I've tried the majority of the firearms finishes currently available. Most have a place depending on your budget and application, and all have advantages and disadvantages. I have my favorites, and will explain why.
Which is "best" for you depends on how much you're willing to spend, what color(s) you want, what wear characteristics you need and/or are willing to live with, and which part(s) you want refinished. Are you wanting to leave the frame as-is and only refinish the slide? Do you want the entire gun the same color or do you want a two-tone look? How much are you willing to spend?
Here are just some of your options. I'm listing from most to least durable.
1. PVD coatings. This is a family of chemical nitride finishes (TiN, TiAlN, TiCN, AlTiN, etc.) applied in a gas furnace. IonBond is a trade name for a type of PVD coating. They are the same coatings applied to carbide, cobalt, and HSS cutting tools used for machining. Advantages: Extremely wear resistant and super hard, virtually corrosion-proof, nice looking, very thin so doesn't affect dimensional fit, very slick. Disadvantages: Available in a limited number of colors such as gold, gray, blue-gray, silver-gray, copper, black. Not many suppliers apply these finishes due to high capital investment. Fairly expensive.
2. Salt bath ferritic nitride. This is a heat treat process and a type of case hardening. This same finish is known by multiple trade names: Melonite, Black Nitride, Tufftride, QPQ, Tenifer, and a few others. Advantages: Almost as wear resistant and almost as hard as PVD coatings. Very corrosion resistant, nice looking, no dimensional change to parts, since it's a chemical reaction on the surface, not a coating. Disadvantages: Only available in black color. Some parts are not good candidates for the treatment. Only steels can be finished. Involves immersing the part in a 1000+ deg bath, so can cause some warpage on some parts with thin cross-sections or parts inadequately stress-relieved.
3. Robar NP3 Plus. This is a type of electroless nickel plating with added Teflon (PTFE). It is a satin silver-gray color. Advantages: Very wear resistant, but not as wear resistant as the two finishes above. Very slick, self-lubricating. Very thin, so little dimensional change to parts. Doesn't tend to wear as much on edges like some finishes. Very uniform plating thickness throughout. Extreme corrosion resistance. Looks nice. Disadvantages: Only available in the silver-gray color. Only available from 1 supplier: Robar. Fairly expensive.
4. Robar NP3. A different formulation of the same nickel-Teflon finish as NP3 Plus, but not quite as durable or corrosion resistant. Has basically the same advantages and disadvantages as Plus, except is less expensive and not quite as durable or corrosion resistant.
5. Electroless nickel. Similar to NP3 with similar qualities, though doesn't have added Teflon. It is more silver colored, less gray than NP3. Advantages: Has all the same basic advantages as NP3, essentially the same corrosion-resistance. Very wear-resistant, looks good, thin plating that doesn't change dimensions much. Disadvantages: Not quite as wear resistant and not as slick. Only available in 1 color: silver.
6. Hard chrome. Unlike electroless nickel, which is a chemical plating, HC is an electrically applied chrome plating. Advantages: Very durable, looks good, fairly corrosion resistant. If you prefer a shiny silver finish, can be applied with a shinier, more polished look. Disadvantages: Not as durable as electroless nickel, can flake along sharp edges of part or in high friction areas. Somewhat porous, so not as corrosion-resistant as electroless nickel. Thicker plating than electroless nickel.
7. Robar Roguard: A polymer/moly based spray finish. Advantages: Robar claims it is the most durable spray finish available, but have never tried. Wilson Combat really likes it. Disadvantages: Only available in black. Only 1 supplier. Fairly expensive compared to other spray finishes.
7. KG Gun Kote. A type of 2 part spray epoxy finish. Advantages: One of, if not the most durable spray type finishes, along with Cerakote. Manufacturer claims it is more abrasion- and impact- resistant than Cerakote. Self-lubricating. Available in a wide variety of colors. Colors can be mixed, masked, combined with other colors like any other "paint." Has multiple formulations depending on the application type, along with "bake" and "no bake" (for non-metals that can't withstand the bake temps) versions. Disadvantages: Requires proper application to get thin coating thickness. Not as durable as the finishes above, though among the most durable "spray" finishes. Relatively inexpensive.
8. NIC Cerakote: A poly finish with added ceramic powders. Has basically all the same advantages and disadvantages as KG Gun Kote. Equally wide variety of color options as Gun Kote, and like Gun Kote, has both bake and no bake formulations.
Some claim Gun Kote is more durable than Cerakote, claiming that Cerakote is more brittle and more prone to chipping, others claim the opposite. Both are very durable, have about the same corrosion resistance (both excellent). To me, the decision between the two comes down to which has a specific color I prefer for a given project.
9. Robar Poly-T2. Teflon (PTFE) modified epoxy spray finish. Advantages: Pretty durable. Can be applied to most materials. Very corrosion and wear resistant. Self-lubricating. Disadvantages: Not as durable as above finishes. Limited to only 6 colors.
10. Brownells Aluma-hyde II. An epoxy-based spray paint. Advantages: Pretty durable. Easy to apply at home by most anyone with decent spray painting skills. Can be applied to almost any material. Fairly inexpensive. Very corrosion-resistant as long as finish hasn't been compromised. Disadvantages: Not as durable as the above finishes, but probably as durable as Robar Poly-T2. Fairly limited range of color options.
11. Lauer Duracoat. A popular catalyzed poly finish. Advantages: Has a huge variety of colors. If you can't find a color you like in Duracoat, you're damn hard to please. Easy to apply. Pretty forgiving of poor spray technique and still look nice. Pretty durable. Can be mixed with any other Duracoat color for endless color options. Very corrosion resistant as long as finish isn't compromised. Can be applied to virtually any material. Fairly inexpensive. Disadvantages: Not as durable as the other coatings above, but maybe as durable as Aluma-hyde II.
There are many other coatings available, some I've tried and others I haven't but I have tried and like all of the above coatings, and those are the only ones I would use myself based on my own experiences. #1 and #2 are the absolute best for hard use, with #3 not far behind. I like those the best unless I want an unusual color or color pattern, in which case, I'd go with Gun Kote or Cerakote. I like Duracoat on synthetic stocks due to ease of application and forgiving qualities that resists runs. Though it isn't as durable as other finishes, it's fairly flexible so it can take some impact and is easy to repair scratches.
Birdsong Black-T has a good reputation if you want a black finish, though I've never tried it. It is supposedly very wear and corrosion resistant, but I don't know how it compares to the other finishes above. It is a multi-step process, but I'm not sure what all is involved there. It is only available from 1 supplier, and only available in black. It might be awesome; I've just never tried it and can't comment on its qualities vs the others.
------------- Ted
Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle.
|