just got back from the range for another 150 rounds. So far, no hiccups with anything i've thrown at it including Rem Range 180gr FP, PPC 180gr HP, Hornady 180gr XTP, and, today, some Buffalo Bore 180 gr HP at 1340 on the chrono. I have shot the Buffalo bore stuff through it before the recent work and I am going to claim a noticeable reduction/modification to the recoil impulse with the new firing pin stop geometry. I know the physics are the same downrange, 800ftlbs is 800ftlbs no matter what, but the timing difference makes it seem like a punch instead of a hard slap. Muzzle flip is slightly diminished too and I'm back on target approx .25 sec faster according to my shot timer. Granted, this is all subjective, but the goal of the modifications has been met in my opinion.
To answer the question about polishing, I used duct tape to mask the bead blasted curvature then used an 8" bench mounted polishing wheel with coarse, then medium, then fine polishing rouge both vertically and horizontally. The duct tape masking is durable enough to protect the underlying metal from the polishing wheel if you're careful. After getting the desired level of polish, I then masked the flats with the same tape and bead blasted the rounds. The thick duct tape slows down the glass beads without cutting through the tape and is an excellent way to get a nice clean line along the radius edge. The whole process might seem bubba-ish, but it came out nice and only took probably 3 hours all inclusive including sight reinstallation. Incidentally, it is really easy to breathe new life into dovetail sights with Birchwood Casey cold blue. It came out nice and black and freshened up the carry wear on the front sight.
A fun project to be sure.
