Gun Finishes

[Dryft]

Hey y'all,

So, the ever-popular question: best finish for a carry pistol?

I'm thinking about starting a bit of a 1911 project, and am going to be carrying IWB - probably in a Crossbreed Supertuck, as the reviews are fantastic, and you've got to start somewhere, right?

I'll be purchasing an STI Spartan IV, which is parkerized, but apparently refinishing a parkerized gun is pretty straightforward, and I can go in a couple directions. (The only thing I don't want to consider is hard chrome - I don't care for the look.) I have to admit really liking the look of the Sig Scorpion, but don't want a railed 1911 - so a pistol finished in FDE is on my mind.

Thoughts, opinions, good places to send the pistol, etc. would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks y'all.

 

[CraigC]

Hard chrome.

Nickel is softer and wears more quickly. As does black chrome or black nickel. As well as the various synthetic finishes. Nothing wears better or is more corrosion resistant, while maintaining such a high surface hardness.

 

[316SS]

My thoughts exactly, but I felt a little bad about saying it. Now that CraigC has put it out there, maybe you can look into a cosmetic coating over the chrome to tone down the bling factor, along the lines of blacked out stainless.

 

[buck460XVR]

I'll be purchasing an STI Spartan IV, which is parkerized, but apparently refinishing a parkerized gun is pretty straightforward, and I can go in a couple directions. (The only thing I don't want to consider is hard chrome - I don't care for the look.)


Thoughts, opinions, good places to send the pistol, etc. would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks y'all.

Hard chrome.

I must be cornfused.......

 

[CraigC]

He asked for the "best" finish for a carry pistol and then proceeded to dismiss the "best" finish for a carry pistol. I have no idea if he did, or did not understand this.

 

[bannockburn]

Well I was also going to suggest hard chrome plating as being the best for CCW. I have had a number of guns receive the Metalife treatment and all of them still look as good as the day I received them back from being refinished; in other words, shot a lot, carried a lot-no signs of any wear and tear.

But if the OP objects to the silvery appearance of hard chrome as well as something like Robars NP3 finish, then maybe they should look into Robars Roguard black finish or APWCogans Black Chrome plating instead. Not as durable and wear resistant as hard chrome but it will give you a fairly matte black finish.

 

[Sam Cade]

I'd think that ferritic nitrocarburizing would be the way to go.

 

[shafter]

Stainless would be a good choice. I don't have a problem carrying a blued weapon but it requires a bit more care. As for parkerized I HATE the way they seem to get all marked up.

 

[robhof]

robhof

I have a friend that got the Titanium nitride finish and it's extremely durable, unfortunately that finish seems to have vanished for some reason.:banghead::banghead: