ltwguns.com

I have this S&W 1911SC I am having Bobtailed, ALA Ed Brown and want to refinish the entire gun, as I will be having the billboard on the slide scrubbed off when the smith does the bobbing. I want a durable blackish finish but don't know the most desirable finish or where to send it. Any advice will be much appreciated.
Marsh

I'm having a customized Kimber done by EGW in their new Etreat finish. I don't have it back yet, but my decision to try it was heavily influenced by this thread:

http://louderthanwords.us/forum/viewtop ... highlight=

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Ted

Thanks for that link Ted. Sounds interesting. I assume it will work on Scandium or aluminun. I look forward to seeing pictures.
Marsh

Marsh- I think that EGW said it won't work on aluminum frames but it will work on stainless steel- sorry I missed you saying your S&W was a scandium frame. With a scandium frame, I'd probably have the lower anodized and the steel parts Etreated by EGW.

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Ted

If I may stick my 2cents here.
With the frame being TiSc it really isn't anodized, just coated IIRC.
Ti is fine by itself but is succeptable to halides in the atmosphere such as flourides and chlorides which cause corrosion. Ti on Ti contact causes galling. The last major reason for coating is static buildup and discharge of differing metals. Ti is passive but other metals like copper, zinc or aluminum carry charges through Ti.
So, the Ti is not anodized for surface hardness just coated. You in fact can get quite the rainbow of colors.
There are several companies that can handle the Ti job.

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"No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave."
Calvin Coolidge

I think you need a Smith like Chuck Rogers if you want that billboard cleaned off. It takes a lot of skill to remove that with a surface grinder. I know he can do this as he has done some for me many years ago. I can't comment on the rest of the finish. I have done titainum, but don't know anything about the other stuff.

Re: the billboard,
One of my favorite guns is the HK P7. There were several ex-German Police P7s surplussed off in the U.S. a couple of years ago. They had the police unit's crest milled off the slide. The importer didn't mill the entire side of the slide, but just that one spot, which isn't pretty.

Many people have had their P7 slide milled to get rid of that mess- similar to what you want. I don't have a link handy, if I ever did, but the name I kept hearing for that work was "Ford's Refinishing".

got it
http://www.fordsguns.com
too obvious for me to remember

Re: the billboard and atomic thingie. It is barely below the surface, so it seems as if one could sand lightly between the serrations on the slide

Al, who can do a coating on the scandium?
Marsh.

Just my 2 cents worth..
Any 'smith who works on 1911's and clones will be able to draw file your 'billboard' of and you would never know it was there. If he/she is good then they will do it before and after the serrarions on both sides to maintain the symetry of the slide. Those marks aren't deep enough to warrant milling them out (still have to draw file and polish out the machining marks anyway) As far as a good finish, I use KG Industries Gun-Kote on all my work. It's tough as hell and now with the latest 'air-cure' line up it would go on the scandium frame beautifully.

Marsh,

Ti is still the predominant metal. Sc is in a very small amount. I would say send it back to S&W for refinishing. There are numerous companies nationwide but few would have the FFLs needed for a frame.

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"No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave."
Calvin Coolidge

I was under the impression those Smith PD frames were aluminum with a very small amount of scandium- no titanium. The one I had for a brief period weighed almost exactly what my Colt LW Commander did. I have been known to be wrong, though.

Al, I concur with sparky- I think you are mistaken in saying that titanium is the main component of S&Ws Scandium alloy. I believe that scandium alloy is an aluminum alloy with scandium being part of the alloy.

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Ted

I have done some of that "Draw Filing" to remove stuff from the sides of the slide. There isn't enough money in the world to pay me to do that again! I am carrying a 1911 that I did 20 years ago and it reminds me of the sore fingers and several hours of wasted time. I will take a good man with a surface grinder everytime, now!

Well, I took the paragraph off the barrel of a NM Ruger BKH and it can in no way be that bad.
I too have heard that the SC frame is basically aluminun with SC added for strenght. Could be wrong. Often am.
Marsh

Go Fer It! I did a few and liked doing it back then when I was a poor white child trying to make enough money to break even in the 1911 business.



Here is the PPJG that I slapped together using that slide from 20 years ago. PPJG= Pieces/Parts/Junk/Gun.

Yeah, I'm having a senior moment. I was thinking of the TiSc line.
Time for the next pill.

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"No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave."
Calvin Coolidge

No worries, Al- I think you're still pretty well liked, dementia and all

There you go insulting me!

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"No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave."
Calvin Coolidge

Nay, 'twas but gentle teasing