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September 17, 2014
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A couple months ago I bought a Lil Dan from Scorpio in a Gunbroker auction. I was hoping my wife would like it & use it as her carrry gun. The size is great & it fits her hand BUT she thinks it's too heavy @ 24oz unloaded. She is thinkin a 642 S&W Airweight @ 14oz would better a better fit. As much as I hate to I guess I'll be forced to carry it myself (acording to her that was my plan from the get go). I'm thinkin to hand polish it with Mothers Mag Polish. Will the resale value go in the crapper because i've altered the finsh or should I say Damn the torpedos & polish on? I have about $700 invested & don't want to take a big hit if I ever have sell it. Any Thoughts - Thanks Torch51
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Dans Club
February 22, 2009
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Totally a personal choice. On all of my stainless Dans, I use a tan (medium) 3M Scotch-Brite pad to remove any scratches and leave it at that. No shined Dans in the stable.
Technically, the glass is always full; half liquid, half air....
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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I have polished, both by hand (Mothers) and on a wheel. I like the look, but you will be altering the look of a pretty uncommon Dan Wesson. It might make it more desirable to some buyers, if you expect to be selling I would suggest passing on anything more than a good clean up.
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
December 19, 2015
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Well, here's a little more grist for the mill:
I have never high polished a matte stainless before. I always liked the look.
I have a Ruger GP100 in stainless. Similar to the DW stainless.
It has the trigger, the hammer, and all the pins polished. It is absolutely gorgeous. The small amount did not appreciatively change the overall look, but it was like putting it in a tuxedo. It just looked good. I believe this would work well and dress up any stainless.
On resale, my GP100 is more valuable because of the little bit of dress.
Like Steve said, on resale, your DW Lil Dan may be a different story. There are so few that any collector may want it in original condition, even if the polished looks better.
I don't think the difference in value would be any more than a couple of hundred dollars in the very worst case, but I don't know what condition/collector value it has now. Best case, they may like it more.
So if you like it more, I say do what you like and let the resale, if it ever happens, work itself out. Life is too short to try and predict what nuts like us will want in the future.
Prescut
December 4, 2012
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This has got me a little curious...I have polished my Dan blues with a certain brand, the brand escapes my mind at the moment, however I do so just to bring back the luster so to speak. Now I don't think I have ever done this with my Dan SS, to be honest I just never really thought about it, they look good as is. Because I figured there Stainless. If I do this to my SS revolvers with either my polish or Torches suggested Mothers Mag polish, can I or would I actually alter the appearance that much on a stainless? If so, to what extent, a mirror type finish as If it were Nickle or Chrome?
September 17, 2014
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There are several videos on youtube on the subject, Here is a link to one.
I think i'll give it a shot of Mothers & see how it turns out. I'll do some before & after pictures to post.
I would be interested in the name of the polish you use on your blue guns if you happen to think of it.
As always thanks for the great advice Torch51
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Dans Club
December 4, 2011
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Is it FLITZ by any chance?
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December 4, 2012
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Interesting video Torch, thank you. I will get then brand name tonight.
Scorpio, I don't think it's Flitz but I will check on that. If I remember correctly, I actually found it at a bike rally, "Thunder In The Valley" in your neck of the woods back when I had a Harley.
Dans Club
December 5, 2008
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I am partial to shiny myself. The video is good, but note what he said at the end - "It's easier to go from brushed to polish than from polish to brushed." It will be difficult to get the same brushed finish after polishing if you are not happy with the result. I have found that every gun is different because of the type of metal used. My SP101 polished up with Mother's just like in the video in an hour or so, but I had to use buffing wheels and other methods for my 715 and it took more hours than I can remember. Don't think I would attempt it again, although I do like the result. It's now one of my favorite Dans, and will never be sold so that was not a factor.
A very personal decision indeed!
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Dans Club
March 25, 2013
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I like to lightly Flitz my blue Dans to remove the light patina of oxidation that occurs on a gun. That is 30 plus years old. I only do it once. Ditto for stainless but I use the scotch Brite to remove marks. When Snake-eye told me how many hrs he had in his 715 I decided I could live without it.
December 19, 2015
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Flitz is pretty aggressive. I've used many times when I knew the material was tough or the job was big. My knives seem to love it. I would never use those kinds of polish on blueing. I would be concerned about thinning what was left. Ole Dog must have a much better light touch than me.
I am not affiliated with the following product in any way. It just sounds like it.
I highly recommend Renaissance Wax. It was created by the British Museum and they use it on everything; paintings, all their wood, and especially metals. They have what you call "very expensive stuff". Currently used by the FBI and the CIA plus many museums here. No carnuba or that stuff that leaves a waxy surface.
This stuff cleans, shines, and protects. Don't use more than a small touch of this and then take it off immediately. It turns cloudy like on your car and then easily wipes away. The surface looks clean and bare.
If you have an older rough blue gun; try this stuff. It will clean in the first pass, then shine and protect in the second pass. I have very lightly coated my guns for years with the best synthetic oil/lubricant I could find. I think that's Slip 2000. I am staying at the beach currently and the salt destroys metal overnight. I started using Renaissance Wax about 6 months ago and have used it continuously since on everything external.
You can not shine with oil. Renaissance puts the slickest, best shinny surface you've ever seen or felt. It's the best cleaner and then protection I've seen against speckling or rust.
And best of all is what it does to wood. It cleans, shines, protects. It will even do a little restoration on your grips. Grips go black from gun lubricant where it touches. This lets you go right into the crack between the grip and the metal. Dry wood soaks this stuff up like a wood lanolin.
I would love it if some of you old salts would try some and let me know how it went. I'll buy the can, if you don't like it.
Prescut
A small jar would do a thousand guns. After shooting and then cleaning, I usually just wipe the gun down and polish with nothing but a clean rag. I'm just guessing, but I might have to re-polish with Renaissance every couple of years if I shoot a lot. How often do you wax and polish your car, and it sits outside in some pretty nasty environments?
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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On other Forums I have seen discussion of blued guns that have been polished (stripped down to bare metal) into the "white" and then preserved with Renaissance Wax
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
January 22, 2008
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Not a great pic but you can tell the difference on my SP101 after about a dozen westerns spent with some "Mothers".
I want to get a real good shine on it before tackling my Palmer fixed barrel.
I'm taking my time and going easy, pleased with the results so far.
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…he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. Luke 22:36 Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project http://www.irenasendler.com/
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December 4, 2012
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My apologies guys, Torch and Scorpio the polish that I have and still use on my blues is called Royal Blue, they call it a Brazilian Carnauba Formula. It shines up really nice on my Blued Dan Wessons never tried it on the stainless ones yet...however it appears that I won the 715 Palmer fixed barrel on GB today, maybe I might try just a light coat on it nothing intense of course but just to see how it cleans up.
I hope I didn't bid against anyone here, my apologies If i did. I just don't have a fixed barrel or even a Palmer in my collection.
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