Luv2rideWV Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 This is my carry gun of four years. Some of the corners and edges have actually wore through the frame and into the aluminum. One spot that worries me is the leading edge of the frame directly under the crane. Could this become a safety issue? Is there any type of refinish that is hard enough to protect the frame from further damage? Anyone have similar experiences? Do I worry about this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom E Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 Do I worry about this? No. Use a black "sharpie" to color the areas if they really bother you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bountyhunter Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 The coating on the aluminum frame is to prevent corrosion. I believe it is some kind of urethane clear coat and I have read many posts about how poorly it holds up to wear. In some cases it cracks off in large chunks. SW used to refinish them under warranty but I don't know if they still do. Birchwood Casey makes a chemical used to "blacken" aluminum which I have used and it works pretty well, not sure if it works on the scandium alloy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatJones Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 The older guns were anodized black but it didn't always match the blueing on the cylinders and barrel. I believe the new ones are painted. Leave it be, the first few marks hurt, but a well-worn gun has a beauty all it's own. One of my instructors in gunsmithing school always said "The more you f*ck with something the more likely you are to f*ck it up. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2rideWV Posted May 30, 2014 Author Share Posted May 30, 2014 Thanks for the comments; I appreciate them all and tend to agree. A worn finish on a gun is something to be proud of. However, the big question was about the actual loss of Aluminum under the crane. Could I lose enough material there for there to be a safety concern due to weakness? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom E Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Could I lose enough material there for there to be a safety concern due to weakness?One more time... NO ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macinaw Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 The coating on the aluminum frame is to prevent corrosion. I believe it is some kind of urethane clear coat and I have read many posts about how poorly it holds up to wear. In some cases it cracks off in large chunks. SW used to refinish them under warranty but I don't know if they still do. Birchwood Casey makes a chemical used to "blacken" aluminum which I have used and it works pretty well, not sure if it works on the scandium alloy. There is no scandium alloy in the model 442. Scandium alloy is used in the more expensive guns like the M&P 340 and 340 PD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Round_Gun_Shooter Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Mine looks a LOT worse. It ain't purty but works fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bountyhunter Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Thanks for the comments; I appreciate them all and tend to agree. A worn finish on a gun is something to be proud of. However, the big question was about the actual loss of Aluminum under the crane. Could I lose enough material there for there to be a safety concern due to weakness?Only place I think you could get "loss of material" that could cause danger would be if there is flame cutting into the top strap above the rear of the forcing cone. That's where all the frames I have seen fail come apart. I never saw one fail under the crane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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