removing anodizing

[Quincy1]

[After 30 + years my Ruger Old Army is starting to get some wear on the grip frame, it is aluminum and has anodized coating. I would like to strip off anodized finish and leave just the polished aluminum. I read "Easy Off" oven cleaner would do the trick. Did not arrack the finish. I tried vinegar which works on blued steel but no luck. I just read "Lye" would do the job but before I go to the hard wear store again I thought I would check in here. Any advice, suggestions', thoughts, opinions, stories!
Would like to hear from all.
Thanks
Quincy1
/i]

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

Anodizing is a method of increasing the thickness and density of the oxidation that normally occurs at the surface of some metals. Aluminum is one of them. Anodizing creates a barrier against oxygen, so it prevents further oxidation of the metal, and has increased wear resistance. Because or the porosity of the anodized layer, it can be died any color.

One of the methods of removing anodize is to just polish it off, like your holsters did to your grip frame. Oven cleaner will work, but you may have to leave it on for a long time. Lye will work, but it will dissolve the aluminum too, so you have to be sure to completely wash it off after you are done, or else it will probably continue to attack the aluminum and leave a nasty finish. And be sure to work outside with gloves and goggles if you use lye, not indoors.

Incidentally, I have a Blackhawk I bought around 1975. A few years ago I noticed that the extractor housing, which was also made of aluminum, was getting shiny from polished away anodize too. I discovered that I could buy a new blued steel extractor housing from Ruger, so I replaced the old one with a blued new one. Perhaps you can buy a steel replacement part for your Old Army?

When I bought my first Vaquero a few years ago I was very pleasantly surprised to find that it had a steel grip frame, not an anodized aluminum grip frame like my old Blackhawk.

[Major E A Sterner]

Over on the Ruger Forum it was mentioned that "Simple Green" will remove the anodizing easily. I haven't tried it, But they usually have good info over there concerning Rugers.