Help!! I scratched 1 of my babies!!!

[FSU_Seminole]

I went hunting this morning with my .270. It has a stainless steel barrel. As I was glassing looking at deer it slid down the shooting rail on my stand & smacked the rail behind me pretty hard. Hard enough that deer 200 yards away heard it. On the top of the barrel its a nasty sratch & nick. Normally I wouldn't let this bother me but this is a pretty bad nick on the top of the barrel. Anyone know how I can get rid of this without polishing or is their some sort of silver polish i could use to fill the sratch in? I know their are several blueing products & even some blueing pens out there. But this is a stainless steel barrel. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

[Leo]

If the rifle fell hard enough to nick an uncoated stainless barrel I'd say you better make sure your scope is still sighted in. That's a pretty hard whack you're describing.

If it's a smooth polished finish stainless that's uncoated you can probably buff it out with some 3M scotchbrite (fine grit). It will take a while and some effort but work slowly.

If it's a bead blasted matte finish, I wouldn't try the scotchbrite. It will just make a smooth spot that looks funny. The only way I know to get rid of it then is to get the barrel blasted again. IE. it ain't worth it.

[LifeNRA]

What Leo said! Just consider it character for the gun! I use my guns to hunt, yes, sometimes they get scratched! But they don't get abused!

[hangunnr]

A proper repair would require some draw filing and copious amounts of blending and polishing. Is it worth it for a working gun....IMO no, but that's a decision you would have to make. A bead blast will not cover up a scratch. The use of a Scotchbrite pad would be a OK but the entire barrel would have to be done to make the finish even. This won't remove a deep scratch though, just blend it in. I've rejuvinated a couple stainless barrels with a Scotchbrite pad (red one). One trick I use is to add some oil to the pad. This seems to give a little more of a satin finish than a dry pad alone will give.

hangunnr

[doubleA]

FSU, be aware that if it was bare carbon steel that made the ding in barrel chances are that tiny amounts of carbon steel are now impregnated into the stainless alloy which in turn will rust.

[FSU_Seminole]

Thanks for the info guys.