To "hot blue" a CZ SP-01 or not....

[Orion8472]

I have a very nice and customed CZ SP-01, with [of course] the CZ factory matte black finish, that I was thinking of having "hot blued".

I'm aware that it would take a bit more care to keep it from rusting [keeping a thin film of oil on it], but I really like the look and "flash" of a blued gun, especially for competition style shooting [the asthetics].

The other option, . . . I know some people do the hard chrome finish. Is there a hard black chrome finish?

What do you think about this?

 

[jimmyraythomason]

It all comes down to personal preference. Personally I would go the hot blue route. Preventing rust isn't that hard.

 

[Thompsoncustom]

High gloss hot blue would look very sexy but bluing wears faster and takes more care.

I've seen a polished hard chromed sp-01 and it also looked fantastic so its hard to say which way to go. They do make a black hard chrome too.

 

[Orion8472]

What place does the black chrome?

I'm aware of the more "delecate" nature of hot blueing, but if taken care of, I'm sure it will last a long time.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Don't underestimate the durability of hot blue. The higher the polish the more resistant to rust it becomes. I've done hot salts bluing since the mid 1970s and have found it to be very durable( I do a very brisk buffing on parts fresh out of the bluing tanks with oiled 0000 steel wool). As I said the finish chosen is personal preference but don't exclude hot blue because it isn't as effective against rust or wear. It does a very good job in both categories.

 

[9 fingers]

Just another idea, rather than go through the trouble of changing you SP01, you could get a new 75b in glossy blue. CZ imported a special batch recently and I got the last one at Damascus gun shop but Buds allso had them, though at a slightly higher price.
9 fingers

 

[Walt Sherrill]

The glossy blue looks marvelous but, like high gloss stainless, shows every little scratch or nick that comes along.

If you can't stand the polycoat finish, get something like NP3 (or a similar space-age finish), or have it done in satin nickel or satin hard chrome finish. It'll look great and upkeep and rust will not be a concern.

Be warned: getting a high-gloss blued finish for your gun will be a several step process: 1) removing the polycoat finish, which includes a manganese phosphate undercoat, 2) having the metal properly polished as the polycoated guns have a less-refined metal surface than the blued, nickel, or stainless models, and then 3) have it hot blued. Getting the polycoat finish off can be a challenge for some shops, and for the finish to really be high gloss, the finish must be very highly polished. Most of this will have to be done with any other finish, too, but the level of polish won't be as critical.

I have a satin nickel 85 Combat that I've used off and on for about 12-13 years, and it looks pretty much like it did when I first got it, new.

 

[Orion8472]

Very good advice, guys! Thanks!

 

[Big Shrek]

Black Chrome is quite beautiful, and longer lasting than hot blue...
yet has a few upkeep issues of its own...

Might want to consider Cerakote or Durakote...wicked color options
Ease of touchup is to be considered...

 

[Orion8472]

Well, actually a friend of mine is a gunsmith who does Cerakote jobs and I was at another gunsmith shop checking on the progress of my Marlin 39a reblue job and he told me that my friend did a very shiney Cerakote job that looked like it was a blued finish, so I'm going to talk to him about that.

The next step is to find some NICE quality wood grips to replace the hogue grip.

 

[ohbythebay]

The tactical

I own it..Has a black Polycoat finish that is rust resistant. Want it to look nice ? Use FrogLube on the outside as well as the inside.

 

[hAkron]

Be aware that you won't be helping the value of the gun by changing the factory finish.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

Be aware that you won't be helping the value of the gun by changing the factory finish.

True, but it probably won't hurt it, either.

The same is true of almost anything you've done to a gun if/when you decide it's time to sell: quality trigger or action work, upgraded [match-grade] barrels, conversion to SA, fancy wood grips, etc.

Fancy grips, a better barrel, and extra mags are generally best sold separately. Same for a custom holster.

It's kind of like improvements to a home: the money spent beyond routine maintenance and keeping it fresh is wasted -- but the right improvements may MOVE the house more quickly. Guns are like that, too.

 

[Orion8472]

Make no mistake. This gun . . . . . ain't goin' nowhere! It's in my collection for good!

 

[Thompsoncustom]

just some stuff for you to look at

hard chrome sp-01


My high gloss blued cz 75

 

[Orion8472]

Nice! I'm partial to the blued, but the work done on the hard chrome looks good too!

 

[Thompsoncustom]

Thanks, As I did the high gloss polishing and bluing myself. it's a ton of work tho you would be time/money ahead to send it to someone like Fords refinishing.

 

[bannockburn]

While I love a highly polished blued finish if I were to have a gun refinished I would go with hard chrome plating. My experiences with it over the years show it to be durable, long lasting, and shows little if any wear and tear.

 

[WC145]

I don't know of anyone doing black chrome or of any black finish that is shiny or reminiscent of a polished blue look except for DLC (Diamond-like Carbon) coatings, like Ion Bond. DLC will look the same as the metal it is applied to, like hard chrome does, and is supposed to be very durable, similar to hard chrome.

I have a custom 1911 out being Ion Bonded for that reason, I already have one that has a mirror polished blue finish and wanted something similar but tougher.

 

[Otto]

Thompson, that high gloss of yours looks first class. Last year I bought a blued CZ 97 and the finish was atrocious...I sent it back to Buds for a refund. An 8th grader with a can of Krylon could have done better.

 

[Thompsoncustom]

Thanks. That's the reason I did it myself that way if it didn't turn out there's only one person to blame.

This company does black chrome
http://www.apwcogan.com/plating-and-refinishing/finishes-metal-finishes.html

 

[Orion8472]

I'm probably going to go with my gunsmith friend putting a glossy Cerakote on it, at this point. He'd do it at "bros pricing", so that's my first options at this point.

 

[Big Shrek]

Cera's got a LOT of color options...you can even be the "Man with the Golden Gun" if you want

 

[Orion8472]

They really do. And the finish would certainly protect.

 

[WC145]

Thanks. That's the reason I did it myself that way if it didn't turn out there's only one person to blame.

This company does black chrome
http://www.apwcogan.com/plating-and-refinishing/finishes-metal-finishes.html

You're right, I blame my poor memory. Before choosing Ion Bond I spoke to APWCogan about their black chrome but they do not offer it in a shiny finish, which is what I was looking for. This quote is from their description of their black chrome - "For technical reasons we only offer this finish in a Matte surface texture and suggest the use of a wax impregnated oil on the exposed surface."