Nickle vs Chrome vs Anything else

[Dlowe167]

I seen a car show from sema las vegas. One of the venders had a anodize station. Any color,if u mixed it. Wonder how tough? And there is a car paint that it basicly be a thinner truck bed spray. Hardens in 8 seconds. Id like to spray a shotgun like that in blue & black trim

 

[C0untZer0]

According to Bob Cogan "Hard Chrome offers the best all-around properties of any finish available for firearms that exists today. Hard Chrome, when applied to a steel, or stainless steel surface that has been properly prepared, will not chip or peel."

I like NP3+ I mean if Robar is giving a lifetime garuantee with it, it seems to me that if you do have a problem with it not protecting under normal use, Robar will refinish it for you, so I don't see how you can beat that.

One of the things I like about NP3+ over Chrome is the increased lubricity of NP3+

 

[VAPOPO]

I had a Kimber Custom Hard chromed by Tripp before they quit. I really wish I had kept that pistol. After 3,000 rounds it looked brand new.

 

[Hokkmike]

Very informative thread. Thank you.

 

[Sav .250]

Different strokes for different folks. Just have a look around. You see all kinds of finishes,grips, what ever. More of a of a personal choice. Like you wanting real,ivory grips.

 

[silversport]

I had a Kimber Custom Hard chromed by Tripp before they quit. I really wish I had kept that pistol. After 3,000 rounds it looked brand new.

This could have been written by me...hard chrome, properly applied to a steel pistol...my favorite finish...

Bill

 

[Rail Driver]

I carry a either a parkerized 1911 or a nickel plated S&W snub - I generally prefer non-shiny finishes, but there's nothing sexier than a high polished, hot blued 1911 or a nickel revolver with the right grips on it. I'm thinking about branching into stainless with my next gun.

 

[Route666]

Most the bolts on a new Harley are galvanized, not chrome plated. That said, mine is almost 7yrs old, has been wet plenty of times and has no rust anywhere but the black ceramic coated aftermarket exhaust.

Had I NOT replaced my galvanised bolts with chrome plated ones on my 6-yo Harley, I wouldn't be seeing the rust on them that I am... The gal ones stood up for five years or so, the chrome ones started showing rust six months after getting them. I believe this is the point he was making about the orange HD bolts.

 

[JohnBT]

Sounds like shoddy parts. I wonder if a marine supply house has what you need in chrome plated stainless.

 

[browningguy]

...just the fact that hard chrome has little corrosion resistance.

That's actually not a fact, and it doesn't matter what someones individual experience is, it's just simple metallurgy. Hard chrome is very corrosion resistant.

Nickel on the other hand, is also very corrosion resistant, comparatively soft, lovely to look at, and makes an excellent base for a hard chrome finish. Ihave one nickel finished pistol and it's extremely pretty, but I don't use it often. My hard chrome BHP Practical gets carried a lot and still shows no wear after many hundreds, perhaps thousands, of trips in and out of the holster.

 

[CraigC]

I believe this is the point he was making about the orange HD bolts.

Which, again, has NOTHING to do with industrial hard chrome, firearms or this thread.

Also like I said, a lot of that crap is made in China.

 

[Route666]

Which, again, has NOTHING to do with industrial hard chrome, firearms or this thread.

Fair enough, just making sure you understood what was meant as you seemed to think he was mistaking gal for chrome. I don't see how discussion on experience with chrome as a plating is NOT relevant to a discussion relating to chrome plating. It does seem that Nickel seems to go on (and stay on) more reliably than chrome in any of its forms (decorative or functional).

Thanks for the suggestion JohnBT - that's exactly what I will be doing, when it bothers me enough.

Apologies for derailing this topic on functional chrome plating with talk on decorative chrome plating.

 

[Luv 2 Shoot]

I've had good luck with Roguard on a duty gun (frequent exposure) in a rainy, seaside environment. My only experience with NP3 is on internals, where it help up perfectly.

I would at least look into NP3+. It's 20% off right now at Robar. Be advised though, your gun won't double as a signal mirror as it would with nickel or chrome.

 

[CraigC]

I don't see how discussion on experience with chrome as a plating is NOT relevant to a discussion relating to chrome plating.

Because, for the fourth or fifth time now, decorative chrome plating is NOT industrial hard chrome. Anything about decorate chrome plating, be it plating on the bumper of a `55 Chevy or bolts on a Harley, is completely irrelevant to a discussion about industrial hard chrome as applied to firearms. You might as well be comparing hard chrome to spray paint.