Sanding or stoning the rails

[czuberalles]

Suppose I would like to make the rails on my SP-01 as smooth as possible, so as to minimize friction. Would taking a ceramic stone to the rails be a good option? I've got an extra-fine white ceramic stone I could use. I've used it before for parts on my 1911, and I always get a mirror-finish...super smooth. Would you do it?

[AZ_CZ]

I wouldn't but that is more a function of the lack of ambition (lazy). I would rather use a quality lube like ProTec and then shoot 1,500 rounds to smooth things out. If you pull the barrel/spring and run it back and forth it should already be smooth.

If you do it take some before/after pics. Sounds like an interesting idea.

[Stuart]

nope...rails are fitted now to the gun.

any polishing will remove material and make the slide to frame fit looser
making it smoother will not accomplish anything.

[Skookum]

Stuart,

Does that apply to all CZs or just to the SP-01?

[Stuart]

Oh...I see what I just wrote. my bad.
just my opinion mind you.
what my meaning is...

frame and slide are together as complete firearm.. nothing is oversize about them. if you polish them now, all you are doing is going to increase the amount of play in them. so its really not helping anything.


I do not know if the frames and slide are individually fitted together from oversized parts.

sorry if I made anything confusing.

[czuberalles]

Oh...I see what I just wrote. my bad.
just my opinion mind you.
what my meaning is...

frame and slide are together as complete firearm.. nothing is oversize about them. if you polish them now, all you are doing is going to increase the amount of play in them. so its really not helping anything.


I do not know if the frames and slide are individually fitted together from oversized parts.

sorry if I made anything confusing.

I might be very wrong, but I doubt the extra-fine ceramic stone would take off enough material to make the fit looser. As far as I know, were talking about less than one thousands of an inch. Off all the parts I've polished using this stone, none have been looser than they were before, but the action between moving parts was a heck of a lot smoother.

[1SOW]

Would you do it?

The slide-type on a full size 75 runs so smoothly with a little oil, it's about the only thing I haven't polished.  I know that doesn't mean much; but the two surfaces mate together with use,  and "MY" polishing might change the fit-up.  I DO know, it won't make the fit-up "tighter".  Your experiences may vary.

[bugboy]

If Stuart says it is not worth doing,,,,, I'd believe him.

[Skookum]

Polishing slide rails very lightly might be useful on, say, a custom 1911, where the tight slide-to-frame fit takes some shooting before it's properly broken in?  Even in such a case, the shooting during the break-in period (500 round?) would seem to do all the polishing necessary.  I suppose if one is in a hurry to break the gun in, or can't afford 500 rounds at today's elevated prices, then polishing might be justified?

[Grendel]

Oh...I see what I just wrote. my bad.
just my opinion mind you.
what my meaning is...

frame and slide are together as complete firearm.. nothing is oversize about them. if you polish them now, all you are doing is going to increase the amount of play in them. so its really not helping anything.


I do not know if the frames and slide are individually fitted together from oversized parts.

sorry if I made anything confusing.

I might be very wrong, but I doubt the extra-fine ceramic stone would take off enough material to make the fit looser. As far as I know, were talking about less than one thousands of an inch. Off all the parts I've polished using this stone, none have been looser than they were before, but the action between moving parts was a heck of a lot smoother.

Then go ahead and polish them. You heard from the man at CZ Custom who says it's probably not a good idea, but it's your pistol so polish away.

[CeeZeeNiner]

Suppose I would like to make the rails on my SP-01 as smooth as possible, so as to minimize friction. Would taking a ceramic stone to the rails be a good option? I've got an extra-fine white ceramic stone I could use. I've used it before for parts on my 1911, and I always get a mirror-finish...super smooth. Would you do it?

You could try Cratex rubber polishing sticks, or whatever they are called. They are not cheap.

http://www.cratex.com/rubblock.htm

[huskert]

     If the sp01 is new, it will slick up with putting more rounds through it (Obviously, ammo is short now, so that may be easier said than done). To make this process go a little faster, I would de-grease the rails, and run some rounds through it completely dry as this will wear it in a little faster---remember that adding grease is going to reduce friction and initial wear on the parts, so that would slow the wearing in process.
      Another option may be to put a little non embedding ultra-fine polish eg. flitz, maas, JB bore paste, etc. type polish on the rails and hand work the slide with the polish on the rails a hundred or so times (After doing this, be sure to clean off all of the polish, and then oil/grease it as usual). I know this is the type process many of the CZ 452 rimfire guys have used to get the bolt to smooth up and break in faster.

[mgardner]

If I feel the need to polish anything I use ultrafine Cratex by hand. You can carve it to fit any profile. Running similar metals together dry is not a good idea because it can cause galling. I would be very cautious about polishing anything. Usually if something is working it doesn't need to be fixed.

[Skookum]

One might try placing the slide on the frame without the recoil spring, then tipping the muzzle up slightly to see if friction is an issue before polising anything.  I tried this with my two CZ 83s.  The slide on the .32 slides back easily to the hammer when the muzzle is lifted a mere 10? or so.  The slide on the .380 is a bit tighter, falling back in two stages ? the first with just a 15? elevation of the muzzle, the second at about 45?.  Both guns have about 200 rounds thru them, and neither has ever failed to feed, fire, or eject.

[huskert]

If I feel the need to polish anything I use ultrafine Cratex by hand. You can carve it to fit any profile. Running similar metals together dry is not a good idea because it can cause galling. I would be very cautious about polishing anything. Usually if something is working it doesn't need to be fixed.

Agreed that if there are no feeding issues, it isn't something that is necessary. Even if you degrease and run it dry for a few rounds, there will still be some microscopic oil in place unless you use some strong stuff. Generally hardened steel will not gall. Galling occurs more from softer metals rubbing with friction. Like everyone has said, definitely don't go grinding on the rails with anything very abrasive imho.