Scratched finish on new 1911

Bmpmanly · April 2, 2009, 12:08 AM

This is my first post, but have been checking out these forums for awhile. I have found the forum members very helpful to fellow enthusiast (even new ones) needing assistance. Enough sucking up, here we go ...

I have recently started shooting (love it) and have purchased a couple of handguns. I own two Springfield XD 9mm - one is the 4" and the other is the subcompact. Both have black frames and the Melonite finish barrel. I have really enjoyed shooting both, and have found them both easy to disassemble and clean.

I decided to break into the world of 1911's and bought my first .45 this week. A beauty of a gun jumped out at me while visiting a local gun dealer (great guys, excellent shop). I bought a new Dan Wesson Pointman 7 with a stainless steel finish (probably more gun than I deserve first time out). I read through the instructions for disassembly, and proceeded to disassemble it to clean the factory oil and apply some new lubricant. The bushing was a little tight, but after a few minutes I had it broken down. In the process of reassembling it I inadvertently scratched the slide with the slide stop while trying to line it up with the barrel link. I now have a thin 3/4" to an 1" crescent shaped scratch in the slide.

My question - I know this doesn't affect the performance of the gun, but have I committed a cardinal sin or negatively impacted the aesthetic of the gun. I am trying to keep my OCD in check. Are minute scratches / blemishes in a handgun's stainless steel finish typical or is this something I can repair or seek to have repaired? I either need a reality check or some advise.

I bought this gun to shoot and enjoy shooting, not as a museum piece. But I also hate it that I scratched the finish right out the gate.

Thanks

Playboypenguin · April 2, 2009, 12:10 AM

Easily fixed on a stainless gun.

Bmpmanly · April 2, 2009, 12:12 AM

Do you have any recommendations on how to repair or should I take it to the shop and ask?

Warchild · April 2, 2009, 12:17 AM

You could take green scotch brite pad and some gun oil and go with the grain but I wouldn't screw with it if I were you. If you take it out of the box and use it as it was designed, you WILL scuff, scratch, and blemish the weapon, no getting around that. Does a new car stay spotless and flawless forever? No? Why.... because it is used as it was intended. When it gets so bad you can't stand it, send it back to Scott at DW and get it cleaned up. My DW CBOB which is an '09 production already has surface abrasions on the slide from being fired at the range and on the mainspring housing, no getting around it. It's a tool, a beautiful one, but a tool. I pamper mine the best I can but things will happen, even a small particle of dirt or something on the bench at the range and it can happen. If you constantly obsess about it you will never truly enjoy it. Please, do yourself a favor, relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor, getting it cleaned up later is not a huge undertaking and can be done relatively cheap.

Bmpmanly · April 2, 2009, 12:30 AM

dw-scratch.jpg (trying to figure out how to get the photo in the post)

Here's a quick photo.

Thanks Warchild. I appreciate the input. I fully intend to enjoy the gun this Friday at the range!

I know a little wear is inevitable. It's good to know it can be taken care of if necessary in the future. (The gun was a nice chunk of change.) I like the idea of a professional doing it. Do the folks a DW offer that? - I'll look around at the website. Is that something most gunsmiths can do?

Warchild · April 2, 2009, 12:33 AM

Sucks......... but adds character. Bet you'll never make the same mistake again. Consider it a learning lesson and move on. It won't effect the aerodynamics of the pistol I promise!

If it is going to be a safe queen and kept in a display case for all to see and never to be fired or used extensively at the range, absolutely, send that sucker back ASAP and get her freshened up, if not, run her ragged and get Scott to fix you up later. Worrying won't make it go away, laugh about it, learn from it, and just enjoy the darn thing.

Casimer · April 2, 2009, 12:55 AM

Look up some of Playboypenguin's posts to see what you - or at least he - can do to fix-up stainless.

Warchild · April 2, 2009, 12:59 AM

Yah bro.... Scott at DW could fix you up. 1911forums.com have a DW subforum with contact information stickied at the top. As Casimer pointed out, there are people out there that can do it and have no reservations or hesitation about doing it. That would be an option for you as well, if after reading their advice and instructions you feel confident enough with doing it yourself, roll on, if worst comes and you screw it up you can still send it back to DW to have it fixed. Myself, LOL, I have never done it myself and am pretty sure I might be able to manage, but that little OCD voice in the back of my mind would constantly be telling me it would have looked better if I had sent it off. At that point, I would have to try again, then again, then again, making it worse each time I'm sure until I made it look worse than I started with, at which point I would have to have someone else fix my mistakes.

Tex S · April 2, 2009, 01:04 AM

That pistol is ruined and I officially render it useless.

However, out of sheer pity, I will take it off your hands for $100.

Let me know whats up...

Seriously though, I scratched my first 1911 like that. I promise you will never do it again. Dont sweat it. If you get any use out of it more scratches will undoubtedly appear.

My DW Marksman will be here Friday. I cant wait!!!

tom234 · April 2, 2009, 01:48 AM

Shoot it for a year then re-elvaluate the scratch and see if it matters anymore......

AZAK · April 2, 2009, 04:06 AM

I feel your pain. Finally getting a brand new Whatyoumacallit and then putting a ding on it. Cars, houses, guns, etc... It still is a pain.

I have stainless in several of my guns, including a Colt 1911 Government. Whenever I start cleaning that one, I notice every little scratch that I have added over time, think about cleaning it up, and remember that one of my worst looking guns, a S&W Model 60 snub, has had a lot of use and has character. (And it really does not look that bad; just has the most character, which most people would not even notice, just me.)

Keep em clean and lubed, and use them for what they were intended. A Ferrari without a rock chip is living a pretty boring life, in that garage, under the car cover, up on blocks, etc... You get the picture?

You next of kin may not agree with me...

Bmpmanly · April 3, 2009, 05:14 PM

Thanks folks - I'll take the advice. I shot it today at the range - great gun, great fun.

shepherddogs · April 3, 2009, 06:02 PM

I bet I know exactly how you did that.

Rinspeed · April 3, 2009, 06:39 PM

I work with stainless on a daily basis. That's a pretty good scratch, you could try to blend it in but it might end up looking worse than it does now. DW has awesome customer service so if it bugs you that much you might want to send it back.

Trathen · April 3, 2009, 06:45 PM

Congratulations! You have just transformed a brand new 1911 into your 1911!

Tom2 · April 3, 2009, 07:05 PM

Mine has a mark on the frame from the slide release. I don't remember if I did it or the previous owner. Well you can take some Simichrome or Flitz and rub it real good. It will hide it a little and is good for polishing up the whole gun except in any bead blasted areas. You can't really overdo it with hand rubbing and those polishes. Not for use on blued guns though. At least if you ever want to get it redone it should not cost like a blueing job.

alfack · April 3, 2009, 07:12 PM

Just take some 800 grit sand paper with a little oil and go with the grain, lightly. When you get the scratch out, move up to some 2000 grit. You may have to do the surrounding area a bit to blend it in. That's the beauty of stainless. It's easy to refinish.

Kreyzhorse · April 3, 2009, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Congratulations! You have just transformed a brand new 1911 into your 1911!

+1. If its a working gun, it will get scratched. PBP can give you advice to polish it right out or just leave it as is. It will get another one.

Erik · April 3, 2009, 11:21 PM

An "idiot scratch?" (Search the web for the term: "1911 Idiot Scratch.") Don't worry about it.* It is a condescending term for a common feature of any 1911 handled by someone at the beginning of the 1911 learning curve.

*Don't worry about it if it is your pistol.

B.N.Real · April 4, 2009, 02:04 AM

No,I don't like the scratch either.

You bought the thing flawless,I'd be mad at myself too.

Because it's right next to the computer installed lettering on the gun,you will have to be very careful how you try to fix it.

I don't know how you're going to fix that without dimming that writing.

If that lettering was'nt in exactly the wrong place you could easily buff it out and polish it.

Figures,right?

Hope you find a solution.

Maybe someone at Dan Wesson can help you.

Maybe you could ship them back the slide only for a buff out.

IMightBeWrong · April 4, 2009, 03:15 AM

In the 1911 community, that's known as the idiot scratch, or the newbie scratch, depending on who you talk to. Its more accurate to call it the newbie scratch. It happens more often than not with people new to the platform. The last Colt I owned I bought used and it came with the mark. Not hard to get rid of, and I'm guessing you'll be more careful putting it back in in the future now.

roadrash · April 4, 2009, 05:18 AM

Most newbies scratch the frame,not the slide.

Your an extra special newbie!

Piper Cub · April 4, 2009, 05:53 AM

Funnist thread I have read for a while. Thanks for the morning chuckle.

You have the option of bringing the sides of the slide to a high polish with semi-chrome.

Tom2 · April 4, 2009, 10:35 AM

I still think using the polish paste would be a good start. If the gun has a "brushed" stainless finish, where they use something to impart a "grain" in the finish lengthwise, versus something like a Colt hi polish stainless which is mirror bright like nickel, if you go using alot of abrasives on it, you will wipe away the brushed finish look and have a smooth shiny spot surrounded by the brushed finish. Then you will have to polish the whole flats on each side of the slide to look even. If you want flawless, you leave the gun in it's box and keep it in a safe. Did you buy it as an investment safe queen or a shooter? When fixing flaws like that, always start with the least aggresive method versus going at it with an emery board and reaching the point of no return quickly!

Genepix · April 4, 2009, 02:31 PM

I took delivery of my brand new CBOB a couple of weeks ago and did the very same thing on my first reassembly. Greatly embarrassed, I presented it to my local gunsmith, who just smiled and said he would be happy to fix it, but why? Like many on this forum, I was welcomed to new 1911 ownership....I don't feel nearly as bad now, and the gun shoots great!

April 2, 2009, 12:08 AM	#1
Bmpmanly Junior Member Join Date: April 1, 2009 Location: East Texas Posts: 7	Scratched finish on new 1911 This is my first post, but have been checking out these forums for awhile. I have found the forum members very helpful to fellow enthusiast (even new ones) needing assistance. Enough sucking up, here we go ... I have recently started shooting (love it) and have purchased a couple of handguns. I own two Springfield XD 9mm - one is the 4" and the other is the subcompact. Both have black frames and the Melonite finish barrel. I have really enjoyed shooting both, and have found them both easy to disassemble and clean. I decided to break into the world of 1911's and bought my first .45 this week. A beauty of a gun jumped out at me while visiting a local gun dealer (great guys, excellent shop). I bought a new Dan Wesson Pointman 7 with a stainless steel finish (probably more gun than I deserve first time out). I read through the instructions for disassembly, and proceeded to disassemble it to clean the factory oil and apply some new lubricant. The bushing was a little tight, but after a few minutes I had it broken down. In the process of reassembling it I inadvertently scratched the slide with the slide stop while trying to line it up with the barrel link. I now have a thin 3/4" to an 1" crescent shaped scratch in the slide. My question - I know this doesn't affect the performance of the gun, but have I committed a cardinal sin or negatively impacted the aesthetic of the gun. I am trying to keep my OCD in check. Are minute scratches / blemishes in a handgun's stainless steel finish typical or is this something I can repair or seek to have repaired? I either need a reality check or some advise. I bought this gun to shoot and enjoy shooting, not as a museum piece. But I also hate it that I scratched the finish right out the gate. Thanks

April 2, 2009, 12:17 AM	#4
Warchild Senior Member Join Date: March 4, 2009 Posts: 453	You could take green scotch brite pad and some gun oil and go with the grain but I wouldn't screw with it if I were you. If you take it out of the box and use it as it was designed, you WILL scuff, scratch, and blemish the weapon, no getting around that. Does a new car stay spotless and flawless forever? No? Why.... because it is used as it was intended. When it gets so bad you can't stand it, send it back to Scott at DW and get it cleaned up. My DW CBOB which is an '09 production already has surface abrasions on the slide from being fired at the range and on the mainspring housing, no getting around it. It's a tool, a beautiful one, but a tool. I pamper mine the best I can but things will happen, even a small particle of dirt or something on the bench at the range and it can happen. If you constantly obsess about it you will never truly enjoy it. Please, do yourself a favor, relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor, getting it cleaned up later is not a huge undertaking and can be done relatively cheap. Last edited by Warchild; April 2, 2009 at 12:22 AM.

April 2, 2009, 12:30 AM	#5
Bmpmanly Junior Member Join Date: April 1, 2009 Location: East Texas Posts: 7	dw-scratch.jpg (trying to figure out how to get the photo in the post) Here's a quick photo. Thanks Warchild. I appreciate the input. I fully intend to enjoy the gun this Friday at the range! I know a little wear is inevitable. It's good to know it can be taken care of if necessary in the future. (The gun was a nice chunk of change.) I like the idea of a professional doing it. Do the folks a DW offer that? - I'll look around at the website. Is that something most gunsmiths can do? Last edited by Bmpmanly; April 2, 2009 at 12:38 AM.

April 3, 2009, 06:39 PM	#14
Rinspeed Senior Member Join Date: February 1, 2000 Posts: 1,506	I work with stainless on a daily basis. That's a pretty good scratch, you could try to blend it in but it might end up looking worse than it does now. DW has awesome customer service so if it bugs you that much you might want to send it back. Last edited by Rinspeed; April 4, 2009 at 08:01 AM.

April 4, 2009, 05:18 AM	#22
roadrash Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2005 Posts: 367	Most newbies scratch the frame,not the slide.Your an extra special newbie!

April 2, 2009, 12:10 AM	#2
Playboypenguin Junior member Join Date: February 27, 2006 Location: Great Pacific Northwest Posts: 11,515	Easily fixed on a stainless gun.

April 2, 2009, 12:12 AM	#3
Bmpmanly Junior Member Join Date: April 1, 2009 Location: East Texas Posts: 7	Do you have any recommendations on how to repair or should I take it to the shop and ask?

April 2, 2009, 12:33 AM	#6
Warchild Senior Member Join Date: March 4, 2009 Posts: 453	Sucks......... but adds character. Bet you'll never make the same mistake again. Consider it a learning lesson and move on. It won't effect the aerodynamics of the pistol I promise! If it is going to be a safe queen and kept in a display case for all to see and never to be fired or used extensively at the range, absolutely, send that sucker back ASAP and get her freshened up, if not, run her ragged and get Scott to fix you up later. Worrying won't make it go away, laugh about it, learn from it, and just enjoy the darn thing.

April 2, 2009, 12:55 AM	#7
Casimer Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2007 Location: Pennsylvania, USA Posts: 1,918	Look up some of Playboypenguin's posts to see what you - or at least he - can do to fix-up stainless.

April 2, 2009, 12:59 AM	#8
Warchild Senior Member Join Date: March 4, 2009 Posts: 453	Yah bro.... Scott at DW could fix you up. 1911forums.com have a DW subforum with contact information stickied at the top. As Casimer pointed out, there are people out there that can do it and have no reservations or hesitation about doing it. That would be an option for you as well, if after reading their advice and instructions you feel confident enough with doing it yourself, roll on, if worst comes and you screw it up you can still send it back to DW to have it fixed. Myself, LOL, I have never done it myself and am pretty sure I might be able to manage, but that little OCD voice in the back of my mind would constantly be telling me it would have looked better if I had sent it off. At that point, I would have to try again, then again, then again, making it worse each time I'm sure until I made it look worse than I started with, at which point I would have to have someone else fix my mistakes.

April 2, 2009, 01:04 AM	#9
Tex S Senior Member Join Date: November 12, 2008 Location: Fort Worth, TEXAS Posts: 909	That pistol is ruined and I officially render it useless. However, out of sheer pity, I will take it off your hands for $100. Let me know whats up... Seriously though, I scratched my first 1911 like that. I promise you will never do it again. Dont sweat it. If you get any use out of it more scratches will undoubtedly appear. My DW Marksman will be here Friday. I cant wait!!!

April 2, 2009, 01:48 AM	#10
tom234 Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 2008 Location: Kansas Posts: 753	Shoot it for a year then re-elvaluate the scratch and see if it matters anymore......

April 2, 2009, 04:06 AM	#11
AZAK Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2008 Location: the object towards which the action of the sea is directed Posts: 2,123	I feel your pain. Finally getting a brand new Whatyoumacallit and then putting a ding on it. Cars, houses, guns, etc... It still is a pain. I have stainless in several of my guns, including a Colt 1911 Government. Whenever I start cleaning that one, I notice every little scratch that I have added over time, think about cleaning it up, and remember that one of my worst looking guns, a S&W Model 60 snub, has had a lot of use and has character. (And it really does not look that bad; just has the most character, which most people would not even notice, just me.) Keep em clean and lubed, and use them for what they were intended. A Ferrari without a rock chip is living a pretty boring life, in that garage, under the car cover, up on blocks, etc... You get the picture? You next of kin may not agree with me...

April 3, 2009, 05:14 PM	#12
Bmpmanly Junior Member Join Date: April 1, 2009 Location: East Texas Posts: 7	Thanks folks - I'll take the advice. I shot it today at the range - great gun, great fun.

April 3, 2009, 06:02 PM	#13
shepherddogs Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2007 Posts: 1,007	I bet I know exactly how you did that.

April 3, 2009, 06:45 PM	#15
Trathen Junior Member Join Date: March 31, 2009 Posts: 13	Congratulations! You have just transformed a brand new 1911 into your 1911!

April 3, 2009, 07:05 PM	#16
Tom2 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 5,676	Mine has a mark on the frame from the slide release. I don't remember if I did it or the previous owner. Well you can take some Simichrome or Flitz and rub it real good. It will hide it a little and is good for polishing up the whole gun except in any bead blasted areas. You can't really overdo it with hand rubbing and those polishes. Not for use on blued guns though. At least if you ever want to get it redone it should not cost like a blueing job.

April 3, 2009, 07:12 PM	#17
alfack Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2009 Location: Marysville, Washington Posts: 195	Just take some 800 grit sand paper with a little oil and go with the grain, lightly. When you get the scratch out, move up to some 2000 grit. You may have to do the surrounding area a bit to blend it in. That's the beauty of stainless. It's easy to refinish.

April 3, 2009, 11:21 PM	#19
Erik Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 1999 Location: America Posts: 3,479	An "idiot scratch?" (Search the web for the term: "1911 Idiot Scratch.") Don't worry about it.* It is a condescending term for a common feature of any 1911 handled by someone at the beginning of the 1911 learning curve. *Don't worry about it if it is your pistol.

April 4, 2009, 02:04 AM	#20
B.N.Real Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2008 Posts: 4,092	No,I don't like the scratch either. You bought the thing flawless,I'd be mad at myself too. Because it's right next to the computer installed lettering on the gun,you will have to be very careful how you try to fix it. I don't know how you're going to fix that without dimming that writing. If that lettering was'nt in exactly the wrong place you could easily buff it out and polish it. Figures,right? Hope you find a solution. Maybe someone at Dan Wesson can help you. Maybe you could ship them back the slide only for a buff out.

April 4, 2009, 03:15 AM	#21
IMightBeWrong Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2009 Posts: 814	In the 1911 community, that's known as the idiot scratch, or the newbie scratch, depending on who you talk to. Its more accurate to call it the newbie scratch. It happens more often than not with people new to the platform. The last Colt I owned I bought used and it came with the mark. Not hard to get rid of, and I'm guessing you'll be more careful putting it back in in the future now.

April 4, 2009, 05:53 AM	#23
Piper Cub Junior member Join Date: February 5, 2009 Location: TEXAS Posts: 491	Funnist thread I have read for a while. Thanks for the morning chuckle. You have the option of bringing the sides of the slide to a high polish with semi-chrome.

April 4, 2009, 10:35 AM	#24
Tom2 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 5,676	I still think using the polish paste would be a good start. If the gun has a "brushed" stainless finish, where they use something to impart a "grain" in the finish lengthwise, versus something like a Colt hi polish stainless which is mirror bright like nickel, if you go using alot of abrasives on it, you will wipe away the brushed finish look and have a smooth shiny spot surrounded by the brushed finish. Then you will have to polish the whole flats on each side of the slide to look even. If you want flawless, you leave the gun in it's box and keep it in a safe. Did you buy it as an investment safe queen or a shooter? When fixing flaws like that, always start with the least aggresive method versus going at it with an emery board and reaching the point of no return quickly!

April 4, 2009, 02:31 PM	#25
Genepix Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2008 Location: Sunshine State Posts: 313	I took delivery of my brand new CBOB a couple of weeks ago and did the very same thing on my first reassembly. Greatly embarrassed, I presented it to my local gunsmith, who just smiled and said he would be happy to fix it, but why? Like many on this forum, I was welcomed to new 1911 ownership....I don't feel nearly as bad now, and the gun shoots great!