This may have been asked before, hell, I may have asked it myself.

Brownells seems to be permanently out of 555 in any grit. Mine has dried up so it will no longer stick to the wheels.

I need an alternative, or some hope that it will eventually come in stock again. I've been checking for a year or so, with no luck.

Anyone have a good recommendation of how to ether get 555 or alternatives to it?

Test the stick first by shaving off the end and see if you get back to softer material. If no joy, melt the dried stick in a double boiler. Add 1/2 oz of mineral oil. Mix thoroughly. Pour into a plastic mold and let cool. It should work then. Store in a zip bag in the frig.

I no longer have that problem, because no one wants glossy shiny finishes any more. They all want matte or 320 at the most. Semi gloss.
I used to keep the tubes in the refrigerator; there are probably still tubes of it back in the bottom drawer from 25 years ago.

These guys have a good selection.

https://knifemaking.com/collec...nd-cutting-compounds

Meetal polishing could take up a lot of ink on a forum...and might even be a good idea, The buffing wheel is a great tool and.... a great way to ruin a firearm

We buy polish compounds from the local industrial abrasives company. Same place for glass beads and sandpaper.