ltwguns.com

My gunsmith is ready to order the frame & slide from from Caspian and I must decide between Stainless & carbon. this is to be a everyday carry gun, but I don't much like the look of SS. My options are to blue a carbon gun or Dura coat either carbon or stainless. Which metal is more suited to Dura coat?
Another option would be to blue SS.
Please help. I want him to get his order in tomorrow.
Thanks,
Marsh

Marsh, You might consider E-Treat. You can do a search here on this new finish that's being done by EGW. Best,

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Don Williams
http://www.theactionworks.com
http://www.ltwguns.com

Well, I'm kinda locked into my smith doing the whole project because of a trade deal we worked out, otherwise I would. He likes to barter.
But thanks anyway.
Marsh

If he is doing the finishing and he Parkerizes before Duracoating, I'd go with carbon steel, if you really want a black gun.

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shop.HarrisonCustom.com
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The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for.

John,
Please excuse me, I'm pretty ignorant. I'm not sure what you mean about parkerizing before dura coating' Iif I really want a black gun". Why park first and are you hinting that I don't want a black gun, or do you mean if I want it black it must be parkerized first?
Still learning,
Marsh

I assume that since you don't like the look of SS, that you must prefer a black looking pistol.
Most spray & bake finishes bond better if they are applied over a primer or a porous coating like Parkerizing. You can't park SS, so to get your best bond of the finish to the base, I'd suggest build the gun from carbon steel parts, use a primer or have it Parkerized, then apply Duracoat.

_________________
shop.HarrisonCustom.com
www.HarrisonCustom.com

The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for.

Thanks you for that. Sorry I am so ill informed, but I'm getting there.
Marsh

As a few of you know, I retail the custom 1911 and have for many years. If you are looking at your gun as a tool which daily use, exposed to the holster and reholstering constantly, and also consider the humidity about 3/8" from you body depending on your method of carry, then the salts, from your hands getting into the checkering among other things, there will be a bit of a sacrifice in the looks of a protective finish.

This is gathered from most of my clients, with daily use who are on the coast where salt spray, hot temperatures, and high humidity and not to mention rain if this is a duty rig.

Most seem to go with a blue or carbon steel gun with a surface preparation then apply a telfon poly finish. My little circle seem to get the best results with a surface preparation such as parkerization and a few bead blasted (to increase the surface area for the coating) and the the coating ranged from Armortuff, Black T and Tripp's Finish (forgot the name at this time). Not to mention ever other "latest and greatest" that made the gun magazines.

I hear the best comments from the Armortuff, Black T, and Tripps finish from clients for never, and I repeat have never heard a comment on corrosion, Holster wear definitely. Just keep in mind what anything would look like after a couple of thousand holsterings. Several of these are street LEO in Houston, Florida, and East Coast cities.

I know from personally carrying for about 35 years, I have worn through plated guns, NP3, Hard Chrome, and Nickel. This is not slamming any of them just remember the TOOL, daily use required and do not take anything out of perspective. The wear was on the holster contact points after years of holster, and holstering. There was some corrosion on those exposed points, but remember this is being 3/8" on a ballistic vest or duty rig exposed to daily elements after a long shift.

I also know from personal experience I have never had corrosion issues from the teflon/poly finishes, Armor tuff, Black T and Tripp's Cobra Coat, ( my first cup of coffee kicked in). I have had the wear in the same location but where the steel was exposed no corrosion even after a good rain and working a major accident, flagging radiators, keeping a flare line and directing wreckers on I20 in Texas heat and humidity for about 4 to 6 hours and being sweat soaked on a ballistic vest.

Thats what I mean from a tool perspective, not the SWAT operator Mall Ninja stories you sometimes get.

Hope this has helped a bit.

_________________
Be safe and keep the brass flying

Terry Peters

Do your research but you get what you pay for front end or back end
http://www.pt-partners.com
@ptpartners_tx

great and practical insight on finishes

no doubt, some of the classic finishes look great but cannot hold up as well to serious use as some of the new finishes mentioned. personally i've had fine results from KG GunKote.

kevin

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"We did it for each other."

--- Harvill W. Lazenby, Squad leader, B Company, 505 Regimental Combat Team, 82nd Airborne, WWII--survivor of three combat jumps. One of the great ones that we owe so much.

I thank everyone for the advice and encouragement. I called my smith today and had him order carbon steel. I have given him a long list of proven parts from Brown, Wilson & Baer along with a Kart barrel & bushing.
Now for the cosmetics; besides the Bob Tail, I can do American(French) borders, Hi power cut or ball end cut. The top will be flat & serrated and the rear sight will be a 10-8. I'm beginnig to feel that things like French borders might be too fru-fru for a working gun like this is shaping up to be. Maybe just a Hi-Power cut will be enough.
Anyway, thanks again everyone for taking the time to help, especially John Harrison.
I anyone has further thought, please, I'm all ears and learning.
Marsh

Anyone have any knowledge of a "coating" called Black Diamond?"

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It is Persistence, Not Perfection, Which Achieves Results

Black Diamond is a finsih offered by Nighthawk-I believe.
Marsh

It is offered by Nighthawk and they say it is great, ruins knives without damage to the finish. I read something similar about E-Treat. I am trying t learn more about these finishes. Rust/corrosion resistent/impervious, does it chip or wear like the "spray-on bake-on finishes (I have had very poor luck with these and they were put on by pros)??

_________________
It is Persistence, Not Perfection, Which Achieves Results

All finishes will wear with use.

Use and Exposure to the elements constitutes wear and potential corrosion.

Please keep that in perspective and do not have unrealistic expectations.

I and my client base have worn through hard chrome and metal finishes. I and my client base have had holster wear on all of the spray and bakes, telfon poly wonder finish no matter what you call it, but I try to keep the perspective on what the finish is capable of and is designed for. I have yet to have a poly type rust even after bare metal is seen.

Again. Hope that helps and please do not have unrealistic expections on finishes as you will be dissappointed if you do.

Just something I and a few clients learned the hard way.

_________________
Be safe and keep the brass flying

Terry Peters

Do your research but you get what you pay for front end or back end
http://www.pt-partners.com
@ptpartners_tx

Thanks Terry, I appreciate your advice and will keep realism in mind. My problem with the bake-on finishes is that they chip, not from abnormal conditions but from seemingly minor things like the cases hitting the edge of the port. I think it is realistic to expect that modern finishes last more that 100 rounds. The "best" finish I have used so far is hard chrome (perhaps black chrome). It wears but it seems the finishers have worked out the pealing problem, I have not heard of that in years. The only thing to come along that I think might be stronger and still maintain the dull black finish is this Black Diamond or perhaps teh E-Treatment, I will go to EGW and read about it. Nothing is perfect, just poor, fair, good, better, and best of what is available now.

_________________
It is Persistence, Not Perfection, Which Achieves Results

One of my clients just had a hard chrome peel in the rails of a caspain framed gun. Kind of like galling if I am saying it correctly.

So it was corrected but the slide froze solid in place and had to be forced off by a BFH.

The poly/paints seem to be more forgiving in that sense.

Anyway on some of the poly finishes the surface prep is bead blasted or parked will eliminate if not significantly reduce the chipping aspect kind of like spray paint on glass, versus spray paint on a course surface.

Very little if any rub off there.

It is a thought learned over years of seeing it done.

_________________
Be safe and keep the brass flying

Terry Peters

Do your research but you get what you pay for front end or back end
http://www.pt-partners.com
@ptpartners_tx