Thinking of bead blasting my Vaqueros

[Bitter Creek Jack]

I am thinking of bead blasting my NMVs.  I have seen some that are blasted on everything but the cylinder, grip frame, and ejector rod housing.

What are the pros and cons of bead blasting it all?

Pictures would also be helpfull.

[yeti76620]

I don't think there is any advantage at all 'bout bead blasting unless you're gunna polish them to the "white" and give them a nickel look.  I've some 44mag super black hawks that are bead blasted.  Unfortunately it seems that they surface rust with a hint of moisture then out comes the oil and stainless steel "tooth" brush and leave them in the matte finish.  Unless the bluing is really bad I would NOT do it unless I'm re-bluing.   

Yeti76620 

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

        DON'T DO IT, IMHO

              Regards

         tEN wOLVES 

[yeti76620]

        DON'T DO IT, IMHO

              Regards

         tEN wOLVES 

Hey tEN wOLVES, pardon my ignorance but what does "IMHO" mean/stand for?   

Yeti76620

[Pettifogger]

I would guess that he is talking about bead blasting the stainless model.  Gets rid of the glare and looks OK.  (Depending on the bead size, it looks like antique nickle.)  If you don't like it, it can always be polished back to bright.

[Bitter Creek Jack]

Hey tEN wOLVES, pardon my ignorance but what does "IMHO" mean/stand for?   

Yeti76620

It stands for In My Honest Opinion.

I guess I should have said they are stainless.
I am trying to reduce the glare on them, and thought bead blasting was the way to go. 

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I would have said "in my HUMBLE opinion"!

My impression is that stainless firearms are only legal so far as they simulate nickel plating. If so, then brushed, or blasted stainles would not qualify.

In my experience, polished stainless Rugers have never caused me any glare problems.

[yeti76620]

  Oh! OK, I'm now educated on "IMHO" ...thanks Gents. 

I'd have to agree with Sir Charles for what's that's worth..IMHO   

Yeti76620

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Yeti;  You could have just typed "FWIW"  There is a whole different language out there.  It mystified me for a long time until I worked some of the phrases out.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Howdy yeti76620

      I see Sir Charles explained the meaning of IMHO,

    Getting back to the finish, I have never had a problem with the polished stainless steel revolvers, in fact the tip of the front sight just jumps out for me, making sighting real easy, also the polished SS, is much easier to clean and stay cleaned, HERE WE GO AGAIN, IMHO 

    LOL     yeti there are more of these out there than you can shake a stick at, I'm still learning my own self LOL ( LAUGH OUT LOUD )

    Regards

   tEN wOLVES 

[yeti76620]

Howdy yeti76620

      I see Sir Charles explained the meaning of IMHO,

    Getting back to the finish, I have never had a problem with the polished stainless steel revolvers, in fact the tip of the front sight just jumps out for me, making sighting real easy, also the polished SS, is much easier to clean and stay cleaned, HERE WE GO AGAIN, IMHO 

    LOL     yeti there are more of these out there than you can shake a stick at, I'm still learning my own self LOL ( LAUGH OUT LOUD )

    Regards

   tEN wOLVES 

Yeah tEN wOLVES I know what ya mean and I got the same problem with this like I've with the other spoken languages other then English.... I only know the "DIRTY WORDS"!!     Guess I gotta rub soap on my fingers then rub my eyes!     That's kinda what Ma did to my mouth on the Spanish F-bomb.   

Yeti76620

P.S.  Ya'll have a Great Halloweeeenie!!

[Shadow Catcher]

I am thinking of bead blasting my NMVs.  I have seen some that are blasted on everything but the cylinder, grip frame, and ejector rod housing.

What are the pros and cons of bead blasting it all?

Pictures would also be helpfull.

I've owned three Rugers in SS, all short, 2 Vaq's, and one New Vaquero.

All have the same problem for me - the front sight just plain blossoms in the light - turning into a fireball at the end of the barrel.

The worst is when you're shooting BP and the bay fills with smoke, then all of a sudden the sky's part and a Jesus beam of light shines down on your gun illuminating the thing against the back drop of gray smoke.  Forget using the sights - just use the force and hope . . . .

I recently tried having my RNV bead blasted - and it makes a great difference. The gun now goes all matte gray - there's no reflection there - but in fact it's all the same color so if the barrel is tipped up a tad, or canted off to the side - the gray sights can still go invisible against the other gray steel - no help there!  I know, the only two misses I had at Westmatch this year were both caused by my not picking up the sight against all the other gray steel of the gun barrel or the frame.

I recently sent this gun off to Robar to have the SS blackened - except for the back strap, hammer and trigger.  Once I get a set of Buffalo horn grips for it it will be ready for show time.

I like the way it came out - a lot of effort, but at least you get a SS gun that is dark, and easily cleaned, and has the virtues of Ss without the glare . . .

YMMV

Shadow Catcher

p.s. - there's no rules in most if not any category about using a SS gun or a bead blasted SS gun or a blued or blackened or anything at all like that . . .

[Deadeye Dick]

Shadow Catcher,
I had the same problem with my RNV. I bead blasted the front sight. That wasn't enough so I painted it flat black. It wears off too easily and still it is not as black as I would like it. Guess I'll have to use a carbide lantern on it like I used to do to my competition pistols. also, I think the rear sight channel should be opened up a little. I'm a little afraid to try that though.
Deadeye Dick

[Shadow Catcher]

Shadow Catcher,
I had the same problem with my RNV. I bead blasted the front sight. That wasn't enough so I painted it flat black. It wears off too easily and still it is not as black as I would like it. Guess I'll have to use a carbide lantern on it like I used to do to my competition pistols. also, I think the rear sight channel should be opened up a little. I'm a little afraid to try that though.
Deadeye Dick

Howdy Deadeye!

I hear you - I tried using all those methods as well, even tried roughing up the rear of the front sight with a bit of sand paper and then painting with matte black enamel.  That worked for most of one full day, but started wearing through soon enough.

The Robar blackening is definately the cat's meow!

As for opening the rear sight - if you can't find a local machinist who can open it to .135 or .140, then take a file with one edge safe, and make two or three even passes along each side, opening it up a hair at a time.  Test fire every so often to make sure your not putting a bias into it.  Yo can get the right kind of file from Brownells for 4 - 6 dollars.

I've done that to a few guns in the past - the trick is to be patient, slow and methodical, and check often.

Someday I'll be doing up a second pistol to match this one . .someday . . .

SC

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Howdy Pards

    If I'm shooting in the morning or late in the afternoon, I find my shinny SS sight works real well, like I said earlier they just tend to pop out for easy sighting, I'm sure you pards wear protective eye wear, I switched over to polarized sun glasses years ago, they take all the harsh reflected glare out of any thing shinny, and that's not just Stainless Steel, it also works well on blued guns, blued guns aren't free from this either, the polarized glasses take care of all glare related problems, and yours eyes aren't strained even a tad, so when the sun is shinning, I'm not without my POLARIZED GLASSES. I hope this might help others, because there is really no need to mess with your guns finish, IMHO. Unless you're just wanting something different or a one of a kind, and I can understand that, but for me I LOOVVEESS everything about my Stainless Steel New Model Vaquero's, and I wouldn't change a thing, except springs.

      Regards

    tEN wOLVES    

[Shadow Catcher]

Howdy Pards

    If I'm shooting in the morning or late in the afternoon, I find my shinny SS sight works real well, like I said earlier they just tend to pop out for easy sighting, I'm sure you pards wear protective eye wear, I switched over to polarized sun glasses years ago, they take all the harsh reflected glare out of any thing shinny, and that's not just Stainless Steel, it also works well on blued guns, blued guns aren't free from this either, the polarized glasses take care of all glare related problems, and yours eyes aren't strained even a tad, so when the sun is shinning, I'm not without my POLARIZED GLASSES. I hope this might help others, because there is really no need to mess with your guns finish, IMHO. Unless you're just wanting something different or a one of a kind, and I can understand that, but for me I LOOVVEESS everything about my Stainless Steel New Model Vaquero's, and I wouldn't change a thing, except springs.

      Regards

    tEN wOLVES    

The polarized glasses are a possible solution for many - that's good advice there . . .

I've got glasses that I wear all the time - both real world and game world, and they're not polarized, I should look into that more, but that may wait till I get my next new glasses, and then only if they don't darken too much or such; our weather is vague, and the transition from cloudy to shiney to rain to sun is quick.

I guess I just like the dark metal over the shiney ones though . . after fifteen years I think I may have finally reached a conclusion about them . . . . for now - that could change too . . ..

SC

[Deadeye Dick]

Shadow Catcher,
Thanks for the tip. I have access to a three cornered file with a blank side. It's used for opening a dovetails. Sometime when I'm feeling real confident and competent I'll give it a try.
Deadeye Dick

[Shadow Catcher]

Shadow Catcher,
Thanks for the tip. I have access to a three cornered file with a blank side. It's used for opening a dovetails. Sometime when I'm feeling real confident and competent I'll give it a try.
Deadeye Dick

Glad to help Pard -

Gotta tell ya - the most intense sphincter check you get outside of combat is when you first take a cutting tool to a gun!
(Well, maybe not the most - helping deliver your own child is more like it, but this is pretty near there . . . . )  Once you do it - you move on and make it right - it works.

The worst that can happen is you have to spend a few dollars to have a good smith weld up the gap and re-machine it - and so you're out a few dollars - but it won't be for lack of trying!  Don't be afraid to make a mistake - a million things don't get done by people who are afraid to make a mistake . . . . .

Sometimes true freedom is jumping off a cliff . . and building your wings on the way down!

Ride safe -

Shadow Catcher

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I made my own two-cornered file for dovetail improvement.  They do end up with two very sharp corners, so be cautious.

For opening up hog-wallow backsight grooves I have also used a two sided file meant for spark-plug gaps.  Are they available any more?  A better tool for this, IMHO/FWIW, is a needle file

[Mustang Gregg]

First, I don't have any that are compltely bead blasted.  But I do like the look of a stainless [K] Ruger Vaquero that's been blasted. 

I have blasted my front sights & rear notches---But that's all.
I like the dull.  Not the shiney.  But that's only MY OPINION.

I see others like the shine.

MG