So What's Involved in "Slicking Up" Colt SA's and Repro's Thereof?

[Cholla Hill Tirador]

  I've done a bit of this myself, but wonder if I'm missing something.

  My typical method is to chuck the screws in a cordless drill and spin them while wrapping a piece of oil-soaked 600 wet/dry sandpaper around the shank of the screw. No metal removed, but just do this until the bluing is gone and the shank is smooth and shiny. Similarly, for the holes in the hammer, bolt and trigger I wrap an oil soaked piece of 600 W/D around a fine needle file, insert it in the hole and spin it, polishing the inside of the hole. The cylinder pin is polished similarly

  The bolt/trigger spring and other surfaces that are mostly flat are given similar treatment. Where flat surfaces are to be polished, I lay the sandpaper on a piece of laminated glass and polish thusly. Flat and flat curved surfaces are usually done by wrapping the 600 grit around a square stone.

  I repeat this for a the parts where metal rubs metal.

  Is this a generally acceptable method?

Thanks for any input.

CHT

[Coffinmaker]

CHT ...... ,
That's a good start.  I have some suggestions however.  I would suggest 1000 grit or 2000 grit wet/dry to polish screw shanks.  I polish ALL the pivot screw this way.  Same same for the cylinder base pin AND the cylinder bushing.  The bushing should turn freely.  If we are working on an SAA or Reproduction (except Pietta) I replace the Trigger/Bolt spring with the Pietta spring.  For flat pieces, I use either 800 or 1000 grit wet/dry on a lapping plate (really flat) or heavy float glass.  I also use the flat surface to polish the contact areas of the star.  I also polish the hammer sides to eliminate any burrs.  Fit the Bolt to the cylinder slots and if necessary, adjust timing and polish the contact areas on the bolt.

Usually the raceway (channel) for the hammer needs de-burring as does the hand channel.  The hand itself most always needs the contact surfaces polished.  I use to grind Main Springs to make em lighter but I now just replace em (hate the last of ground steel) with either Lee's Gunsmithing spring sets or the reduced Main Spring from VTI. 

In the midst of all this, I set the end shake, cut the forcing cone and if necessary correct the cylinder throats.  Put the whole shebang together and see if it works. 

Coffinmaker