polishing the ramp

fast20 · February 27, 2013, 02:53 PM

im going to polish the ramp on a few guns... just going to do it by hand...no dremel... is MOTHERS mag and aluminum polish ok to use... thanks

drail · February 27, 2013, 11:09 PM

No, you won't hurt anything with just a rag and polish. It won't really help any though. But if it makes you happy.......

PetahW · February 28, 2013, 10:17 AM

FWIW, magnesium/aluminum polish won't polish steel - Well, maybe Polish steel.

.

.

(You say "tom-ay-toe"; I say "tom-ah"toe" )

Edward429451 · February 28, 2013, 01:49 PM

It will help. I used simichrome or flitz and polish away while watching TV. Soon you will have a mirror finish. If the ramp was blued, painted or just unfinished raw steel it will smooth it up and every little bit helps.

Bill DeShivs · February 28, 2013, 02:21 PM

Yes, it will polish steel.

RickB · February 28, 2013, 04:02 PM

Are the guns not working?
I wouldn't polish anything that isn't steel.

je9659 · February 28, 2013, 10:36 PM

I have always polished the feedramps on any auto I have and if done properly it will help. Anyone knows that an object will slide easier on glass than on stone, so the bullet nose will move up the feed ramp with less drag if it's polished to a mirror shine.

RickB · March 1, 2013, 05:05 PM

Put two pieces of glass together, and see how they slide!
The tip of the bullet usually glances off a point on the feedramp, rather than sliding up the ramp, so while it's good to have a smooth surface, any surface will soon become covered with firing residue, and I don't know much benefit a mirror polish really is. The shape, angle, and location of the ramp is what's really important.

saltydog452 · March 2, 2013, 06:26 PM

Do-it-yourself can cost you a bit if you try to sell the item.

If there is a mirror reflective finish on the feed ramp, and that finish didn't come from a recognised shop like pistolwrench,etc., I will pass on the purchase.

Polishing, most likely won't help, and can lower the value, so why do it?

I have a couple of 'polished' ramps. They were done with a dab of Somechrome, my pinky, and a ratty t-shirt.

I get the warm and fuzzies looking at the ramp, but they came at a price.

salty

polyphemus · March 2, 2013, 07:13 PM

Please read post #8 it is common sense.
The feed ramp is not to be modified,it is machined to close tolerances and
it is not the cause of malfunctions,no benefits can be gained from changing
its dimensions and the opposite is bound to be the result of doing that.
Polishing,lapping,fine grinding and so on remove stock from the work and
unless you have a way to accurately measure what you do and you know what
you are trying to do you should not do it.If you damage the frame then you will
ruin the firearm.

drail · March 2, 2013, 10:07 PM

Every pistol I owned clearly shows that the nose of the cartridge doesn't "slide" up the ramp. It hits one small spot pretty hard and then bounces up into the roof of the chamber, breaks over and aligns. Polishing ramp is the last thing I would think of doing if a gun doesn't want to feed. Most people remove too much metal and change the angle. I would look at the finish of the breechface and the extractor hook first. It doesn't need to be "polished bright". Just knock any "speed bumps" off if you can feel them. Most guns have perfectly good feed ramps. All that is needed is the correct angle for the cartridge to strike.

BoogieMan · March 4, 2013, 12:08 PM

You wont remove enough to harm anything with polish and a rag. If you polish like that all week you wont remove .001". So go at it. The result will likely not change feeding at all but it will make cleaning a little easier.
I did have a NEOS that benefitted from a polish job. That was done with a china stone. A little diferent process and you could cause damage over time.

February 27, 2013, 02:53 PM	#1
fast20 Member Join Date: December 21, 2011 Posts: 77	polishing the ramp im going to polish the ramp on a few guns... just going to do it by hand...no dremel... is MOTHERS mag and aluminum polish ok to use... thanks

February 28, 2013, 02:21 PM	#5
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,985	Yes, it will polish steel. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

March 2, 2013, 06:26 PM	#9
saltydog452 Senior Member Join Date: August 16, 2004 Posts: 516	'Just gotta' Do-it-yourself can cost you a bit if you try to sell the item. If there is a mirror reflective finish on the feed ramp, and that finish didn't come from a recognised shop like pistolwrench,etc., I will pass on the purchase. Polishing, most likely won't help, and can lower the value, so why do it? I have a couple of 'polished' ramps. They were done with a dab of Somechrome, my pinky, and a ratty t-shirt. I get the warm and fuzzies looking at the ramp, but they came at a price. salty __________________ Bread and Circuses don't pay the Bills.

March 4, 2013, 12:08 PM	#12
BoogieMan Senior Member Join Date: April 4, 2012 Location: South Jersey Posts: 2,217	You wont remove enough to harm anything with polish and a rag. If you polish like that all week you wont remove .001". So go at it. The result will likely not change feeding at all but it will make cleaning a little easier. I did have a NEOS that benefitted from a polish job. That was done with a china stone. A little diferent process and you could cause damage over time. __________________ Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it. Milton Freidman "If you find yourself in a fair fight,,, Your tactics suck"- Unknown

February 27, 2013, 11:09 PM	#2
drail Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2008 Posts: 3,150	No, you won't hurt anything with just a rag and polish. It won't really help any though. But if it makes you happy.......

February 28, 2013, 10:17 AM	#3
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	FWIW, magnesium/aluminum polish won't polish steel - Well, maybe Polish steel. . . (You say "tom-ay-toe"; I say "tom-ah"toe" )

February 28, 2013, 01:49 PM	#4
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	It will help. I used simichrome or flitz and polish away while watching TV. Soon you will have a mirror finish. If the ramp was blued, painted or just unfinished raw steel it will smooth it up and every little bit helps.

February 28, 2013, 04:02 PM	#6
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	Are the guns not working? I wouldn't polish anything that isn't steel.

February 28, 2013, 10:36 PM	#7
je9659 Junior Member Join Date: February 26, 2013 Posts: 2	I have always polished the feedramps on any auto I have and if done properly it will help. Anyone knows that an object will slide easier on glass than on stone, so the bullet nose will move up the feed ramp with less drag if it's polished to a mirror shine.

March 1, 2013, 05:05 PM	#8
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	Put two pieces of glass together, and see how they slide! The tip of the bullet usually glances off a point on the feedramp, rather than sliding up the ramp, so while it's good to have a smooth surface, any surface will soon become covered with firing residue, and I don't know much benefit a mirror polish really is. The shape, angle, and location of the ramp is what's really important.

March 2, 2013, 07:13 PM	#10
polyphemus Senior Member Join Date: June 24, 2012 Posts: 1,055	Please read post #8 it is common sense. The feed ramp is not to be modified,it is machined to close tolerances and it is not the cause of malfunctions,no benefits can be gained from changing its dimensions and the opposite is bound to be the result of doing that. Polishing,lapping,fine grinding and so on remove stock from the work and unless you have a way to accurately measure what you do and you know what you are trying to do you should not do it.If you damage the frame then you will ruin the firearm.

March 2, 2013, 10:07 PM	#11
drail Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2008 Posts: 3,150	Every pistol I owned clearly shows that the nose of the cartridge doesn't "slide" up the ramp. It hits one small spot pretty hard and then bounces up into the roof of the chamber, breaks over and aligns. Polishing ramp is the last thing I would think of doing if a gun doesn't want to feed. Most people remove too much metal and change the angle. I would look at the finish of the breechface and the extractor hook first. It doesn't need to be "polished bright". Just knock any "speed bumps" off if you can feel them. Most guns have perfectly good feed ramps. All that is needed is the correct angle for the cartridge to strike.