feed ramp polishing

[xdrocker]

What is needed to manually polish the feed ramp ? Don't want to change the profile or angle, just shine it up and smooth it out a litlle. Would prefer not to use a dremel, to much can go wrong to quick.

[DrawandDuck]

I know you stated you did not want to use a dremel but man you Can't go wrong with the battery powered or reg dremel on this one. Use the WOOL polishing pad with some metal polishing compound and the ramp will turn into a mirror, in less than 10 seconds.

Randal

Edited June 19, 2007 by DrawandDuck

[DaG]

Take an empty case 9, 40, 45 and wrap a piece of 1000 grit sanpaper around it and go to town. Progressively work up to finer grits (1500) and it will look like a mirror. I sat down in front of the tv and watched 2 shows while working back and forth and it took no time at all.

DaG

[JFD]

With a felt wheel and Flitz polish it would take you years of Dremeling to screw anything up.

+1 to the 1000 grit sandpaper, but I would switch to the polish after that. I don't use sandpaper unless the feed ramp is pretty bad.

[DrawandDuck]

Here is the polish I have been using. It is available at Lowe's found in the tool world area. They have 6 different levels of abrasiveness with #1 being the most and #6 being a high gloss finish. I have polished the cast swensons to a mirror finish with very little work. using the #1 and finishing with #6 If you like to "polish your parts this is the stuff.

Randal

[HSMITH]

Polishing the feed ramp to a bright shine looks nice, but doesn't help anything. As long as it is pretty smooth you have all you are going to get. A quick job with 400 paper is MORE than you need.

[wide45]

This is a quote from the sv mag tuning thread in the limited gun forum

benos:

Here's one more super-trick mod. Get some 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Then you have to find something with the same radius as your feedramp - a 40 case works perfect for me. Wrap a single layer of the sandpaper around the case, or whatever, clamp the barrel in a bench vise, and polish the ramp, moving the sandpaper up and down the ramp in the direction the bullet feeds. Keep polishing forever, until you can see from inspection that the entire ramp has been polished. This can make a big difference, much bigger than you might think. <br>Before you do it, hold the barrel in one hand and a loaded round in the other. Hold the round parallel with the barrel and press the nose on the feedramp and push it up the ramp - feeling the resistance. (It kind of feels like phonograph record.) Then do it after the polish job - you should notice a big difference. (All the spinning type polishers actually polish the ramp in the wrong direction.)

be

The Dremel won't do as much good as you might think, and absolutely can cause damage.

[DrawandDuck]

This is a quote from the sv mag tuning thread in the limited gun forum

benos:

Here's one more super-trick mod. Get some 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Then you have to find something with the same radius as your feedramp - a 40 case works perfect for me. Wrap a single layer of the sandpaper around the case, or whatever, clamp the barrel in a bench vise, and polish the ramp, moving the sandpaper up and down the ramp in the direction the bullet feeds. Keep polishing forever, until you can see from inspection that the entire ramp has been polished. This can make a big difference, much bigger than you might think. <br>Before you do it, hold the barrel in one hand and a loaded round in the other. Hold the round parallel with the barrel and press the nose on the feedramp and push it up the ramp - feeling the resistance. (It kind of feels like phonograph record.) Then do it after the polish job - you should notice a big difference. (All the spinning type polishers actually polish the ramp in the wrong direction.)

be

The Dremel won't do as much good as you might think, and absolutely can cause damage.

I think Bian was refering to a wheel polisher, with a dremel just hold the barrel in the left hand, ramp pointed away from you and the the dremel in your right hand, provides the SAME direction as the bullet/case will travel. Man, this is getting WAY to loong of a conversation....Sandpaper or dremel, you choose the one you like best.....variety is the spice of life!!

Over and Out

Randal

Edited June 19, 2007 by DrawandDuck

[Dan Sierpina]

Dremel tool with Cratex fine rubberized abrasives. Mirror polish in about 15 seconds.

[bountyhunter]

Take an empty case 9, 40, 45 and wrap a piece of 1000 grit sanpaper around it and go to town. Progressively work up to finer grits (1500) and it will look like a mirror.

I have a box of drill bits and choose one that has the right diameter (use the smooth shank end) and wrap the paper around that.

I use cleaning patches dipped in chrome polish to do the fianl shine (just for looks).

[Flyin40]

Dremel tool with Cratex fine rubberized abrasives. Mirror polish in about 15 seconds.

+1 and about 5 secs

Flyin

[ChuckS]

--- snip ---

hold the barrel in one hand and a loaded round in the other. Hold the round parallel with the barrel and press the nose on the feedramp and push it up the ramp - feeling the resistance. (It kind of feels like phonograph record.) Then do it after the polish job - you should notice a big difference. (All the spinning type polishers actually polish the ramp in the wrong direction.)

be

Just tried this. Yup, another good idea from BE.

Thanks!

Chuck

edit; Thanks Mr Wide45 for digging this up!

Edited June 21, 2007 by ChuckS

[gino_aki]

First, get Jerry Kunhausen's book on customizing the Colt Automatic pistol. Read it and then re-read the part about barrel fit and the relationship to the ramp, especially if you're going to throat the barrel also.

That said, I always used the cratex 1/2 inch diameter rubberized abrasives starting with the medium grit to take out the machining marks, then finished with the cylindrical felt bobs that dremel or other rotary tool accessory makers supply and that red polish you can get for the dremel felt bobs. And the dremel I used was the flex shaft model as the handpiece is much easier to manipulate. If you're inexperienced at metal work, find some old car part or tool to practice on. You only want to remove the machining marks and then bring the surface to a mirror shine., with very little if any "breaking" of the edge at the top of the ramp. Whatever you do, be sure to continually check to make sure that the bottom edge of the barrel does NOT overlap the top edge of the ramp. This, of course, means that your barrel has to have been fitted to the frame properly and the proper link has been installed.

This is probably not the simple job you had in mind, but a s Jerry's book says the Browning design being such a magnificent inter-related piece of engineering and practical design...any modification needs to be looked at as affecting many other things in turn.

[lucas]

DaG,what compound did you use on the feed ramp.

[Dave Sample]

We used to do a prayer for the guys that messed with feed ramps every morning. They can be welded up and recut by a Competent Smith............................................

Good Luck!

[Jon Merricks]

If you can mess up a gun with any of the ways that have been mentioned you do not even need to own a gun.

[bountyhunter]

We used to do a prayer for the guys that messed with feed ramps every morning. They can be welded up and recut by a Competent Smith............................................

Good Luck!

If you hand polish as I described, it will take about six lifetimes to screw up a feed ramp.

[bountyhunter]

--- snip ---

hold the barrel in one hand and a loaded round in the other. Hold the round parallel with the barrel and press the nose on the feedramp and push it up the ramp - feeling the resistance. (It kind of feels like phonograph record.) Then do it after the polish job - you should notice a big difference. (All the spinning type polishers actually polish the ramp in the wrong direction.)

be

Just tried this. Yup, another good idea from BE.

Thanks!

Chuck

edit; Thanks Mr Wide45 for digging this up!

He is correct: the spinning polishers are polishing the wrong direction (at right angle to the axis the ammo goes in and out). Always polish in and out only.

And cranky feeders get the most "bang for the buck" polishing the top of the ramp(enetering the throat) and the inside upper surface of the throat.... the tip of the round drags the top of the throat going in and the side of the case is dragging on the top of the ramp as it feeds.

[pjb45]

I use both Dremel and fine grit sandpaper around a .40 brass. My Dremel hangs and has a foot pedal, so I use it every once in a while when I want to polish everything. I use a the wool pad and everything for polish, flitz and even JB Bore paste. I just do not press to hard. I can do my sear, hammer and disconnector also. And No I do not polish the angles on the sear. Just the bottom part. I also do the inside of the barrel breech where the round enters, not all the way in.

I use the sandpaper and a piece of polished brass when I want to quick touch up job.

I make sure I really clean every piece after the polishing

[G+16]

First, get Jerry Kunhausen's book on customizing the Colt Automatic pistol. Read it and then re-read the part about barrel fit and the relationship to the ramp, especially if you're going to throat the barrel also.

That said, I always used the cratex 1/2 inch diameter rubberized abrasives starting with the medium grit to take out the machining marks, then finished with the cylindrical felt bobs that dremel or other rotary tool accessory makers supply and that red polish you can get for the dremel felt bobs. And the dremel I used was the flex shaft model as the handpiece is much easier to manipulate. If you're inexperienced at metal work, find some old car part or tool to practice on. You only want to remove the machining marks and then bring the surface to a mirror shine., with very little if any "breaking" of the edge at the top of the ramp. Whatever you do, be sure to continually check to make sure that the bottom edge of the barrel does NOT overlap the top edge of the ramp. This, of course, means that your barrel has to have been fitted to the frame properly and the proper link has been installed.

This is probably not the simple job you had in mind, but a s Jerry's book says the Browning design being such a magnificent inter-related piece of engineering and practical design...any modification needs to be looked at as affecting many other things in turn.

This should be the number #1 book for ANYONE doing home gunsmithing, take your time and read it from cover to cover, BOTH books