Refinish Questions

[shooter33]

I picked up a 1976 from Classic recently. It shoots well, though I think I want to do something to improve the visibility of the front site.

This gun appears to have been re-painted and I'd like to refinish it.  The gun will be a shooter and I'm not looking to restore it to original specs, but I'd like to improve the cosmetics. I was surprised to see some fairly heavy machine marks.  How difficult would it be to sand those out?

Here are the refin options I am considering staring with my preference:

1. Sand out machining marks, bead blast paint, blue it
2. Sand out machining marks, bead blast paint, Cerakote it
3. leave machining marks, bead blast paint, Cerakote it

Advice?

[ibmikey]

Number three above, unless you have an expert with the buffing wheel the pistol will look terrible. Besides your pistol is finished for fighting and buffing out the marks will provide a super high polish that is out of place in a shooter. A friend gave me his HP that he had refinished by our friend who has been in the bluing business for fifty five years and can buff with the best of them. Of my twenty HP’s that one remains in the safe while the others get shot....it just is out of place in our home made range

[tpelle]

I agree with Mikey. Any machining marks on the surface are incidental, and if they're still there on a 44 year old pistol they've earned the right to stay there.