Sand or bead media before parkerizing?

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HisSoldier

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I have a Colt 1909 .38 ACP double link pistol that had deep rust pitting on the slide, and want to parkerize it since surface grinding the pits out of the sides of the slide makes it unworthy as a collector piece. The gunsmith told me to sand blast rather than bead blast, said the park finish lasts longer. Next time I talked with him he said to bead blast it. So now I wonder. Any big difference? The reason I ask is that the bead blaster is full of beads and changing is a messy chore.
Thanks,
 
Oxide will give you a more aggressive anchor pattern. Glass beads will give a softer pattern, both should work.
I've done both, and that's pretty much exactly what I've found.
I shoot 80-120 abrasives, garnet or aluminum oxide usually, for paint of any sort.
For most non-polished bluing I use 120 glass beads, for true "matte" I use 80 abrasive.
 
Sand blast it. Parkerizing likes a rougher surface.
 
At one time I did a fair amount of parkerizing at work.We used glass beads.Sand is usually too aggressive.We used the same grade of beads that we used for blasting aluminum parts for anodizing.I do not remember the actual grade.Any glass beads will remove the rust.All parkerizing needs is a clean surface is order to work.I've seen a few people who bead blasted and parkerized a double action revolver and then complained the action was no longer as smooth functioning.
 
I made a cannon "pistol" for my pastors Whitworth semi replica cannon. The action exposing the .22 powershot chamber is tongue and groove, and when I finished it I decided to parkerize it. I was amazed at how tight it was after parking. I parkerized a SA 1911 and took no special care for the frame and slide rails, and it fit right up when done as if I hadn't done it, I mean, no difference felt. I have to admit the vertical sliding tongue and groove breech on that pistol was very close fit, but would have assumed the 1911 would tighten up after parkerizing. Does anyone know how much it adds to the surfaces? Is it tenths?
 
There is a milspec on parkerizing and it should give you the thickness variations for a large list of variables. I could not find an electronic copy on the dod server for those so it's probably obsolete. You might find it at a gunshow.
 
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