P220 MSE rust restoration project

Member

posted

Bought this 10mm off gb. Found a bunch of rust after I received it. Sanded it down then bead blasted it. Not perfect but much better.

Posts: 141 | Location: Tennessee | Registered: May 11, 2025

12131

Oriental Redneck
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posted

Good as new. Nice job.

Posts: 30965 | Location: TEXAS | Registered: September 04, 2008

Ignored post by 12131 posted

Sugarwater

Member

posted

That looks nice! Good job!

Posts: 367 | Location: Austin, Texas | Registered: April 26, 2012

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DaBull

Member

posted

Looks new. Fantastic job.

P220 (.45)
P225
P226 (9mm)
P228
P229 (.40)
P365
SP2022 (9mm & .40)

"...it's better to have a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not have it." - Clarence Worley in True Romance

Posts: 398 | Location: Texas | Registered: April 27, 2008

Ignored post by DaBull posted

92fstech

Prepared for the Worst, Providing the Best
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posted

That's great work, well done!

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Posts: 11806 | Location: In the Cornfields | Registered: May 25, 2006

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Member

posted

Appreciate it. Took a bit longer than I anticipated. Probably need to replace the springs in my elbow and shoulder now.

Posts: 141 | Location: Tennessee | Registered: May 11, 2025

Ignored post by Shack posted

Com 45acp

Member

posted

Think I would have a nice cerakote silver finish applied to protect it from future issues. Definitely night day from when you received it.

Posts: 525 | Registered: November 30, 2004

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patw

Member

posted

Well done. A shame it had any to begin with.

Posts: 7828 | Location: Treasure Coast,Fl. | Registered: July 04, 2003

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4MUL8R

Member

posted

Great restoration.

How did it rust? Aren’t these stainless steel?

-------
Trying to simplify my life...

Posts: 6111 | Location: Commonwealth of Virginia | Registered: January 15, 2007

Ignored post by 4MUL8R posted

Member

posted

quote:
Originally posted by 4MUL8R:
Great restoration.

How did it rust? Aren’t these stainless steel?

This was a gb purchase that yielded that nice surprise. I could only speculate.

Posts: 141 | Location: Tennessee | Registered: May 11, 2025

Ignored post by Shack posted

cee_Kamp

Buy that Classic SIG in All Stainless,
No rail wear will be painless.
Picture of cee_Kamp

posted

Shack,
You did a fine restoration job!
Almost all the rust appeared to be under the grip panels.

I would guess that the pistol was caught in a rainstorm. The previous owner wiped down the visible surfaces and put it away.
The 400 series of stainless steel will rust.

Back decades ago I was at an outdoors action pistol shoot with a Colt stainless steel Gold Cup. We got caught in a summertime thunderstorm and got soaked.
BTW, those bowling pins FLY off the tabletop when it's wet!
I did wipe the pistol off when I got home, the external surfaces.
It sat for several days until I had time for a detail disassembly.
I was rewarded with rust and light pitting underneath the grip panels.

NRA Benefactor Life Member
NRA Instructor
USPSA Chief Range Officer

Posts: 1994 | Location: upstate NY in Kathy Hochul's bowel movement | Registered: December 14, 2009

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OttoSig

Member

posted

When I owned multiple SSE pistols, I noticed the factory rosewood grips that came in a lot of Sigs would cause rust more than other grips.

Quite possible could have been the culprit?

Nine years to retirement! Just waiting!

Posts: 7856 | Location: Wisconsin | Registered: August 10, 2009

Ignored post by OttoSig posted

Member

posted

quote:
Originally posted by cee_Kamp:
Shack,
You did a fine restoration job!
Almost all the rust appeared to be under the grip panels.

I would guess that the pistol was caught in a rainstorm. The previous owner wiped down the visible surfaces and put it away.
The 400 series of stainless steel will rust.

Back decades ago I was at an outdoors action pistol shoot with a Colt stainless steel Gold Cup. We got caught in a summertime thunderstorm and got soaked.
BTW, those bowling pins FLY off the tabletop when it's wet!
I did wipe the pistol off when I got home, the external surfaces.
It sat for several days until I had time for a detail disassembly.
I was rewarded with rust and light pitting underneath the grip panels.

Thank you. That is what I was thinking. Or potentially a sweaty range day. It was a sickening feeling when I took the grips off. The rust hadn’t been addressed at all either, so it initially looked much worse than those pictures.

Posts: 141 | Location: Tennessee | Registered: May 11, 2025

Ignored post by Shack posted

Member

posted

quote:
Originally posted by OttoSig:
When I owned multiple SSE pistols, I noticed the factory rosewood grips that came in a lot of Sigs would cause rust more than other grips.

Quite possible could have been the culprit?

Not on this one, but I do think that was the case with this p220 that was wearing rosewoods. But again, guessing

Posts: 141 | Location: Tennessee | Registered: May 11, 2025

Ignored post by Shack posted

McGregor

Member

posted

Very nice work! Thanks for posting this.
This post prompted me to look under the grips on my P220 SSE. UGH corrosion started by lower grip screw holes similar to yours (but not quite as bad) on left and right side.
The inner surface of the rosewood grips looks like it has no finish on it. Going to seal them with polyurethane or Tru oil and keep a close eye on it in the future.

Posts: 346 | Location: SW,MI | Registered: July 25, 2008

Ignored post by McGregor posted