Stainless vs. Nickel vs. Hard Chrome...

[honkeoki]

The South Florida climate is awful hard on blued steel. I've made myself a promise not to buy blued firearms any more (if I can possibly resist) but I don't really understand the differences between non-blued steel.

Which is most durable? Are chrome and nickel plating just for looks or are they durable, too? Should I stick with stainless unless I'm deliberately going for the pimp-tastic look?

Another Q -- I was looking at a CZ75. The going rate for stainless is +$100 -- is that standard, or a special case for the CZ?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[RyanM]

Hard chrome plating is pretty durable, and is supposed to be corrosion resistant. Decorative chrome plating and nickel plating are softer, but are also supposed to protect against corrosion. Chrome and nickel are completely different metals than steel, so they don't corrode as easily. Stainless steel has chromium alloyed in it, which prevents the steel from oxidizing, somewhat.

Hard chrome is bonded directly to the steel. Decorative chrome and nickel are plated on top of a layer of copper or some other metal, which is on top of the steel. So hard chrome is a lot tougher. I don't know how much difference in corrosion resistance there is, though.

Personally, my skin has eaten through a number of chrome plated watches, money clips, cheap tools, etc., so I'll never buy a plated gun. But better quality stainless alloys hold up fine.

 

[www]

I'm in south arkansas where the humidity is also pretty high. If I wanted to carry a black gun I would use Birdsong's Black-T for the finish. Hard chrome would be the choice for a chromed gun. It's tough enough for machine tools and rifle bores.

 

[dfariswheel]

Of your options, hard chrome is the most durable.
It's actually harder than a Swiss file, dirt and fouling don't stick to it, and it's considered to be a true "lifetime" gun finish.

Stainless WILL rust, but you have to work harder to get it to.

Decorative chrome and nickel are not very durable. They scratch easily, and moisture can infiltrate UNDER the layered plating, rusting the gun from underneath.
The first signs of trouble is when the plating starts to bubble up, revealing rust under it, ala old car bumper.

The ultimate is hard chrome over a stainless gun. You can pretty well write off any chances of rust.

 

[JohnKSa]

Of course nickel plating these days is not decorative nickel plating unless that's what you specifically request.

The protective nickel platings available these days are quite durable. They are far harder and more corrosion resistant than stainless steel but not as hard as chrome.

It also can be directly applied to steel and, unlike chrome can also be applied directly to aluminum. If you need to plate something other than steel (like a gun with an aluminum frame), nickel may be a better bet than chrome.

It's also worth noting that the protective nickel platings can "stick" better than chrome. In other words, it is less likely to chip or peel than chrome in some circumstances.

 

[panzermk2]

With the Nickel you can get Robars Nickel/teflon.
Its self lubing and very corrosion resistant

What is NP3?
NP3 is a surface treatment for steel and metal alloys that combines sub-micron particles of P.T.F.E (polytetrafluorothylene) with electroless nickel.

NP3 - THE PROCESS
The application of NP3 is auto-catalytic, that is, not requiring any form of electricity. This process is preferable to standard electrolytic plating as all active surfaces are evenly plated, which is not the case with any electorytically deposited coating. With Robar's well-equipped laboratory, coating thickness can be maintained to within .0002 or two ten thousandths of one inch, guaranteeing consistent quality coatings. With the P.T.F.E. evenly distributed and locked into the nickel phosphorus matrix, NP3 is a true composite. If wear occurs, fresh particles of P.T.F.E are exposed to keep the opposing surfaces lubricated throughout the life of the coating.

NP3 - THE ADVANTAGES


Very accurate and even coatings on all activated surfaces.
No lubrication is needed on opposing surfaces.
Cleaning is minimal, usually requiring only a soft cloth.
Firing for longer periods of time between cleaning, as dirt has no wet or oily surface to cling to.
NP3 has a micro hardness of 48-51 Rockwell as plated (nickel matrix).
NP3 is very corrosion resistant, a 1 mil (.001) coating exceeding 240 hour salt spray test.
NP3 has a high lubricity and low friction co-efficient; therefore, the life expectancy of a firearm will be greatly increased due to the less friction wear.
The coating is strippable with no effect on the base metal, allowing other coatings to be applied or a new coating of NP3 to be applied if necessary.
NP3 plated onto stainless steel guns will stop galling, a problem common the stainless steel guns.
NP3 is a satin grey, non-reflective color ideal for all firearms.
NP3 can be plated to all internal parts giving a smoothness to the action not found with any other coating.
In cases where the NP3 has been perforated, the corrosion shows no tendency to spread or migrate under the coating.

 

[choochboost]

NP3 also comes with a lifetime guarantee. www.robarguns.com

 

[honkeoki]

Thanks for the info, all. Very useful!

 

[Rubikees]

Another coating to Consider

My father had a BHP with blue steel when he patroled around Houston when he worked as a patrol officer. He took his Browning and had it coated with Armoloy. It never rusted and only required the basic cleaning.

Since then I ran across the coating process at my job as a design engineer. It really has two great properties; 1st it reduces the frictional force between metal surfaces, 2nd the coating penetrates into the metal it is coating, ie it won't peel off.

I have had the weapon for 20+ years and it still looks as good as when my dad gave it to me.