My sweat is pure acid, I've rusted every single pistol I've ever carried save for my Robar NP3'd 1911 and my older gen3 by-god-Tennifer Glocks, which I'm back to carrying because my G43 has started to show rust on the slide and this is completely unsat.
What's the consensus of the cognoscenti on hell and back durable coatings/treatments/finishes/whatever in this modern age?
My many thanks in advance.
NP3, IonBond, Melonite over stainless
I'm always more worried about the small parts that sometimes DON'T get treating that are prone to corrosion. A rusty slide just has a bad surface finish. But a tool steel sear or hammer hooks in a 1911 always worry me. if you're looking to corrosion proof the glock, then I'd go NP3, as they coat small parts too
Good point on the internals. I was discussing the same thing with the folks at Birdsong, they also do the internals with their Black T...but I don't know anyone who's ever had that on their pistol.
Tam’s early PRO might have birdsong finish
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NP3 or NP3+,
If "toughest finish" is only with respect to corrosion applied in the aftermarket, Robar's NP3+ is probably the best single choice. The issue with finishes is that every one is a compromise, and the user has to choose the compromise that makes sense for them. For example, if the pistol has to be black, NP3+ is not a good choice. Finishes are a balance of appearance, adhesion, lubricity, abrasion resistance, thickness, etc.
A good corrosion-proof finish for the external surfaces that does not cost a fortune is CeraKote. For the internals, NP3 is a great choice as it is corrosion resistant, has a high lubricity, has great adhesion, and coats evenly, but it is pricey.
Nitriding can be a great finish if one knows the underlying alloy and picks the proper process. Some alloys are incompatible with the QPQ (Quench, Polish, Quench) version (like the original S&W M&P stainless slides that rusted) while others work well with QPQ. Dimensional changes are always a concern with nitriding. Hard chrome risks hydrogen embrittlement. Cerakote coatings can be too thick and cause function issues. IonBond can have irregular coating thickness and coverage issues. Nickel boron has issues with losing lubricity. The polymer finishes from Wilson Combat, Birdsong, and Robar are great for corrosion resistance, but lack abrasion resistance.
I’ve had several pistols finished by Walter Birdsong. Top notch and no issues. They’ll wear, but as far as I’ve seen, there’s never been a rust issue.
I'm not a metallurgy specialist, or even real knowledgeable about finishes... but when I think of the best finishes there are two thi gs come to mind: Dan Wesson's Duty Treat and Dave Severn's hardhat.
I think tongue twisters call them a nitroferretic carbonizing process. Dont know what all that means, but I know its strong enough that most folks wont do any machining on guns that have it. That says alot.
-Cory
When I had Drake Oldham Melonite a Stainless 1911 years ago, we had to be sure it was in it's final configuration before doing the metal treatment. He was clear that he had no intention of doing any machining, post-melonite.Originally Posted by cor_man257
As discussed already, what the substrate is (specific steel type) plays a big role in what is the "best". If I were building a "ultimate hard use" gun that needs to hold up to everything I'd make it out of AISI 4140, 4145 or 4150, nitride it and Ceracoat over that if on a budget. If money was no option, it would be the same with Robar's NP3. Industrial hard chrome is pretty dang tough too but has bling that may not be wanted.
Last edited by Spartan1980; 06-21-2018 at 07:58 PM.
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