It's STAINLESS?!

[Tinker Pearce]

So I found a Sauer & Sohn .45 Convertible is great condition for $225. A .45 Colt for that price? Shut up and take my money! It has a sweet action and an excellent trigger, but it's definitely 'finished to a price.' As an example the blueing on the sides of the frame looked more like the paint they put on zinc-alloy frames (I checked with a magnet- it's steel.) I also noticed that the front of the frame under the barrel is different than a Colt.  I decided to 'Coltify' the frame, flatten the sides of the frame and re-blue it.

I got the work done, cleaned and de-greased the frame and... nothing. The Blueing wouldn't take at all. OK, clean, steel wool, clean and de-grease and try it again... nothing. Wouldn't discolor it even a little. Tried a different solution- zip, nada, nothing. It's stainless steel.  Not what I expected of a gun made in the late 50's or early 60's, but it makes sense; I knew the major assemblies were cast, and a lot of stainless steels cast better than carbon steels. T304, widely used for table cutlery at the time, would make a pretty good steel for a gun and it casts well. Anyway since I wasn't about to paint the gun I stripped the rest of the finish and did some judicious finishing and polishing. The trigger-guard and grip frame are aluminum, and makes a nice contrast. It actually looks fantastic.

Before and after pics-


The gun is an excellent shooter btw., and the trigger is one of the best I've felt on a SAA-type gun. For a couple hundred bucks and an afternoon of work I couldn't be happier.

[Professor Marvel]

Oh My Dear Tinker-

you got a (stainless) steal!  the steel 45 Sauer and Sohn clones are little known treasures!

yhs
prof marvel

[Forty Rod]

Good job on the frame reshaping.

[Fingers McGee]

Great deal.  The JP Sauer & Sohn SAAs are well made and fun to shoot.  Wish I still had the Silver City Marshal I sold about 10 years ago.