Polishing Feed Ramps

[jaybet]

I know I've seen this in other threads, but I want to polish the feed ramp on my Taurus 745. I"m getting some FTFs with the big blunt nose of hardball 45. I was planning to use some 0000 steel wool, but where do you buy jeweler's rouge to get that mirror finish?

[Big Frank]

You may be able to get it at a hardware or auto parts store. If not google it and there are lots of places to get it online. Good luck.

[Majer]

I always used either "Flitz" or Semi- Chrome metal polish for the final polish on any feed ramp work I've done

[m25operator]

I got my first stuff from Sears Roebuck, a 4 pack, that had red rouge, emory, white rouge and some black stuff I can't remember, was really inexpensive, I use green chromate and white chromate as my primaries, green is tremendous for stainless, these can be had at Brownell's but the smallest quantity will last 10 years if you do 10 ramps a day, knife maker supplies will have it too. The flitz and semi-chrome will do a fine job, just will take longer, as they are both very mild, not a bad thing if this is your 1st time. I use a Foredom tool, but a dremel will work great for this, I use a 1/2" felt ball, or bullet shaped felt bit, to apply the abrasive.

Reminder: only polish the angled part of the feed ramp, don't touch the ledge above the feedramp that starts back to horizontal, and leads to the chamber mouth, as has been mentioned here before, it is necessary to have that ledge as a jumping ramp to the chamber, if you blend them, it will not ever work, and machine work will be needed to correct it or a new frame, they make feed ramp repair kits because of this possibility, but the frame has to be machined to accept it.

This is about right.
http://www.gunblast.com/images/HighStandard-Compact1911/Thumbs/DSC03746.jpg

This is what I'm warning about.
http://image48.webshots.com/49/6/69/39/2236669390089796985QnUPGg_fs.jpg

[m25operator]

I just looked at the Taurus you mentioned, it has an integral feed ramp, this is much simpler, hard to go wrong, keep the width the same and you can go all the way to the chamber mouth. I was thinking 1911. Just polish to a mirror and stop. Done.

[Sponsor]

[1911 Junkie]

..... it has an integral feed ramp......

Does that mean ramped barrel?

[Timothy]

Generally, yes.....

Para, at least their match barrels, have the feed ramp machined as part of the barrel.  The GI Expert has a standard barrel with the feed ramp machined into the reciever similar to the Colt and Springfield GI models.

[Big Frank]

I found out the hard way that you can't polish an aluminum frame much without wrecking it. 

[PegLeg45]

I found out the hard way that you can't polish an aluminum frame much without wrecking it. 

You can, you just have to use milder abrasives on aluminum. It also depends on the alloy configuration.


You can find the little cans of red jewelers polish just about anywhere Dremels are sold. It used to come with the dremel tools in the sets.

I have also used the red JB Bore Bright in a pinch...it's basically a softer version.

[jaybet]

Thanks for the tips. Since I stopped customizing guitars I haven't used my dremel....now I'll get that little fluffy ball out and do some damage. Hopefully we'll get this thing to be 100% reliable so that it can start carrying it's share of guard duty.