Fluff & Buff time @ the Flintknapper household....

[flintknapper]

Wow, there was surprisingly little to do on the Beretta!

Not being familiar with this particular pistol, I spent some time studying it before attempting any work.

I have to say….I am most impressed with the recoil system on this pistol. It is wonderfully simple.

The fit and finish of the slide was so good that I could not find anything that I thought I could improve upon. This weapon being the least expensive of the three, I expected to find something quite different than I did.

There was precious little to improve upon with the barrel and block as well.

I did polish the areas indicated, but with exception of the feed ramp….I am not sure it will make any noticeable difference.

When I picked this gun up for the first time, I was not all that impressed. It rattled when I moved it any all…and I just don’t care for decockers, but when I ran the slide back I could tell it was actually pretty well fitted.

Now that it is all cleaned up and “properly� lubed it is buttery smooth and goes into battery with a rather satisfying “ker-chunk�.

If this thing “shoots�, then for the price….I’m going to have to proclaim it “Best of Show�.

Although it is not something I would pick to carry (for myself), it definitely has my attention in terms of quality and feel. Hopefully… I will have an opportunity to put all three pistols through their paces this weekend.

[nedmoore]

What did you use for the polishing? Next time I am in the Piney Woods I might need to drop off a couple of guns for the "fluff and Buff"!

[flintknapper]

What did you use for the polishing? Next time I am in the Piney Woods I might need to drop off a couple of guns for the "fluff and Buff"!

Depends on what needs polishing.

Some things like breech faces are hand sanded with 600 grit wet or dry sand paper, other things might require a "craytex" wheel/tip on a dremel tool (for deburring), but most of my polishing is done with various grades of abrasives and a dremel tool with cotton tips/wheels.

The photos don't really show the mirror like finish that can be achieved, seems they always reflect something in the background and make the part appear not as smooth as they actually are.

[htxred]

side question, what benefits do you get from polishing muzzle and crown??? would it be smart to polish the top part of the bbl, i think its called hood (by where the caliber is stamped)??

[flintknapper]

side question, what benefits do you get from polishing muzzle and crown??? would it be smart to polish the top part of the bbl, i think its called hood (by where the caliber is stamped)??

The benefit of polishing the muzzle & crown comes in the form of easier cleaning (much easier). Naturally, this is the area that receives the most abuse as we shoot the weapon. It is not uncommon to get quite a build up of residue after a shooting session. This "scorched" area can be most difficult to clean if the muzzle is rough, but nearly wipes off if smooth. Those with (thick/bull barrels) will benefit the most from this.

Unfortunately, many barrels are pretty "rough" in this area. If you have deep tooling marks you will have to settle for polishing what you can without removing any significant amount of metal or changing the shape of the muzzle/crown in any way. In other words, it is O.K. to "polish" with a cotton buffing tip and fine abrasive, but NOT O.K. to "grind" it with a craytex tip. Same holds true for the breech face.

If your barrel has an applied finish (parkerizing, etc) and you wish to keep the appearance, then don't polish the muzzle unless you plan on refinishing it.

The hood of the barrel is another area that can be polished. Great care must be taken not to remove material though. The idea is to preserve the shape and dimension(s) of the original part... while at the same time smoothing it out.

[flintknapper]

This will kind of give you an idea of what we are after.

How smooth a finish you can get …..depends entirely upon the tool marks from the factory and the type metal used for the barrel. But basically, you are just trying to smooth out what you can….so that cleaning becomes easier.

If you like the way a polished muzzle looks, well…..that is just “icing on the cake�.

[Skiprr]

Ya know, there may be a strong $19.95 "how-to" DVD market in this for ya.

Seriously. Think about it.

One thing I've wondered is what manufacturers think about it with regard to warranty.

[flintknapper]

Ya know, there may be a strong $19.95 "how-to" DVD market in this for ya.

Seriously. Think about it.

One thing I've wondered is what manufacturers think about it with regard to warranty.

Without question... some consideration must be given to this before you "elect" to modify your pistol.

I weigh this very carefully before deciding what I am going to do.

For instance: If I polish the muzzle of my new pistol and the sear fails, I still expect the manufacturer to honor their warranty. Polishing the feed ramp (provided you do not change angles) should be acceptable as well. Many times... if you have a feeding problem with your weapon and send it back, this is exactly what they do to it.

OTOH, if I file the breech face down to remove some tooling marks before polishing it, I have effectively changed some rather critical dimensions. Head-spacing will be affected....as will the tension between the extractor (1911's with conventional extractor), etc...
I would not expect the Mfg. to warranty that!

Some mfg's may have clauses preventing ANY modifications without forfeiture of warranty. If in doubt, call them.

I've been doing this long enough (on 1911's) and most revolvers...that I am confident I will not harm the weapon, otherwise I wouldn't do it to a new pistol.

But, you raise an important point, and it is one worthy of investigation before anyone attempts a modification (F&B) on a weapon that is currently warranted.

Thank You... for bringing this up. It was an excellent observation.

Flint.

[flintknapper]

Caveat... please read:


Folk's I want to make something very clear.

My posts here involving certain improvements/modifications/F&B are NOT intended to be a "tutorial". I do not recommend that anyone unfamiliar with all aspects of how your firearm functions and the relationship of the parts... attempt to modify them in any way.

I am simply showing you a "few" things that "I" do...and have had good success with.

If you choose to employ any of these techniques, do so at your own risk.

DO NOT grind down your feed ramp until it is paper thin and then call Flint to say "Hey man...I tried that feed ramp polish thing....and now my gun won't work"!

As I said, this is just a report on how "I" prepare pistols to go the range.

Think of it as entertainment!


Flint.

[flintknapper]

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[flintknapper]

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[flintknapper]

Beretta Storm:

Shot this one last.

Not really sure I can say why…. but I wasn’t expecting all that much from it. When you handle the weapon it feels a little loose, and empty mags. make a “rattling� sound inside of it.

I knew it would have an advantage at the 15 yd. range because of it’s longer barrel and sight radius (all things being equal). But I still wasn’t convinced it would be anything special.

Well…….this pistol must have somehow “picked up� on my “vibes� and purposed itself to prove me wrong.

I hammered it back to take advantage of the single action mode available for the first shot (all subsequent shots are single action anyway). The first shot struck directly over the center of the bull about ¾� high.

So, I’m thinking to myself, “well…….looky here�.

This pistol wasn’t done yet though! The next four rounds shoot into a scant 3/4� group just to the right of the first shot.

The entire group measured 1-1/8� outside… with four of those shots clustered into ¾�.

Folks, that is pretty darn impressive for a not too expensive pistol. I shot my P-13 afterward (a pistol I’ve been shooting for a dozen years) and I couldn’t match the Beretta.

I shot 1-5/16� with my Para, but had five distinctive holes. The Beretta Storm really surprised me. It’s not the right gun for “me� to carry, but if this is representative of the quality and accuracy of this model, then I must give it my blessings.

Like the others, it displayed no problems dumping the remaining 45 rounds down range.

[longtooth]

Same from both of the Baaretta Storms at our household. The ladies love them.
Good gun/ Just not a 1911.

[flintknapper]

Same from both of the Baaretta Storms at our household. The ladies love them.
Good gun/ Just not a 1911.

I can understand why.

[jbirds1210]

Thank you for the reviews.....they have been very interesting and helpful! That little Italian job did deliever an impressive group at 15 yards!


I could have only done that with a pencil!

Jason