Lettering on P238HD slide

September 30, 2018, 12:52 PM

I've been blinging out a P238HD (all stainless controls, pearl grips, etc.), and I'd like to get rid of the black letters "HD" on the right front of the slide without otherwise harming the finish. (For those unfamiliar with the HD model, it's a matte stainless finish.)

Has anybody done this? It feels like a rough-textured paint, which to me means that it should come off fairly easily. Any and all information/advice is welcome.

September 30, 2018, 01:17 PM

Cobra21

Have one in my pocket right now! Curious to see pics of your blinged out one in this thread. Please post or link when possible.

September 30, 2018, 01:34 PM

az4783054

Try some acetone or lacquer thinner on a Q-TIP...

September 30, 2018, 04:08 PM

toivo

quote:
Originally posted by az4783054:
Try some acetone or lacquer thinner on a Q-TIP...

Any chance that could harm the finish of the slide? (Matte stainless.)

September 30, 2018, 07:23 PM

SigSauerP226

How do you 2 like your 238 HDs? There's a lightly used one in my hometown that I've been eye balling for a couple weeks. It has the black and grey G10s and I think it looks relly nice. Watched the Hickok45 video and some other reviews and all seem glowing. Kicking around the idea of a pocket pistol and it seems like the 238 would be a great choice. Fun and easy to shoot? It's on the roster in CA and the 938 is not so the 938 usually goes for double the 238. Only downside I see is .380 apparently is a bit pricey compared to 9mm.

And sorry not sure what to do about the lettering. That's probably the only not so appealing thing about the gun. Kind of looks weird.

September 30, 2018, 09:00 PM

Dusty78

Aren’t the letters laser engraved aka burned in?

September 30, 2018, 09:06 PM

kaschi

I hope SigSauerP226's question gets some responses as I too would love to know what people think of the the little P238HD!

September 30, 2018, 10:09 PM

toivo

quote:
Originally posted by Dusty78:
Aren’t the letters laser engraved aka burned in?

I don't think so -- you can feel that they're raised up when you run your finger over them.

September 30, 2018, 10:13 PM

elde

quote:
Originally posted by Dusty78:
Aren’t the letters laser engraved aka burned in?

The HD lettering is somehow printed on the right side of the slide.

September 30, 2018, 10:32 PM

Dusty78

I’m going off memory as I had one years ago.

September 30, 2018, 10:36 PM

Dusty78

quote:
Originally posted by toivo:
quote:
Originally posted by az4783054:
Try some acetone or lacquer thinner on a Q-TIP...

Any chance that could harm the finish of the slide? (Matte stainless.)

You can technically “harm” the matte finish if you rub the area to vigorously. I have seen guns where people try to clean surface rust off of stainless and basically end up polishing the one section. I think the safest way to do it it to send it to a refinisher and have them bead blast the slide with a fine glass bead. If it is truly printed that should get it off. Might have to run it through the blaster a few times. Reach out to CCR and ask them...they should be able to steer you in the right direction. Might even be able to tel you how the lettering is applied.

September 30, 2018, 11:47 PM

toivo

quote:
Originally posted by Dusty78:
Reach out to CCR and ask them...they should be able to steer you in the right direction.

Creedence Clearwater Revival? Center for Constitutional Rights?

Sorry, just my smartass way of saying I don't know who CCR is.

October 01, 2018, 12:23 AM

arfmel

CCR: Cummings Custom Refinishing. Longtime members of this board. You have evidently not been paying attention.

https://sigforum.com/eve/forums...0601935/m/1760023644

October 01, 2018, 12:24 AM

toivo

quote:
Originally posted by arfmel:
CCR: Cummings Custom Refinishing. Longtime members of this board. You have evidently not been paying attention.

https://sigforum.com/eve/forums...0601935/m/1760023644

Thanks. Yup, I failed the quiz ...

October 02, 2018, 04:18 PM

Cobra21

quote:
Originally posted by SigSauerP226:
How do you 2 like your 238 HDs? There's a lightly used one in my hometown that I've been eye balling for a couple weeks. It has the black and grey G10s and I think it looks relly nice. Watched the Hickok45 video and some other reviews and all seem glowing. Kicking around the idea of a pocket pistol and it seems like the 238 would be a great choice. Fun and easy to shoot? It's on the roster in CA and the 938 is not so the 938 usually goes for double the 238. Only downside I see is .380 apparently is a bit pricey compared to 9mm.

And sorry not sure what to do about the lettering. That's probably the only not so appealing thing about the gun. Kind of looks weird.

Never thought much about the "HD" on the side, but it is indeed a raised lettering if you go by the feel of it. As for "liking" it, I carry it every day that I can't carry a larger gun comfortably and some days when I can. I like the heft of it and I do not feel that it is too much weight for my everyday dress slacks.

And one other thing...it will be the most accurate small pistol you ever shot. Easy to get on target and stay on target.

October 02, 2018, 10:49 PM

toivo

I love the P238 as a small carry pistol, either in the pocket or in an OWB holster. I like it so much that I have three of them: a regular Nitron one, an SAS model, and the HD that I'm blinging out. It's a very comfortable pistol to shoot.

IMO, the "HD" lettering looked OK when the pistol had black controls and grips, but since I went with the pearloid grips and all-stainless controls, it looks really out of place. I'll post a "before" picture when I get a chance, and then an "after" picture once I get done doing whatever I'm going to do to it.

October 03, 2018, 01:43 PM

Cobra21

quote:
Originally posted by toivo:

...IMO, the "HD" lettering looked OK when the pistol had black controls and grips, but since I went with the pearloid grips and all-stainless controls, it looks really out of place...

OK, I see where you are going with this now. Makes sense. I added the BLACK logo wood grips and the BLACK GGI trigger so the "HD" seemed to blend in nicely.

April 27, 2019, 06:55 PM

toivo

Follow-up -- OK, I never did take a "before" pic, but here's a stock photo from gundata.org:

I sent the slide to Cummings Custom Refinishing to be bead-blasted, and it removed the lettering on the right side nicely.

So the rundown is:

all stainless (or "white") controls and pins except the trigger pin
Hogue aluminum mainspring housing
W Engineering stainless trigger
Eagle checkered pearloid grips
Robar NP3 finish on the barrel
slide bead-blasted by CCR

And voila!