Experts, how is "melting" or blending done?

317wc

I'm just curious, shops that offer this option, how are they doing it? When they are final polishing the gun before bluing/assembly are they just hand softening the edges? Or is it done in a jig on a grinder, or maybe chemically? Just curious, I noticed my 870 Express has sharp edges, while my Model 12, though not with blended edges really, is much softer feeling.

dcs shooters

Rounding the edges with a file, mill, or just sanding.

rufe-snow

I don't know factually? Figured it was done freehand, with a Dremel. Using something like Cratex fine grit abrasive wheels. Prior to final polishing. So all the radiused surfaces can be blended in.

tsr1965

317wc,

You are comparing apples to oranges, or lemons. by comparing an 870 Express to a Winchester model 12. A winchester Model 12 was one of their highest grade of finished pump shotguns, while the 870 Express, is Remington's least expensive model. Remington made it least expensive, by, you guessed it, by leaving out some of the nicer finishing options. You should be comparing the 870 Express, to the 870 Wingmaster, which is the nicest finished 870. The Model 1300 Winchester, is the least expensive pump action that would most likely compare to the 870 Express.

Best

EDIT 1

317wc,

What I was trying to really express, is that all 870's are not created equal. There are different grades. Some with lesser finish options, to be less expensive, and some with a lot of highly finished options, to be real expensive.

Best

XXCross

There are no "shortcuts" to a quality bluing job.
Shortcuts are only quicker paths to bigger problems.
2 cents.

v35

I "melted" a Baby Browning, pocket carried daily for some years in the '60s. It even went to England, Germany, Holland, Alsace Lorraine & Belgium in my pocket. Melting doesn't involve heat but careful removal of sharp edges and corners unfriendly to pockets.
Additional benefit of rounding edges and corners is that they hold bluing better than sharp ones.
I don't recall if I had a Dremel at the time but I did have stones and Swiss files. Herters Belgian Blue was used on all external parts where blue was removed. It matched and still looks good after 50 some years.
Of course the gun has lost collectors' value but that wasn't an issue then.

beantownshootah

Quick answer is that skilled individuals do it with hand tools, filing/grinding/sanding off all corners and sharp edges, then polishing and refinishing.

There is no chemical nor heat method that can do this; its an "art".

Exactly which tools are used, in what order, on what places, and how the gun is held/prepped first is going to depend on the individual in question and the gun in question, but in general, you're talking files, grinders, sandpaper, stones, polish, and subsequent refinishing.

317wc

Thanks for the replies. I was just curious how it was done. I had figured it was mostly done by hand but some of the pistols I see look so good, and are melted so extensively, that I was curious if some was done my machine. I suppose, it is not.

I do realize comparing a 870 to a Model 12, they are not the same grade. That was only the thing that got my interest piqued.