Polishing compunds/paste, liquid, gel, space goo

[jurek]

Is there a grit rating on the jewelers rouge? Never used auto wax to polish anything but cars. Do you use the rouge as a final step? Or will it polish hardened steel?

My procedure is very simple:
1. start with sand paper (depending of surface roughness) : 400 / 800
2. then go with 1000
3. finish sanding with 1500
4. toothpaste on cotton cloth
5. cleaning solvent
6. gun oil

I use compressed air between every step.

[jurek]

Or do you like that minty fresh gun smell?

 

Less expensive - better. Definitely you DO NOT want WHITENING !!! It doesn't need to be a chemical reaction... just polishing.
Scent doesn't matter, once you wipe it off and use gun oil, that will be your scent  Mint goes away... 

[M1A4ME]

I used a Dremel on the UG P01 feed ramp to remove a line that ran across it (random feed issues).  Sanding drum with fine grit till I couldn't feel the line with my fingernail anymore.  Then a felt drum with lapping compound till it was shiny as a mirror.

You have to be careful not to alter the angle of any surface/corner you polish.  Go slow.  It make take longer, going slow, to remove some metal and get that smooth surface - but you can't put the metal back on if you go fast and removed too much.

The only thing I've every used on inside parts (outside of trigger bars, top of the trigger bar where it rides against the slide, sides of the sear, sides of the hammer, hammer spring guide corners, etc. is knife sharpening stones with the oil used for sharpening knife blades.  Sometimes its a big (or a couple of big) stones.  Rougher grit first then the smoother/finer grit stone to polish.  If I use the knife sharpening kit for a small part I'll use the 320 grit stone/oil, wipe off the grit/oil before going to the next smoother stone.  After the 320 I use the 600 grit stone.  Again, wipe off the oil/crud before lubricating and installing.

Most people say after you shoot a new CZ about 1,000 rounds the action really smooths out.  I just don't wait that long.

[Old-Duckman]

Gravers (hand gravers, not some electric powered device) can be had from jewelry supply places. Rio Grande, Gesswein, are two of the larger ones (there are many others). Polishing compounds, felt bobs and numerous other polishing tools/supplies are used by metalsmiths and can be found at these and other jewelry suppliers.

Of course Brownells gunsmith supply would also be a good source and would be firearm specific.

Personally I'm not much for randomly polishing gun parts. I would guess that more guns have been ruined by well meaning polishers than can be numbered.

[Rigidman]

I usually fire it first. Paying attention to things like trigger feel, trigger travel, reset, I also "play"with hammer, while unloaded, I cock and uncock paying attention to if it's gritty, loose, if there's any excess travel. I also clean it really well first. After all this, if I feel any grit, I clean it again paying attention to trigger and hammer. If it still feels gritty I start polishing metal on metal areas. I always polish the feed ramp. If there are any imperfection here carbon will build up and become a pain in the a$$. I also check slide and frame for burrs, dents, etc. and repair it carefuly. I only use stones with mineral spirits. The ramp I always polish. I used to use diamond paste or simichrome. Simichrome makes my head hurt, even using a fan. After polishing trigger and hammer parts, many times it decreases trigger pull. So instead of throwing in a spring kit to reduce trigger pull, polishing is basically free.