Nitride VS Cerakote

[razorback2003]

Would you nitride/melonite a rifle or cerakote one? I am thinking about buying a Remington Seven, Savage, or Tikka rifle and getting the rifle finished with something weather resistant. My big concern is the inside of the barrel and I realize that you can't put cerakote down the barrel. Is microslick pretty weather resistant? I know you can use that inside the barrel and cerakote on the outside.

Also would you nitride or cerakote a stainless steel rifle or a carbon steel? I know Glock and Walther basically nitride carbon steel. Smith and Wesson nitrides stainless steel for their M&P line. Thompson Center cerakotes carbon steel rifles but I don't think they put anything down the barrel to protect it. The inside of the barrel is what I am most concerned with in addition to the finish on a rifle used in bad weather.

I've even thought about finishing out the scope base and rings with cerakote or the melonite process to protect them.

 

[briansmithwins]

Nitride is a kind of case hardening that changes the actual steel.

The other thing is paint.

Plus nitride protects against corrosion too. Better than hard chrome in my experience.

BSW

 

[Gtscotty]

Tons of places offer cerakoting services, does anyone know of any places that will nitride individual firearms or firearms parts? I think nitriding is the superior treatment, but haven't actually seen any companies offering one-off nitriding services to individuals.

 

[moxie]

As far as bores go, a little oil on a patch back and forth a few times has kept my barrels pristine lo these many years. Yes the AR is chrome lined, but the others aren't. I'd hard chrome rather than any of the processes you mention.

Or, check out NP3:

https://robarguns.com/custom-firearm-finishes/np3/

 

[Tirod]

Both.

You nitride the ferrous parts, cerakote the non ferrous.

 

[Reloadron]

I am thinking about buying a Remington Seven, Savage, or Tikka rifle and getting the rifle finished with something weather resistant.

If I were thinking along those lines I would likely just think about Parkerizing the rifle and be done with it. As to inside the barrel? A light coat of oil applied with a patch every now and then and hard chrome wouldn't hurt. Parkerizing and hard chrome with basic maintenance has served the military well for years in inclement weather.

Ron

 

[carbine85]

Nitride is a superior treatment to Parkerizing the surface or chrome lining the bore and it doesn't hurt accuracy. It's been around a long time but wasn't cost effective and now it is.
I wouldn't do any treatment to stainless. It isn't needed.
I can Parkerize myself but have elected to buy nitride treated when it's available.

 

[MachIVshooter]

I'd hard chrome rather than any of the processes you mention.

You can't just chrome line a barrel. Unlike nitriding, chrome actually adds material. Bores that are to be chrome lined must be appropriately oversized.