Polished slide on my RIA 1911
 

I got bored the other day and wanted to see if I would like the look of a polished slide on my RIA. The finish on it is not so great anyways, so I figured if I messed up or ended up not liking it, I can always have it blued or Duracoated. So far I am liking the look, I plan on doing the flat sides of the frame as well at some point. I started off with 1000 grit and moved up to 2500 before using some metal polish. I wanted to leave the RIA billboard intact, I think it looks pretty good. As far as keeping it looking like this I am going to see if regular oiling will keep it looking good and if not, I'll use some kind of clear coat. Not bad for a few hours in front of the TV.

Thats how i do mine while im watching tv or somthing my wife doesnt like the mess lol

I got distracted by the shiny! :p

Looks fantastic JD, thanks for sharing...:cool:

Looks great! I find myself doing the same "experimentation" with our 1911s.

Take a look at this clear coat from Cerakote, we use it on all of our stainless models and it holds up really well. You will need a cheap HVLP spray gun which you can get online and a compressor. Follow the directions and it will turn out beautifully and keep the bare metal protected!

http://www.cerakoteguncoatings.com/finishes/MC-155FQ/

That's what I was thinking. I have a very nice HVLP gun and a good compressor, I have painted about a dozen cars and lots of hoods, fenders etc from back when I was into cars, so shooting a clear should be no biggie. Thanks for the link.

No Problem! Hey with that set up and the experience painting cars you should be a pro with the Cerakote products. My only suggestion would be to use the H-series (for colors) as the E-series (air cure) doesn't hold up anywhere near what the H-series does. The only exception is the clear.

JD, it looks great! yes to doing the frame as well. it will creat a better contrast. next some custom grips! keep up the the good work!:D

Wow...looks GREAT JD!