Is the Rem Express finish really park?

[kotengu]

I've heard rumors that the "parkerizing" on the Express isn't actually a real phosphating process, as in mil-spec park is. If not, what is it? I was going to use it as a base coat for Gunkote, but if it's not phosphate I'll blast and repark it first........

 

[Kharn]

I thought it was bluing, but without the polishing and pre-finishing steps using to achieve a normal bluing job (maybe its even sand blasted before the dip in the tank?).

Kharn

 

[romulus]

It's blue over sand-blasted steel. Judging by the dimension of the pits, they must use some pretty hefty media...

 

[Gilmore]

I don`t know what it is, but it`s better than the park. on my scatt. tech. 870, you can sratch it off with your finger nail. Not so with my express.

 

[romulus]

Scattergun Technologies use a bake-on finish, I believe the proprietary name is armor tuff. It's not the same as parkerizing, which is a proprietary name for a phosphate finish, either zinc or manganese.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Big Green sayeth that the Express finish is bluing over unpolished steel. I think they're telling the truth this time.

"Parkerizing' is actually one of several different processes where boiling Phosphoric acid with other ingredients is used to provide a low sheen, rust resistant finish. The term has become generic, rather than specific to Mr. Parker's patent.

TTBOMK, all US military arms use the Parker process, making it the most common of the Phosphate finishes.

 

[Gilmore]

Wilson Combat ie. Scattergun Technologies do offer "Amor Tuff" But i ordered mine with Mil-Spec Black Manganese Phosphate Finish (Parkerized)

 

[kotengu]

I'd call and complain then - parkerizing will not scratch off - you'll remove the top layer of steel before you'll remove the park.....

 

[Hemicuda]

ANY "baked on" finish is pretty much just a fancy paint (unless it includes some chemical "etching" agent...

the Remingtons are blued, unless you go for the marine mag... that one is supposedly Electroless Nickel over media blasted steel...

 

[ruger357]

The express that I used for years hunting had a pretty tough finish. Still looked great when I traded it.

 

[Badger Arms]

Remington uses several finishes.

There is the polished blue, standard blue, sand-blasted blue (express), camo (painted over Parkerizing I assume), Parkerizing (on their police guns) and finally their electroless nickel marinecoat. Parkerizing will always have a grey hue to it. It's perhaps the best finish available for applying a finish over.

One of the steps in parkerizing is to soak the gun in some sort of oil to fill the pores. If you plan on painting the gun afterwards, SKIP THIS STEP. For the best adhesion, you want to take the gun out of the rinse tank, let it dry, and then paint it. This will allow the paint to soak into the crystaline structure of the parkerizing and it will stick much better.

 

[kotengu]

Yeah - I've done a few FAL's that way (with Gunkote over fresh park), and it's the most durable finish I've ever seen. I thought the "parkerizing" looked funny on my Express, and thought I'd double-check before I got lazy and skipped a step (blast and fresh park). Looks like I'll blast it and start from scratch.....

Thanks for the quick responses.

 

[Trumpet]

The new Remmy guns that used to be Parked (870 Polices, PSS's etc) are now sprayed with a black oxide finish. No doubt it's much cheaper for them....and looks it . When I got my first PSS, it was parked. My second was black oxide and was almost "glittery".


R

 

[romulus]

How do you spray a black oxide finish?

 

[dfariswheel]

A quick check of Remington's Law Enforcement web site still shows the Police shotguns with a parkerized finish. They list only one model 870 police that still has a blued finish.

 

[Trumpet]

spray, paint, brush, glue, tape..... whatever. It's not parked and that's what matters.


R

 

[romulus]

Yes that's what everyone seems to agree on, re: the Express finish. It is bead blasted and blued (i.e. oxide.)