Durability of Birchwood Casey Aluminum Black?

[gopackgo]

I used this product on my S & W j-frame which was showing bare metal along the rear sights from holster wear. This was just touch up on a small area. I prepped with steel wool and alcohol. I applied with a cotton swab. The first application was blotchy, but a second application darkened the metal nicely and evenly. I let the applications air dry in between and then rubbed with a cotton rag. The effect was a matte black which was slightly shinier than the surrounding factory paint. There also appeared to be a rim of slight dulling of the paint around the treated area, however, following the recommendations on the bottle, I applied a little gunstock wax and buffed the area. This blended in the treated area with the surrounding paint very well, giving a more even look-you can see a difference looking closely under a light, but I can live with the result as it looks way better than bare metal. Total time was 20 minutes with a very satisfactory result. I don't know about durability at this point, but since this is a chemical reaction rather that a layer of paint, I imagine it should be reasonably durable. Does anybody have any experience with the durability of this product? The application is easy and gives a pretty good result so I don't think I'd have much problem with having to re-treat after a reasonable amount of time.

 

[BCRider]

It won't be as durable as proper anodizing by a long shot. It's just a chemical colouring that does nothing to change the hardness of the base metal. Since the wear occured from holster abrasion I suspect it'll return soon enough.

A key thing to keep in mind is that leather will embed and hold grit easily. That grit is what wears at the finish of guns then holstered in this leather. Something you can do to try to keep the leather clean is frequently brush the inside surface with a steel or bronze wire "toothbrush" or a barrel bore brush to scuff out such grit. Brush it lightly though or you risk wearing out the leather easily. But other than fine metal brushes of this sort I don't know of any good way to get such dust or fine grit out of a leather holster.

 

[gopackgo]

It won't be as durable as proper anodizing by a long shot. It's just a chemical colouring that does nothing to change the hardness of the base metal. Since the wear occured from holster abrasion I suspect it'll return soon enough.

A key thing to keep in mind is that leather will embed and hold grit easily. That grit is what wears at the finish of guns then holstered in this leather. Something you can do to try to keep the leather clean is frequently brush the inside surface with a steel or bronze wire "toothbrush" or a barrel bore brush to scuff out such grit. Brush it lightly though or you risk wearing out the leather easily. But other than fine metal brushes of this sort I don't know of any good way to get such dust or fine grit out of a leather holster.

Thanks, I'll try that. I use a Guru hip pocket holster converted for front pocket carry. I never really thought about brushing the leather clean-when I look inside the holster the leather looks smooth and shiny along the friction lines so I thought it wouldn't hold grit that way. Do you think a synthetic holster like a De Santis or Uncle Mike's would cause less friction?