'Melting' a pistol slide

[Broomhandle]

Thanks for the tips. At this point I don't have time to work on it, and I may even try to sell the gun and buy an newer pistol. I think I want a Steyr.

[Broomhandle]

No, I think I will keep the pistol and work on the slide this fall, as time permits. I will post some before pics this weekend.

I got some suggestions to use carbide impregnated rubber buffing wheels. I will see if I can find any of those.

[jimthom123]

Melting is meant for a carry gun , all rounded edges including the frame, carry sights bobbed hammer etc, all this is done to make it as "NO SNAG" as possible. The belt method is OK for a production gun but the tinkerer may have some problems keeping the lines true. The no shortcut hand method is the best. It takes more time but you will get a better job than any manufacturer out there, yes including Kimber. Do'nt get me wrong I love Kimbers, I own 7 of them including 2 CDPs (melted ones) all shoot great.
Frenchy and BIB are on the right track. Get a good "small draw file, some needle files and say 220 320 400 & 600 wet/dry emery cloth.
Draw file the edges little in 45 degree angles (where there was a sharp edge you will now have 3 to 5 small flats going around what was once your edge). Do this to all your sharp edges keeping them all as uniform as you can. Now get your file gentley start rounding all of these flats into a rounded edge and blending them into each other.
After you have completed all of blending in and rounding you can start finishing the slide.
You can use BIBs method holding the emery cloth, a sanding block I wrap the emery around a rectaungular rubber erasure and wet it down with honing fluid (Marvels Mystery Oil). Start wit 150 or 220 grit (depending how bad your slide is) and start sanding until you have all imperfections and filemarks out and nothing but 220 scratches left. Repeat this process through the 320 400 & 600 grits. After all of that you can even do a light buff up Or a bead blast. There is nothing like a fine bead blast on this type of finish, I looks like velvet. Look at the top of a 1970s Python or a series 70 Gold Cup. The manufacturers don't go to this extent they just buff em up and sand blast em it hides the imperfections. Kimber calls it an Aluminum Oxide finish sounds real special Huh. They blast it with Aluminum Oxode which is rougher than sand.
Take your time it will be worth it in the end. Oh yea, If you take the finish down to 600 wet then do it with the 600 dry and it shine up like a mirror.
Hope this helped,