How does Roguard/NP3 Hold Up

Just thought someone might like to see how Roguard and NP3 hold up under use:

One month of regular carry and 1,750 rounds of 9mm (some +P)

http://www.ont.com/users/kolya/HiPo02.jpg

Eight months of regular carry and 4,500 rounds of 9mm (some +P)
http://www.ont.com/users/kolya/HP4500_2.jpg

Three years of regular carry and 11,482 rounds of 9mm (several hundred +P)
http://www.ont.com/users/kolya/Bhp17k.jpg

Very cool. I've been thinking of having sending off a Browning to have it melted and NP3'd.

Do you carry in leather or kydex? And, if you had to do it over, would you go complete NP3, or stick with the Roguard?

BTW, sweet gun.

Do you carry in leather or kydex?

All of the carry for that gun has been done exclusively in a Milt Sparks Versa-Max II (leather).

And, if you had to do it over, would you go complete NP3, or stick with the Roguard?

I like the black finish so that would bias me towards Roguard in any case; but in my limited experience Roguard seems to wear tougher than the NP3 - although it is more difficult to notice the wear with NP3 since the bare metal is a similar dull grey shade.

NP3 seems to be a little slicker and is well-suited to the internals; but contrary to some suggestions, I've found that it isn't so self-lubricating that you should run the gun while dry. The gun will function like that; but wear of the NP3 accelerates quite a bit when you do it.

How does the roguard feel as opposed to the np3?

How does the roguard feel as opposed to the np3?

I can't really tell any difference between the two other than the internal parts that are NP3 coated wear less on each other than they do where it is Roguard and NP3 meeting.

Externally, if I put the same model MkIII in my holster but with a parkerized finish, you have to give it a pretty firm yank to pull it out of the holster. The Roguard/NP3 gun in the same holster still has good retention; but slides right out with less effort.

One thing I'd suggest is that you probably aren't seeing the NP3 wear off, but rather are seeing it take some surface scuffing; it is quite a bit harder than Roguard could possibly be.

One thing I'd suggest is that you probably aren't seeing the NP3 wear off, but rather are seeing it take some surface scuffing

Well here is a picture of NP3 wear on the barrel lugs at 4,500 rounds:

http://www.ont.com/users/kolya/barrelhood.jpg

There aren't any additional wear pictures of that area because the KKM Match barrel snapped at 7,102 rounds.

Here is a picture of the slide directly opposite those lugs at 4,500 rounds:

http://www.ont.com/users/kolya/frontslide.jpg

The barrel BROKE at 7,000 rounds?!?!! :what:

I was thinking outside-of-the-gun wear with the NP3, I'm not surprised it would rub off the barrel lugs.

BTW, is that a big chunk of Roguard that came off near the muzzle on the right side of the slide?

The barrel BROKE at 7,000 rounds?!?!!

http://www.ont.com/users/kolya/kkm1.jpg

Yup, it was a pain to get the parts out too. The gunsmith (Wickmann) blamed the barrel maker (KKM). The barrel maker blamed the gunsmith but then admitted that they had changed their barrel design for the Hi-Power.

I put the stock barrel back in and it has been working fine with no issues or loss of accuracy.

I was thinking outside-of-the-gun wear with the NP3, I'm not surprised it would rub off the barrel lugs.

Outside the gun, the NP3 is wearing about the same as the Roguard, maybe a little better; it is tough to say because the wear isn't as visible as the bare metal is about the same color as the NP3; but the slide release and safety both have holster wear on the leading edges.

BTW, is that a big chunk of Roguard that came off near the muzzle on the right side of the slide?

Huh? Do you mean the bare patch on the slide near the rails and right in front of the dustcover of the frame? That is just that gun, it had worn the same patch on the factory enamel finish as well. The frame rails on the right side just grip a little tighter there so you see the wear.

Yeah, that's what I meant. Obviously not the finish's fault if the dust cover rubs on that part of the slide.

Shearing a Browning lug clean off is a pretty good trick, and the odds that Wickman would bugger that up hover somewhere around nil. I'm guessing some fluke metalurgical goof-up, but that's still a big :eek: in my book.

Forgot to mention: the gun looks great! Held up really well. I've never heard anything bad about Robar's finishes.

i've got NP3 on my old race gun and it looks just like it did about 10 years ago when i got it back.....for some reason it would not stay on my reverse plug....they redid it and it came off a second time but no problem anywhere else.....DICK