scratches on Parkerized 1911

prater · September 24, 2006, 11:29 PM

So I have a few scratches on my S.A. 1911 A1 Mil Spec. The most prominant one was caused by the slide stop as I re insterted it during reassembly. The second is very shallow and was caused by my fobus (pos) holster. So my question is, aside from having it refinished what can I do to get rid of these scratches?

Dfariswheel · September 24, 2006, 11:33 PM

Not much.

That's one down side to parkerizing: there's no good touch up available.

You can use cold blue to darken the scratch, but due to the rough parkerized finish, it's won't blend in very good, but will be less noticeable.

You'll need to be careful to limit the cold blue to JUST the scratch, since cold blue does tend to make a "splotch" of discoloration around the area.

Don P · September 25, 2006, 06:46 AM

and it's called use. Patina wear and tear. Did you buy it to use it or keep it as a safe queen? Just my opinion, the marks, ( scratchs and finish wear from holsters ) add class to the handgun. The only way to keep them looking pristine is to take them out of the box wipe it down and place it in the safe and remove it once a week for it's wipe down and placed back in the safe.

CDH · September 25, 2006, 07:23 AM

Guns are tools (or at least, intended as such) so scratches that don't harm it's functionality are just marks that show use. No big deal. It's kind of like when you buy a brand new car and you treat it like it's your first born...

... but after it get's it's first grocery cart dent it takes a load off your mind.
Like that.

If you really love the pistol and can't bear to have it scratched, go ahead and buy an identical brand new one and keep in in your safe and never use it. Then you won't be so uptight about the one you "use".

Carter

Lucky 7 · September 25, 2006, 07:28 AM

Your gun offically has character!

Regards,
-L7

threegun · September 25, 2006, 07:32 AM

Who buys a parkerized finished pistol for its looks anyway?

Sarge · September 25, 2006, 07:58 AM

+1 on the "predictable consequences of normal use" answer, as well as the cold-blue touch-up, before the finish wear gets beyond isolated spots. I have a parked WWII Auto Ord and Birchwood Casey's liquid seems to work as well as anything. It don't wear worth a hoot, but it does cover the bright spots and it comes in a nice, big bottle- apply according to your tastes and conscience. A wooden matchstick works well for me.

DennisD · September 25, 2006, 09:04 AM

Ah, that reassembly scratch. Very few 1911’s that actually get shot and cleaned don’t have that. Even when you are careful to do it correctly, there will usually be that one occasion when you slip up.

autopsytech · September 25, 2006, 03:16 PM

Even though it's not a 1911, my hi-power has those kinds of scratches. They give me an excuse to give to my wife that I have to get a new gun because the current one "has scratches and looks old". It worked for me!

prater · September 25, 2006, 05:05 PM

Well its good to know that the scratch from the slide stop is not uncommon. I don' t mind the scratches much but the reasembly scratch is pretty noticable and I didn't know that was pretty common. I use the weapon frequently but I have always taken pride on how clean I keep my weapon, if its common though then it doesn't really bother me. As long as its not rust I'm happy.

CDH · September 25, 2006, 06:57 PM

Quote:

I use the weapon frequently but I have always taken pride on how clean I keep my weapon, if its common though then it doesn't really bother me.

Well, I don't want to make you feel any worse... but I will.

It's mostly "common" on pistols that are owned by people who are relatively new to 1911 pistols.
My first one was a Satin Nickel Commander that I put that scratch on just one time, and felt as bad as you do about it. I later sold that one.

Now, I have three other 1911's, 2 commanders and a government (all stainless), and not one of them has "the mark", and they never will.
Once you learn by mistake, you take the effort to learn how NOT to do it, and it really is VERY EASY to reassemble a 1911 WITHOUT doing that ever again.
So don't worry about it, just shoot it. And I bet that any future 1911's you have will never have that mark again. Be aware, however, that there IS a trick to it, so don't go too far until you figure it out.

Carter

prater · September 25, 2006, 07:00 PM

makes sense since this was my first handgun ever... could you elaborate on "the trick".

Jim Watson · September 25, 2006, 07:04 PM

CDH, prater,

The 1911 is designed for the slide stop to be put in by positioning the bevel on the actuating lug against the tip of the plunger, and out of contact with the frame, and then pushing up and in to cam back the plunger and snap the slide stop in place.

Unfortunately the manufacturers support the production of the idiot mark by making the parts wrong, with an incorrect bevel on the slide stop and a long or insufficiently radiused plunger tip. It may not have been your fault.

AK103K · September 25, 2006, 07:15 PM

Quote:

... could you elaborate on "the trick".

When your putting the gun back together, and go to put the slide stop in, put it in so its hanging down into the trigger guard. Once you have everyhting in place, pull it back just a tad so it wount drag on the frame as it sweeps up. Place the rear of it on the plunger and in one fluid motion, push slightly up and in and it should pop right in. If you hesitate, the plunger may get caught in the notch and you may need a shim(small screwdriveer works or something similar) to depress the plunger.

Quote:

Who buys a parkerized finished pistol for its looks anyway?

Oh I dont konw, I think park is sexy. Its kind of like that rough looking girl that........

CDH · September 25, 2006, 07:59 PM

The previous posts describe it well enough, but pictures always help the words make more sense, so scroll down to the last three photos on the following page to see how to do it.
Note that taking the slide stop out is really easy because when you start pushing it through, you just go straight out with it.
It's putting it back in that's the tricky part, but once you learn it, you'll never scratch the pistol again.

http://www.m1911.org/stripin1.htm

Carter

DennisD · September 25, 2006, 08:10 PM

Quote:

It's mostly "common" on pistols that are owned by people who are relatively new to 1911 pistols.

Are you implying that I’m not a member of the “Secret Society of the Holy 1911”? Actually, I know the “secret of insertion” and my Colt doesn’t have the scratch. My point was, I’ll bet that for every 10 you see in the real world, over half have at least a small reassembly scratch.

joecad · September 25, 2006, 08:34 PM

i too have the enlightened knowledge of slide stop insertion without scratching....its tricky and a slip is always a possibility.
the bluing is a good idea...i prefer the paste.
i would suggest that you wait awhile get more dings and scratches and then refinish it yourself.

Ronny · September 25, 2006, 09:54 PM

I use my finger nail to depress the plunger so that the slide stop can fit into place without much force.

Practice a whole bunch on your parkerized 1911 before you put a mark on a Brown or Baer, after which there is no excuse!

tegemu · September 26, 2006, 08:53 AM

A little more on insertion technique. On some 1911's, just pushing the slide release up and in will not work, they are just too tight. In that event, I use an assist tool, ususlly a plastic mallet or a plastic handled screwdriver and give the rear portion a sharp, light hit, in an up and in direction, to drive it into place. It works like a charm.

If I did have a scratch, my inclination would be to get a "Sharpie" or other indelible pen and color it in to match, as closely as possible, the original color.

us.marine · June 16, 2013, 09:46 PM

Well, I can say that I hate scratching my guns. I know, they are tools, but it hacks me off when I scratch my gun because I did something wrong. I don't mind wear marks, because they give character to the gun. I have found that Skinner Sights sells what they call Skinner blue, which is used to re-blue their front sights after filing. I believe is more of a parkerizing solution. I have used it on my ww2 USGI 1911 replica and it works very well. Not perfect but almost un-noticeable. Colors bare metal flat black.

DaleA · June 16, 2013, 11:03 PM

Good to know information but they might have learned to live with the problem by now...this thread is over six years old.

**Spats McGee** · June 17, 2013, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by threegun

Who buys a parkerized finished pistol for its looks anyway?

I don't buy guns for their looks, but I like the looks of a park'd gun.

Sharpsdressed Man · June 17, 2013, 12:45 PM

THAT'S what we need! A few pictures of well worn, dinged, scratched, and otherwise patina'd and "character worn" handguns, so the OP can see that his is starting towards telling the story of his shooting partnership with that gun. Here are three of mine. All have wear, and I do not mind carrying them into the field, or all day long, or getting caught in the woods for a week, should the need arise. Any new scratch would probably go unnoticed. There is something to be said for that. [IMG]

[/IMG]

9mmfan · June 17, 2013, 12:49 PM

Dig those irons, Sharps.

Tactical Jackalope · June 17, 2013, 12:50 PM

I'd leave them. They're badges of honor for the guns. I wouldn't worry about a scratch on my hammer much either. I just don't know if I feel the same about the mark from reassembly on a 1911...I can't stand those.

Depends on what you want to do and if you find it worth it to refinish the gun because of those marks.

Do what makes you feel happy. I mean that in 100% honesty.

September 24, 2006, 11:29 PM	#1
prater Member Join Date: March 28, 2006 Posts: 77	scratches on Parkerized 1911 So I have a few scratches on my S.A. 1911 A1 Mil Spec. The most prominant one was caused by the slide stop as I re insterted it during reassembly. The second is very shallow and was caused by my fobus (pos) holster. So my question is, aside from having it refinished what can I do to get rid of these scratches?

September 25, 2006, 06:46 AM	#3
Don P Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2005 Location: Swamp dweller Posts: 6,187	Not much and it's called use. Patina wear and tear. Did you buy it to use it or keep it as a safe queen? Just my opinion, the marks, ( scratchs and finish wear from holsters ) add class to the handgun. The only way to keep them looking pristine is to take them out of the box wipe it down and place it in the safe and remove it once a week for it's wipe down and placed back in the safe. __________________ *NRA Life Member, NRA Chief Range Safety Officer, NRA Certified Pistol Instructor,, USPSA & Steel Challange NROI Range Officer, ICORE Range Officer, ,MAG 40 Graduate* *As you are, I once was, As I am, You will be.*

September 25, 2006, 07:28 AM	#5
Lucky 7 Senior Member Join Date: April 20, 2002 Posts: 454	Your gun offically has character! Regards, -L7 __________________ Signature Space For Rent. SOLD! "Just relax. Breath normally. All you should see is the front sight post. Ignore the the target. Wait for the pause between breaths and when you feel good about it...ease the trigger back." -PMI Sgt. Hopkins, USMC

September 25, 2006, 07:58 AM	#7
Sarge Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2002 Location: MO Posts: 5,457	+1 on the "predictable consequences of normal use" answer, as well as the cold-blue touch-up, before the finish wear gets beyond isolated spots. I have a parked WWII Auto Ord and Birchwood Casey's liquid seems to work as well as anything. It don't wear worth a hoot, but it does cover the bright spots and it comes in a nice, big bottle- apply according to your tastes and conscience. A wooden matchstick works well for me. __________________ People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice.

September 25, 2006, 09:04 AM	#8
DennisD Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2004 Location: Texas Posts: 365	Ah, that reassembly scratch. Very few 1911’s that actually get shot and cleaned don’t have that. Even when you are careful to do it correctly, there will usually be that one occasion when you slip up. __________________ What part of "... shall not be infringed" do you not understand?! NRA Life

September 24, 2006, 11:33 PM	#2
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	Not much. That's one down side to parkerizing: there's no good touch up available. You can use cold blue to darken the scratch, but due to the rough parkerized finish, it's won't blend in very good, but will be less noticeable. You'll need to be careful to limit the cold blue to JUST the scratch, since cold blue does tend to make a "splotch" of discoloration around the area.

September 25, 2006, 07:23 AM	#4
CDH Senior Member Join Date: August 18, 2005 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 941	Guns are tools (or at least, intended as such) so scratches that don't harm it's functionality are just marks that show use. No big deal. It's kind of like when you buy a brand new car and you treat it like it's your first born... ... but after it get's it's first grocery cart dent it takes a load off your mind. Like that. If you really love the pistol and can't bear to have it scratched, go ahead and buy an identical brand new one and keep in in your safe and never use it. Then you won't be so uptight about the one you "use". Carter

September 25, 2006, 07:32 AM	#6
threegun Junior member Join Date: March 1, 2006 Location: Tampa,Fl Posts: 4,000	Who buys a parkerized finished pistol for its looks anyway?

September 25, 2006, 03:16 PM	#9
autopsytech Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 179	Even though it's not a 1911, my hi-power has those kinds of scratches. They give me an excuse to give to my wife that I have to get a new gun because the current one "has scratches and looks old". It worked for me!

September 25, 2006, 05:05 PM	#10
prater Member Join Date: March 28, 2006 Posts: 77	Well its good to know that the scratch from the slide stop is not uncommon. I don' t mind the scratches much but the reasembly scratch is pretty noticable and I didn't know that was pretty common. I use the weapon frequently but I have always taken pride on how clean I keep my weapon, if its common though then it doesn't really bother me. As long as its not rust I'm happy.

September 25, 2006, 07:00 PM	#12
prater Member Join Date: March 28, 2006 Posts: 77	makes sense since this was my first handgun ever... could you elaborate on "the trick".

September 25, 2006, 07:04 PM	#13
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,539	CDH, prater, The 1911 is designed for the slide stop to be put in by positioning the bevel on the actuating lug against the tip of the plunger, and out of contact with the frame, and then pushing up and in to cam back the plunger and snap the slide stop in place. Unfortunately the manufacturers support the production of the idiot mark by making the parts wrong, with an incorrect bevel on the slide stop and a long or insufficiently radiused plunger tip. It may not have been your fault.

September 25, 2006, 07:59 PM	#15
CDH Senior Member Join Date: August 18, 2005 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 941	The previous posts describe it well enough, but pictures always help the words make more sense, so scroll down to the last three photos on the following page to see how to do it. Note that taking the slide stop out is really easy because when you start pushing it through, you just go straight out with it. It's putting it back in that's the tricky part, but once you learn it, you'll never scratch the pistol again. http://www.m1911.org/stripin1.htm Carter

September 25, 2006, 08:34 PM	#17
joecad Senior Member Join Date: April 19, 2005 Location: nky Posts: 263	i too have the enlightened knowledge of slide stop insertion without scratching....its tricky and a slip is always a possibility. the bluing is a good idea...i prefer the paste. i would suggest that you wait awhile get more dings and scratches and then refinish it yourself. __________________ I'ld rather die standing than live kneeling

September 25, 2006, 09:54 PM	#18
Ronny Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2005 Posts: 206	I use my finger nail to depress the plunger so that the slide stop can fit into place without much force. Practice a whole bunch on your parkerized 1911 before you put a mark on a Brown or Baer, after which there is no excuse!

September 26, 2006, 08:53 AM	#19
tegemu Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2005 Location: Orange Park, Fla Posts: 1,019	A little more on insertion technique. On some 1911's, just pushing the slide release up and in will not work, they are just too tight. In that event, I use an assist tool, ususlly a plastic mallet or a plastic handled screwdriver and give the rear portion a sharp, light hit, in an up and in direction, to drive it into place. It works like a charm. If I did have a scratch, my inclination would be to get a "Sharpie" or other indelible pen and color it in to match, as closely as possible, the original color. __________________ People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence in their behalf. - George Orwell

June 16, 2013, 09:46 PM	#20
us.marine Member Join Date: February 11, 2013 Location: Newport, NC Posts: 34	Pretty useful. Well, I can say that I hate scratching my guns. I know, they are tools, but it hacks me off when I scratch my gun because I did something wrong. I don't mind wear marks, because they give character to the gun. I have found that Skinner Sights sells what they call Skinner blue, which is used to re-blue their front sights after filing. I believe is more of a parkerizing solution. I have used it on my ww2 USGI 1911 replica and it works very well. Not perfect but almost un-noticeable. Colors bare metal flat black. __________________ US Marine Corps, Ret. Semper Fi! Only God can judge terrorists. We arrange the meetings... US Marines. Last edited by Spats McGee; June 17, 2013 at 12:29 PM. Reason: Removing asterisks.

June 16, 2013, 11:03 PM	#21
DaleA Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2002 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 5,312	Good to know information but they might have learned to live with the problem by now...this thread is over six years old.

June 17, 2013, 12:45 PM	#23
Sharpsdressed Man Junior member Join Date: June 21, 2009 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 1,176	THAT'S what we need! A few pictures of well worn, dinged, scratched, and otherwise patina'd and "character worn" handguns, so the OP can see that his is starting towards telling the story of his shooting partnership with that gun. Here are three of mine. All have wear, and I do not mind carrying them into the field, or all day long, or getting caught in the woods for a week, should the need arise. Any new scratch would probably go unnoticed. There is something to be said for that. [IMG][/IMG]

June 17, 2013, 12:49 PM	#24
9mmfan Senior Member Join Date: May 26, 2012 Location: Weatherford, TX Posts: 301	Dig those irons, Sharps.

June 17, 2013, 12:50 PM	#25
Tactical Jackalope Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2010 Location: Miami, Florida Posts: 6,429	I'd leave them. They're badges of honor for the guns. I wouldn't worry about a scratch on my hammer much either. I just don't know if I feel the same about the mark from reassembly on a 1911...I can't stand those. Depends on what you want to do and if you find it worth it to refinish the gun because of those marks. Do what makes you feel happy. I mean that in 100% honesty.