Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Barrel Finish/Buff ?

This may not be a bright idea but.......I've got a BLR with laminated grey stock and Matte S/S Barrel. The factory bead blast finish makes the S/S look pretty grey and the texture soaks up dirt and grime.
My thought is to have the barrel buffed out to a much smoother finish so it doesn't absorb grime and brighten it up some, but not the point of a mirror finish.
The rifle would be easier to keep clean and I think a "semi-polished" barrel would look great against the dark grey laminate stock.
What do those of you in the know think?

Polishing followed by Scotchbrite leaves a good finish IMO. Different grades of Scotchbrite can be tried to achieve the desired look. Easy to touch up also.

Smear the metal with 400 grit Clover compound then use a fine wire wheel, mounted on the bench grinder, on it. Try it without polishing the factory finish first. This will knock off the high points and give it a smoother, muted appearance. If polished first, it will end up a lighter gray; kind of a sem- satin finish. GD

will the 400 grit lapping compound and wire wheel give you a darker gray, kind of like a Ruger SS finish?

I had a M77 with that gray finish.. Hated it... An hour later, after full disassembly and a powered wire wheel, I had a rifle that looked like it should...

Ruger also uses a different alloy

If you take wd40 and some extra fine steel wool you can smooth out the sandblasting finish.

:)…. That’s what I do if the finish is too rough.

Thanks for the guidance, smoothing out the sandblasting and letting the brightness of the S/S come through is exactly what I'm looking for.