Walther P99 Tenifer finished??

[CPshooter]

Well, I'm about to go to go order a P99c 9mm from a local gunshop and if i like it I will get a full-size .40 to go with it. I had one last concern before i go buy them...I was wondering if the Walther handgun finishes are really supposed to be the Glock-like Tenifer. I checked out a P99 .40 w/ AS trigger at a local Sportsman's Warehouse along with a P22, and the finish looked more like the H&K finish. It didn't seem close to the durable Glock finish. It was a bit thinner looking, and there were a few marks on it. Not scratches, but those marks that show up on alot of Melonite-finished guns like the XD and M&P.

I know the finish will be durable either way, and i really don't care if it's not the same as a Glock, but i just thought it was strange that people say it's the same. I don't know enough about the P99's history to know about any changes that might have been made in the last few years, so I guess I'm a bit nervous that i will get an old model and I won't know what to look for. About a year ago I bought a Kahr PM9 that gave me alot of problems, and when called Kahr and gave them the serial number they told me it was manufactured years ago. The Walther P99 doesn't seem like a big seller like the XD or Glock, so getting a brand new one fresh from the factory isn't as likely. I just want to make sure i know what to look for. Any info about what should be included(ie: manuals, trigger locks, etc) would be very helpful.

I'm getting the AS trigger which feels incredible just like everyone said it would. Best trigger setup on any pistol i've ever shot/held...on that note, the P99 seems promising and hopefully ill have a range report soon!

 

[Shipwreck]

Yes, the gun still has a tennifer finish. It's not done exactly like Glocks, however.

Remember, what U see on a Glock is NOT the tennifer. Tennifer is whitish, and is underneath the black color. The black coloring on the top is a carbonized type of covering over the tennifer. This black coating does seem a bit different between the Glock and the Walther. But, the tennifer underneath should more or less be the same.

Now, I've noticed that the Glock carbon finish over the tennifer is a bit more scratch resistant than the Walther. But realize that surface scratches has no bearing on the tennifer protection underneath.

My P99c got holster wear a bit faster than a Glock would. But, I had chromed my P99s anyway, so now it doesn't matter. Holster wear proof now

 

[CPshooter]

Interesting stuff.. Thanks for the info.

You said you did experience holster wear with the P99 before you hard-chromed it. How does this finish stack up against Sig's Nitron or the Melonite finish on the XD and M&P in terms of wear-resistance?

If you don't mind me asking, where did you get your hard-chrome done and how much does it cost? Turn-around time? Thanks.

 

[cslinger]

Whatever Walther uses, Tennifer, and Melonite are all pretty much the same thing. As far as the outer color layer I find Glocks to be the toughest. I cannot speak to the XDs or Smiths with Melonite. Sigs Nitron finish wears faster then Glocks.

 

[Shipwreck]

I went with Tripp Research - www.trippresearch.com

Turn around was around 2 weeks.

I have no experience with the Sig or XD finish. But, the SW99 did come with a melonite finish - the American version of tennifer. I never holstered the gun, however, so I can't say much about the durability. I only holstered the compact. But, with the hard chrome, a year later, the compact's hard chrome slide looks brand news. Not a mark on it. U won't scratch the hard chrome unless U rub it with a metal object or scratch it across the cement.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

Tenifer is not a finish, it is a metal treatment typically penetrating 3-5 microns on a Glock. The black finish on a glock can rub off, and you still don't lose the tenifer.