My Pre-B refinishing and modification diary

[Underwhere]

Looks nice! You could always extend that beavertail now that you have welding supplies coming for the compact. ;-)

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Yea... I may just keep it as is. I don't feel like re-doing the bluing. Well we will see.

[Underwhere]

Ugh...
I could reblue just the frame after adding to the beavertail.

Then I could make them match.

[Earl Keese]

Ugh...
I could reblue just the frame after adding to the beavertail.

Then I could make them match.

It's an affliction isn't it? ;-)

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[Underwhere]

Ugh...
I could reblue just the frame after adding to the beavertail.

Then I could make them match.

It's an affliction isn't it? ;-)

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I would have to say so.

I am watching more pre-b's on Gunbroker. I don't know why.

[Earl Keese]

I've redone rust blue jobs on two guns so far, my VZ70 and a Winchester rifle for a buddy. Redoing the one for my buddy hurt a little, but ultimately I was pleased with them both and glad I did it. It gets easier each time.

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[Earl Keese]

Ugh...
I could reblue just the frame after adding to the beavertail.

Then I could make them match.

It's an affliction isn't it? ;-)

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

I would have to say so.

I am watching more pre-b's on Gunbroker. I don't know why.

Me too, although at this point I can resist. I think SP01SHADOW has 15 or so pre-b's. Next for me is a 2011 build.

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[Bowenbuilt]

Very nice looking Transitional. That is a keeper! Would make a great heirloom. I like the flush cut look!

[Underwhere]

An update and to bring things up from the dead.

After my eventual success with adding a larger beavertail to my other gun I realized I will need to make that modification to this pre-b.

So I may as well modify it some more before re-bluing it.

This one has a polished barrel bushing and recessed crown. I love the look of a large bright muzzle. I saw someone had crowned the bushing as well as the barrel so I decided to try the same.

I like it.

Follow-up to come on the beavertail and probably the flushing of the slide stop lever as well.


Before




After
 

[Earl Keese]

Looks nice!

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[Underwhere]

It never ends.

I decided I need to extend the beavertail which would require me to re-blue at least the frame.
While I'm at it I'm going to blue the CGW race hammer. The finish they have on the hammer doesn't match the blued finish of the gun.
I'm also going to modify the slide top lever (flush it) and then round the nose of the frame which is at a 90 degree angle. (for press checks)

Hopefully you're not totally bored of me yet.

Progress will be a bit slower than before I think. Recovering from hand surgery.

I think the steps will be:
1. Strip gun
2. Remove all oils from frame, hammer, slide stop lever
3. Mechanically bring the finish of the frame to bare metal (I want to preserve the bluing inside the frame because that was such a pain to do)
4. Weld on the beavertail
5. Cut the slide slide stop lever, bevel the frame
6. Round the nose
7. Re-blue and hope that it matches the slide

[Underwhere]

Some pics of the areas I need to work on.

[The Guardian]

7. Re-blue and hope that it matches the slide

My experience has been that the slide and frame tend to come out slightly different most of the time.......usually its pretty subtle.  Not sure why, maybe they are slightly different metals??  Regardless, thanks for taking the time to post the happenings with the project 

[Underwhere]

7. Re-blue and hope that it matches the slide

My experience has been that the slide and frame tend to come out slightly different most of the time.......usually its pretty subtle.  Not sure why, maybe they are slightly different metals??  Regardless, thanks for taking the time to post the happenings with the project 

You're right.
It doesn't currently match and I blued the same number of times. The slide is darker.

I may just try and blue the frame a few extra times.

The hard part is knowing when to stop because the color changes once it's coated in oil.

[The Guardian]

7. Re-blue and hope that it matches the slide

My experience has been that the slide and frame tend to come out slightly different most of the time.......usually its pretty subtle.  Not sure why, maybe they are slightly different metals??  Regardless, thanks for taking the time to post the happenings with the project 

You're right.
It doesn't currently match and I blued the same number of times. The slide is darker.

I may just try and blue the frame a few extra times.

The hard part is knowing when to stop because the color changes once it's coated in oil.

Trial and error I suppose is in order......applying the oil is kind of the mystery, it's the true "reveal" for all the work that got it to that point....pretty cool 

[Underwhere]

Did the slide stop and beveled the frame.

Also started to sand the bluing away with 320. I'm surprised at how difficult it is to get down to bare metal. The bluing is pretty sturdy.

I think I angled the slide stop just a tad too much for my taste but I won't notice it much when blued.