How to Refinish a Glock

With time and effort, you can greatly improve the visual appeal of your handgun by refinishing it.

Sometimes the finish on old handguns gets worn or dull, or perhaps develops a blemish of some sort. Many gun enthusiasts enjoy refinishing their weapons when such a situation arises. Refinishing a handgun such as a Glock requires time and preparation.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Sandblaster
• Industrial-grade cleaning solution
• Metal pot
• Oven
• Phosphate diversion coating
• Polymer coating
• Wax

Instructions

1. Carefully disassemble the Glock as you ordinarily would to clean it. Be sure not to lose any parts. Set aside any bolts or screws that you remove.

2. Remove the old finish from the gun, using the sandblaster and 150 grit aluminum oxide. When you're finished, all that should be visible is bare metal.

3. Fill the pot with cleaning solution and let the Glock pieces soak in the solution for approximately five minutes. Rinse the pieces afterward.

4. Towel dry the parts and place them in an oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for eight to 10 minutes.

5. Fill the pot with the phosphate coating and heat it carefully over a stove until the liquid is nearly boiling. When the liquid is about to boil, turn off the stove and place the Glock parts into the pot. Let them soak for about 15 minutes. Note that if the instructions on the phosphate coating indicate a different amount of time, you should follow the manufacturer's instructions.

6. Remove the parts from the phosphate coating solution, towel them off and again place them in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for about eight to 10 minutes.

7. Remove the parts from the oven (allow them to cool slightly before handling). Apply a thin layer of spray-on polymer coating to the Glock parts. After waiting at least an hour (or longer, if indicated in the polymer coating's instructions), apply a second, thin layer of polymer coating.

8. Place the Glock parts in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit, but this time leave them in for an hour.

9. Remove the pieces and wax them by applying the wax, then buffing it off with a cloth. Reassemble the pieces as you ordinarily would.

Tips & Warnings

• Always use a safety mask, heavy gloves, and face-fitting goggles when dealing with cleaning chemicals and finishing chemicals.

• As with any project, read the instructions that come with the gun finishing materials. If the manufacturer's instructions contradict those provided here, follow the instructions on the materials you have.

References

• Miracle Products: Gun Bluing Instruction Sheet
• Hot Flash Gun Refinishing: Firearm Refinishing Process
• BrowningMGs.com: Gun Bluing