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Maintaining PPK/S stainless finish

5235 Views 16 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  searcher451
This coming Monday I'll be getting my Interams PPK/S stainless out of layaway. I stopped by the shop today with the money in my pocket to pay for it but went with the intention of picking up a Ruger stainless P94 dirt cheap as it could get snatched up and the PPK/S is set aside. My factory thumbrest grips for the PPK/S won't be here until next week anyway.

The P94 has a satin stainless finish not unlike the Walther. This particular P94was rather dingey and dirty but I've gotten pretty good at knowing what can and can't be made better with a used gun. I went over the slide with Flitz and it is now 100% better. It seems to work more from chemical action than abrasives. It's clean and a few stains are now gone (stainless does stain, it just "stains less") While my PPK/s is in fine shape I'm figuring it could benefit from Flitz as well. Has anyone used Flitz on a similar stainless Walther finish? Are there any products that are better for cleaning and removing stains while leaving the original finish as is (at least as I can tell)?
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Flitz is a polish, ideally used on chrome which is pretty hard. If you are gentle with it - soft cloth and gentle rub it should not be harmful to the finish of your Ruger.

I have not studied the S&W Walther's very closely, but my memory is that the markings on the slide are etched (laser?) not roll stamped like the Interarms version. If that is the case I would be very careful using Flitz on the marked areas. It may remove the darkness and if applied too vigorously could really compromise the look of the markings.

Years ago I learned the hard way that the acid etched markings on the old blued Walther slides are very shallow and fragile. You can just about remove them with a hard glance!

So unless your gun is pig filthy I would avoid flitz on the Walther, and stick with conventional solvents. If cleaned regularly there is no reason your Walther should ever get THAT dirty.!!
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I had an early stainless Interarms PPK that was a cops off duty gun. When I got it it had a lot of scratches that weren't too deep. I used a red 3M Scotch-Brite pad to take out the scratches and then a white Scotch-Brite pad to bring the finish back to like new. You can get then at auto parts stores that sell body refinishing components.
I agree with 153 and Thiokol. Stainless isn't LITERALLY stainless. Just look at the kitchen sinks that are stainless if you don't believe that. A very mild abrasive like Scotch Brite, if used GENTLY, will take out most all scratches.
But as long as I've been carrying stainless guns (back in the days when AMT came out with the stainless Hardballer), I never had one stain like a kitchen sink. Scratch, yes. There are also chemical rags that clean lead off of stainless. They would probably take any stains right off...

http://www.opticsplanet.net/picture...ust-and-lead-remover-cleaning-cloth-1215.html



Thanks guys. That really helps. Stainless (or silver) guns are sort of new to me. Years ago I had a stainless Smith 4506 and 686 but I never had to deal with any finish issues. I would also agree that in normal carry and use situations stainless guns won't stain, but I have seen more than my share of used stainless guns with obvious stains, but from unknown sources. This Ruger had a number of stains on it and an overall dingey appearance that was due to more than grit and dirt. I tried the usual sovents first but they only came off with Flitz. But, as has been recommended, I will keep the Flitz off of the Walther. The finish of the Walther is more "delicate" (for lack of a better word) that the finish of the Ruger, which is built like a tank (which is why I like P Series Rugers).

One other product that I just thought of that may be of use is the Cape Cod Metal Polishing Cloth. It is 100% non-abrasive and works by chemical action only. I recommend it to my customers for cleaning a product where there is brass and acrylic right next to each other so that it won't scratch the acrylic but will clean the brass. As I think about it that may be the solution for guns with lightly etched proof marks. It is available in most good hardware stores, or http://www.capecodpolish.ca/cfyfm.ihtml

BTW, their recommendation for caring for stainless is as follows:

If you see stains or discoloration on stainless steel don't be surprised. All it promised was to stain less and not rust. It does not promise non-staining steel. It does stain, no matter what you do.

I have found the best way to keep stainless steel clean is with a white nylon scrub sponge and a little ammonia solution. This should keep stainless steel looking as good as new. If it becomes dull or stained rub in one direction with a Cape Cod? Metal Polishing Cloth and wipe dry to a finished shine.
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Today at lunch I went up the hardware store to get a Cape Cod cloth as I couldn't find mine. They didn't have any of the Cape Code but said they had carried it in the past but they had found a better product. So, I bought some. Nevr-Dull. It comes in a can and all you do is pull off a piece of the wadding. It is completely non-abrasive and works by chemical action only. I had cleaned my Ruger P94 yesterday so I was without a gun to try it on. For the sake of this thread I stopped on my way home and acquired a stainless Ruger P89, one even dirtier with more staining than the P94. Oh what a sacrifice:rolleyes:

I cleaned the gun up and then got to work with the Nevr-Dull. By the time that I was done the gun looked brand new. I then went back to the Flitzed P94 and the amount that came clean on the Nevr-Dull wad was incredible. It looked like the gun hadn't been cleaned. There were two slight stains between the slide serations and one on the extractor that the Flitz had reduced but hadn't completely handled that are now gone. I can't say how the Cape Cod cloth would have done, but Nevr-Dull has made both guns look brand new. I won't hesitate to try it on my stainless Interarms PPK/S, of course trying it first on an inconspicuous area.

One warning, if your gun has any kind of clear coat avoid Nevr-Dull.

A generous can of Nevr-Dull (tightly packed soaked cotton wadding), enough to last one heck of a long time, ran $6.
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I remember Nevr-Dull. I think it is used a lot to polish mag wheels.



I remember Nevr-Dull. I think it is used a lot to polish mag wheels.
Yup, while it's made for a lot of uses it was in the auto section. The Cape Cod Polishing cloth is typically found in the household cleaning section.
Que: "...so I was without a gun to try it on. For the sake of this thread I stopped on my way home and acquired a stainless Ruger P89, one even dirtier with more staining than the P94."
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:cool:
That cotton batting soaked material in a can sounds like BoeShield of a few years ago made by Boeing Aricraft to clean planes and stainless as I recall.
Que: "...so I was without a gun to try it on. For the sake of this thread I stopped on my way home and acquired a stainless Ruger P89, one even dirtier with more staining than the P94."
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:cool:
Hey, I needed to be "scientific" about it :D

Truth is that I was going to buy the gun anyway. Every year I give myself a birthday present as a bonus for having made it another year. I was few bucks short on the P89 when I picked up the P94 and I don't use plastic for guns. Heck, I ended up with two 9mm pistols for the price of one. And now that I've used Nevr-Dull I'm amazed as these guns look NIB. I'm really starting to appreciate silver guns. I think that looking at Shipwreck's guns has had a lot to do with that.
Nevr-Dull

Que,

Where did you get the Nevr-Dull? I'm on the west side of Atlanta and would like to clean up the scratches on my stainless PPK/S.
Que,

Where did you get the Nevr-Dull? I'm on the west side of Atlanta and would like to clean up the scratches on my stainless PPK/S.
I live in Alpharetta. I bought it at a hardware store at the corner of Jones Bridge and State Bridge. Any auto store should have it, or any hardware store.

Do you ever get over to Georgia Arms?
Georgia Arms - you mean the guys in Villa Rica who make ammo or is there something else? Yes I buy most of my ammo from them. They are a long way from Alpharetta, don't tell me you commute down there?

I'm also in the process or reshaping the backstrap of my PPK/S and some other gentle de-horning. That is why I'm interested in this product, I want the stainless to shine when I'm done.
Georgia Arms - you mean the guys in Villa Rica who make ammo or is there something else? Yes I buy most of my ammo from them. They are a long way from Alpharetta, don't tell me you commute down there?

I'm also in the process or reshaping the backstrap of my PPK/S and some other gentle de-horning. That is why I'm interested in this product, I want the stainless to shine when I'm done.
Yup, the boys in Villa Rica. It's only a fifty minute drive in traffic.

I think you can count on the Nevr-Dull to make it shine, but you'll bave to do lots of buffing before you get to that point. It is completely non-abrasive. Flitz may well be the prior step, something with some grit. A buffing wheel with some tripoli is a good start.
Que,

Where did you get the Nevr-Dull? I'm on the west side of Atlanta and would like to clean up the scratches on my stainless PPK/S.
Check out Wally World -- look in the automotive section. I almost missed it because the can that it currently is offered in (or at least out my way) is black and silver, unlike the one that Deputy posted from the company's website. But it's the same stuff, costs under $4, and by gawd it works.
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