Reliability Preparation
For prevention of accelerated wear, it is highly recommended that you prepare your pistol for service, also known as a fluff and buff. The initial F&B should be done on the steel parts only, before firing, and then again after a few rounds when additional wear or rough spots may become evident.
A few words of caution: Aluminum and polymer parts of a pistol are very soft and easy to damage. Do not sand or polish them unless it is to address a specific problem you have identified.
It is extremely easy to get carried away and remove too much metal, especially when using a Dremel tool. Don't let this happen to you!
The essence of a fluff and buff is to reduce friction. All you need is some 400 grit sandpaper and an hour or so of your time. If you'd like, you can use 600 grit sandpaper for a final finish and a Dremel type tool with a felt bob and some polishing compound to give the feed ramp a little extra polish. However the 400 grit paper will do what you need. The photos are of a Kel-Tec P32, but the same idea applies to most any pistol.
Items *1, *2, *7, *14, and *15 have the * because they are the most important. They should be done at a minimum and are the area you will want to spend the most effort.
First field strip your pistol and clean off all the lubricant that is on it so it doesn't gum up your sandpaper. I like to use rubbing alcohol.
SLIDE
*1. Use a small piece of sandpaper folded over for thickness and drag it through the rails in both sides of the slide. The first few drags will remove some finish and you can see the rough marks left by the milling process. drag the paper through a few more time, you should be able to feel how much smoother it pulls through. Be sure to make contact between the paper and all three sides of the channel before you are done. It is not necessary to completely remove the mill marks, especially if they are deep, you just want to make them smoother to glide across.
*2. Sand the hammer interface using the sandpaper. Be sure to always finish your polishing going in the direction of contact.
3. Sand to smooth the breech face. be careful not to damage the extractor.
4. Polish the inside of the opening that the barrel passes through. Again go in the direction the parts move.
5abc. Use the sandpaper to gently dull the sharp edges on the slide that will contact other parts.
6. Sand the flat areas inside the slide that contact the barrel when the slide retracts. Don't try to remove the machine marks, just smooth it a bit.
FRAME & GRIP
Warning, do not sand or polish the rails on the aluminum frame that is mounted in the grip. You may carefully remove any burrs that have formed from use, but be careful to remove no more of the anodizing than is necessary.
*7. Polish the hammer face.
8. Smooth any machining burrs on the takedown pin holes that may interfere with the movement of the barrel.
9. Relieveand smooth the front edge of the frame where the springs drag when they compress.
10. If your barrel has been gouging the frame as in the picture, you need to sand the area just enough to eliminate the contact. Or sand the barrel to eliminate the contact and just smooth the frame.
11. Smooth the front edge of the grip where the nose of the slide extends past it. This is not required on all pistols, check to see if the slide contacts when retracted.
12. If you see scuffs where you slide has been dragging on the frame support, gently sand a little to eliminate the contact.
13. Check the slide catch to see if it drags on the bullets or the side of the magazine follower causing a premature lock back of the slide. If it does, sand it down, just enough so that it no longer drags.
BARREL
*14. Sand the feed ramp. The goal is to reduce or remove ridges and pits, but no metal after that. Roll up a piece of 400 grit sandpaper, or wrap a piece around the end of an eraser and work the sandpaper up and down the ramp, the way the bullet moves. You can over do this, especially in the middle, so make sure not to alter the shape of the feedramp. If you want to do a real good job, go over it again with 600 grit sandpaper, or polish with a Dremel.
*15. Sand the chamber, the area inside the barrel just past the feed ramp. I find it easiest if you roll up some sandpaper. put it inside the chamber and then allow it to unwind to the size of the chamber. Sand by sliding it in and out, not rotating. (polish in the direction of movement)
16. Sand inside of the lug. This time use rotation to polish since that is the direction of movement. Be careful not to change the shape.
17. Use a wooden dowel to push a few strands of a stainless steel pot scrubber (see pic below) through the barrel from the feedramp side. Repeat a few times. The wad of pot scrubber should fit tight so it will smooth the machining marks inside the barrel.
18. Sand the entire outer surface of the barrel, except stay away from the muzzle opening.
MISC.
19. I recommend using a steel guide rod. In any case sand the guide rod using lengthwise strokes.
20. Lightly sand the outer surface of the recoil springs, lengthwise.
21. Sand the takedown pin by wrapping the paper around it and giving it a few turns.
22. Sand the inner radius of the guide rod hole by using an in and out motion. On many pistols this will be part of the slide.
23. Sand any sharp edges that may drag on the frame. Again, on many pistols this area will be part of the slide.
Thoroughly clean all parts. Compressed air is helpful, but not required. It is a good idea to touch up any exposed metal using cold blue on the steel and a black marker on the aluminum. This protects the metal and allows you to monitor wear. Lubricate as normal and reassemble.
It is a good ideal to prepare your magazines as well.
A. Sand the outer contact surface of the follower in the direction of movement.
B. Sand the outer surface of the spring with lengthwise strokes.
You should check the inside of your magazine body too and remove any burrs you find.
Clean, lubricate, and reassemble.
