, 2022, 09:27:07 PM

Looks great! Keep the projects coming!

Title: Re: Pre-B restoration and slow rust bluing
Post by: double-d on May 18, 2022, 01:25:55 AM

(https://i.imgur.com/N5NplCZ.gif)

Title: Re: Pre-B restoration and slow rust bluing
Post by: M1A4ME on May 18, 2022, 07:07:10 AM

Looks like a new pistol.

Lot of work, but it looks like it was worth it.

Title: Re: Pre-B restoration and slow rust bluing
Post by: steves2 on May 18, 2022, 09:22:11 AM

Very impressive!
I think the pre-B 75s are so beautiful.😊

Title: Re: Pre-B restoration and slow rust bluing
Post by: alp3367 on May 18, 2022, 10:28:48 AM

 Nicely done, looks much better. I've been thinking about trying a rust bluing project myself so it's always nice to see results.

Title: Re: Pre-B restoration and slow rust bluing
Post by: Classic12 on May 21, 2022, 11:48:37 AM

Nice job, congratulations

Title: Re: Pre-B restoration and slow rust bluing
Post by: mrcabinet on May 22, 2022, 06:16:49 PM

That looks great! Well done! It's a lot of work but very gratifying, isn't it?

Title: Re: Pre-B restoration and slow rust bluing
Post by: barrelproofdrinker88 on May 22, 2022, 06:54:05 PM

Quote from: mrcabinet on May 22, 2022, 06:16:49 PM

That looks great! Well done! It's a lot of work but very gratifying, isn't it?

Thanks.  Yeah, it was a tough but gratifying experience. 

I’ve got like 3 refinish projects lined up now and actively searching for a reasonable transitional to refinish too…

Title: Re: Pre-B restoration and slow rust bluing
Post by: OldFinger on May 22, 2022, 07:49:20 PM

Very nice!  Fantastic work.

Title: Re: Pre-B restoration and slow rust bluing
Post by: Speed4341 on July 07, 2022, 04:01:26 PM

That looks really nice. I'd like to find an older, well-loved, pistol myself to give this a go.

Title: Re: Pre-B restoration and slow rust bluing
Post by: gunbuster on July 11, 2022, 06:59:16 PM

A labor of love. Congratulations on the nicely finished work!   :)

Title: Re: Pre-B restoration and slow rust bluing
Post by: barrelproofdrinker88 on July 28, 2022, 06:07:26 PM

Since this post did another pre-B and a rounded trigger guard transitional. 

The second pre-B was interesting because when I put it back together there was a disconnector timing issue that David from CGW talked me through (much easier solution than I anticipated).  Once that was fixed, along with a polish, CGW reduced power trigger return spring, 13 lb mainspring, and extended firing pin, really nice trigger pull and break. 
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220728/d0fccd2a978c1f836dbaf0ad89aca3b5.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220728/129f2982f59ec28c401981be15de7ae1.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220728/519e561b505a98d2f045486dc769971d.jpg)


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Title: Re: Pre-B restoration and slow rust bluing
Post by: barrelproofdrinker88 on July 28, 2022, 06:16:07 PM

The transitional I thought was going to be easier because it was an original blued finish so I didn’t have to strip paint.  But that made it even harder for surface prep since there was no enamel paint protecting from 29 years of nicks and rust. 

The original barrel bushing was terribly machined so I replaced it with a 10x bushing, which was an adventure to install because the cutout for the front sight pin was a couple millimeters off and required filing (I didn’t feel comfortable drilling it out).  Smacking the bushing in and out about 20 times required a lot of masking tape after I had already blued the slide. 

The photo of the bushing shows the machining was not centered (it’s not wear since that narrow part is ridged) - that is not a shadow.   

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220728/7b30bf85c4ed342d257b138f9896877b.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220728/ceb7989ef65bf5eabd734322fb60a616.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220728/aee54c45a53efb5c60159f7fe4940914.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220728/eb1fadb965eee95d43910fc411770a9c.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220728/246b785abdb3ebd38c0a44b72dc732b0.jpg)


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