hard chroming parts of a 1911? bad idea? ok?

[densecity]

Hi - after deciding on a RIA tactical, i have a question question...
I have a vision in my head of how i want to make it look. Is it possible for me to hardchrome the trigger, beavertail, safeties, and still have them fit and function? I dont know how thick HC is.

If not, I am considering just buying a Mil spec and buying silver/HC parts for it afterwards.

Thanks

 

[Confederate]

Hard chroming everything that wears is a good idea, especially the inside of the barrel. The harder the chrome the better the wear resistance. It doesn't do squat for aluminum, but steel plating is well worth the effort.

I had a little Beretta 70S .22LR that I had hard chromed after some rust kept coming back in the same spot. Now it looks stainless and is nice and slick.

 

[CWL]

Hard chrome is extremely thin (0.0030 to 0.0098 in) so it shouldn't matter for your RIA as long as it is just using spec parts.

If you have a customized 1911 or a gunsmith'd trigger job done, hard chroming afterward can screw-up the work. In this case, have the HC done first before giving it to a gunsmith.

 

[Japle]

If you have a customized 1911 or a gunsmith'd trigger job done, hard chroming afterward can screw-up the work. In this case, have the HC done first before giving it to a gunsmith.

It's really hard (pun intended) to do much work on a hard chromed gun. They don't call it "hard" chrome for nothing.

I've had a couple of dozen guns hard chromed, all of them custom fitted. The HC never had any effect that I could notice and I was looking pretty hard (damn, there I go again!!).

 

[densecity]

ok thanks, im thinking about chroming the hammer, beavertail, trigger, maybe the mag release button and anything else besides the slide and frame i can get off the gun. nice.

 

[densecity]

could i HC the backstrap piece?

 

[Oro]

could i HC the backstrap piece?

I am guessing you mean the main spring housing (aka, MSH). yes, that comes off if you drive out the pin at the heel of the grip. Then you need to remove the "guts" - there is another pin cross-wise at the top holding in the mainspring and the cap/plunger. Be sure to degrease it on the inside.

Hard-chroming is usually charged by the part, so you are looking at a tidy little bill unless you have someone local doing it in a batch?

 

[densecity]

i know a guy who works at a plant. he'll chrome anything for me long as i take him out drinking after work... aww yeah.

 

[densecity]

will this void my warranty?

 

[Thomas Garrett]

I doubt it.

 

[Beagle-zebub]

i know a guy who works at a plant. he'll chrome anything for me long as i take him out drinking after work... aww yeah.

Damn! What kind of plant is that?

 

[Thomas Garrett]

Your lucky! I Like to see it when it's done. Good luck and Enjoy owning a "Piece of the Rock"!

 

[skeeter_08]

When its done right (IMHO) there is no better finish on a steel firearm than hardchrome. My Browning Citori XT trap gun has hardchromed barrel bores, which makes it much easier to clean the barrels - skeeter_08

 

[Jim Watson]

Yes, what kind of plant does your guy work at? Real industrial hard chrome plated directly on the steel is a different thing from decorative and protective chrome on a car bumper... back when cars had bumpers.