Polishing a feedramp?

[bbqBiker]

My P225 has a nicely polished barrel and feedramp...feeding is smooth as silk. My two other (new) SIGs have ramps that have not been polished...yet. Any secrets or special advise for me before I tackle that task? Thanks in advance. Best, Dave

Edited January 22, 2010 by bbqBiker

[extremescene]

Don't do it unless you are having trouble. The early p6/225 design had some trouble feeding hollow points (usually only 147gr) so most of those ramps get polished or reshaped, fixing the problem.

[ncomarc]

I polished my 1911 and 9mm a few days ago, have'nt tested it yet though. The Keltec Forum and google "1911 fluff and buff polishing" and a few sights with pictures and advice will show up. Jewelers Rouge and 600 grit sandpaper seem to be the main ingredient with slow and easy method. Almost everyone agrees that you want to polish and smooth the area, not remove metal. I'll be going to the TWRA gun range tomorrow or saturday and will post results if you can wait. This is my first polishing job so......

[bbqBiker]

I am in no rush because I do not want to screw it up (or do it at all if it is not needed.)

[THE COOP]

Don't do it unless you are having trouble. The early p6/225 design had some trouble feeding hollow points (usually only 147gr) so most of those ramps get polished or reshaped, fixing the problem.

Collin is correct, the early (PRE 83) P6's do have feed ramp issues with JHP's, Customized Creations does a feed ramp modification and changes the feed ramp angle a bit, widens the ramp and polishes it. All my newer Sigs feed fine, if you want to polish the feed ramps DONT use a Dremel!!! You can use Flitz and a Qtip and polish the ramp by hand in the direction the bullet travels, up and down and NOT side to side. I use professional polishing equipment I have left over from another hobby to polish mine along with other internal and external parts. If your ever in my neighborhood PM me and you can come by and I'll do a quick polish job for you!!!! COOP

[bbqBiker]

Gracious offer Coop, and one I may take you up on. Thanks!

[THE COOP]

No problem and just drop my a PM and bring lots of Sigs!!!!! LOL COOP

[Guest DaG]

Take an empty case and wrap 600 grit sandpaper around it. Watch your favorite TV show for 30 mins. while polishing up and down the ramp. Switch to 800 then 1000 and the ramp will be a mirror.

DaG

[PackinMama]

Where can you get 600, 800, and 1000 grit sandpaper? I looked at Lowes and the finest I could find was like 200.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Advance Auto Parts, O Reilly's and Autozone

[THE COOP]

Take an empty case and wrap 600 grit sandpaper around it. Watch your favorite TV show for 30 mins. while polishing up and down the ramp. Switch to 800 then 1000 and the ramp will be a mirror.

DaG

I respectfully would advise against sanding the feed ramp, there is no need to remove metal on a newer Sig, I've owned over 15 newer Sigs and all fed 100% reliable excluding the older P6. Sanding and polishing are 2 different animals.... COOP

[peejman]

I respectfully would advise against sanding the feed ramp, there is no need to remove metal on a newer Sig, I've owned over 15 newer Sigs and all fed 100% reliable excluding the older P6. Sanding and polishing are 2 different animals.... COOP

Agreed. Unless the ramp is scored or gouged, 600 grit is a bit coarse for "polishing". Wet or dry sanding with crocus cloth or using jeweler's rouge would be best. Use your finger instead of wrapping it around something hard. You don't want to change the shape of the ramp (unless you know what you're doing).

[DaveTN]

I respectfully would advise against sanding the feed ramp, there is no need to remove metal on a newer Sig, I've owned over 15 newer Sigs and all fed 100% reliable excluding the older P6. Sanding and polishing are 2 different animals.... COOP

I agree. 600 grit is not polishing; it is removing metal.

Also a feed ramp has an elliptical shape. By using a casing you are just knocking the bottom out of the shape.

[extremescene]

I respectfully would advise against sanding the feed ramp, there is no need to remove metal on a newer Sig, I've owned over 15 newer Sigs and all fed 100% reliable excluding the older P6. Sanding and polishing are 2 different animals.... COOP

I agree... sandpaper is just asking for trouble you didn't have to begin with.

[PackinMama]

Ok, so now could someone please tell me what "crocus cloth" is?

Also, I've read that the tiny little jar of polishing compound that comes in a Dremel polishing kit is actually jewelers rouge. Is that true?

There sure are a lot of different opinions on how to correctly polish a feed ramp!

[peejman]

Crocus cloth aka emory cloth. You should be able to find it at auto parts places in the body work section or at hardware stores (lowes, home depot, etc...). Hobby Lobby might have it as well. Should be at least 800 grit. The higher the grit #, the less abrasive it is.

Crocus cloth is usually brown and has so fine a grit that it doesn't feel like sandpaper.

[gunner]

Also, I've read that the tiny little jar of polishing compound that comes in a Dremel polishing kit is actually jewelers rouge. Is that true?

yes that is jewelers rouge.....stainless steel polish works better...a little more aggresive and i do mean a little.....it looks just like the dark red stuff but is colored white

[Guest faust921]

I'm with DaG. Get some wet/dry automotive sand paper and use a shell casing as a form. Resist doing it with a dremel, as it much easier for a novice to control the action when you do it by hand. Get an assorment pack of 3m automotive wet/dry sandpaper in 600, 800, 1000 grit. Also pick up some brake cleaner, your preferred oil and disposable nitrile gloves. Paper towels are useful.

For best results, remove the barrel from the gun. Start with the 600. Wrap a strip of paper around the casing. go up and down the length of the ramp and rotate the casing at the same time. It will start to smooth out the surface metal and you might see some machining marks appear from the original manufacturing process. Those marks were always there, it just easier to see them now. Keep rotating the shell casing to expose new paper. 600 fills up fast. When the largest marks are gone, wipe any loose 600 grit off of the ramp a few times with a clean cloth and maybe some oil. Move onto the finer grits. While using the 800 you will see some scratches from the 600 and then they will go away. Take your time at each grit, not too much pressure, be patient. You will start to see a refection with the 1000. It is not necessary to have a mirror finish. Just the basic polishing you have done will go a long way to make the gun feed better, but if you need to shave in the reflection of your feeder ramp, knock yourself out. Use the brake cleaner to get all of the oil and grit off of the barrel, then a very light coat of fresh oil before reassembly. Wash your hands good before you eat or smoke. Enjoy your more reliable gun. I did this on my S&W .40 and it has never jammed.

[Guest faust921]

Ok, so now could someone please tell me what "crocus cloth" is?

Also, I've read that the tiny little jar of polishing compound that comes in a Dremel polishing kit is actually jewelers rouge. Is that true?

There sure are a lot of different opinions on how to correctly polish a feed ramp!

Be careful what type of jewelers rough you use. The different colors come from different types of abrasive for different types of metal. Ferrous steel, stainless, brass and aluminum look best with different types of rouge and there are different levels of aggressiveness too.