What the heck is going on w/glock finishes?

[amoebicmagician]

Okay, so I tend to be the guy to give help to my friends when they need it cleaning or caring for their weapons- I try to teach them to fish rather than just handing them a salmon, but I do end up with my hands on many of my friend's guns

In the past two weeks I've seen 4 glocks test fired after July 2013 that have the worst finish I've ever seen on a glock ever

It scratches literally WITH A FINGERNAIL, and is rough to the touch, completely different than the orange peel smooth texture on all of my personally owned glocks, which have held up to wear better than nearly any other gun finish I can name.

What is going on?

I've seen US produced glocks that are in fine shape, and have good finishes- why has the quality suddenly gone to crap

In addition to this, there appears to be some kind of flaking or machining problem on the slide rails of one of the guns.

WTH is going on?

 

[Gmercury2000]

I've noticed that on my g23 and 19, my 23 is an older gen 4 the finish is def more durable than my 19 which is newer. Less. Than a year old looks more used than my 23. I carry my 23 and it's still in a bit better shape finish wise. I never really thought much about it till this post.

 

[amoebicmagician]

My gen 3s are older, and granted not all of them get carried and battered, but my g27 looks BRAND NEW, and I have not taken any care with it while carrying it, and until it was supplanted by my P64, was my most carried firearm. No holster wear, nothing.

All my glocks have a finish kind of like a teflon pan, the newer ones have kind of a chalky finish that almost feels like 10,000 grit sandpaper.

It's weird because the old finish looks rough but feels smooth and the new one looks smooth but feels rough

 

[Mooseman]

But, but, but, Glocks are the best things ever.

 

[Boom Boom]

It's my understanding the new ones have a phosphate-like finish over the Tenifer to give a more positive grip on the slide. It will scratch. It will look ugly. But it shouldn't rust.

 

[OrbitalEllipses]

But, but, but, Glocks are the best things ever.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

Drop quality.

Customers buy anyway.

Glock makes more money buy investing less time in the gun.

Customers find out.

Customers buy anyway...

 

[protegeV]

Melonite them. That'll take care of it

 

[Mooseman]

Drop quality.

Customers buy anyway.

Glock makes more money buy investing less time in the gun.

Customers find out.

Customers buy anyway...

Otherwise known as Glock Perfection.

 

[amoebicmagician]

Melonite them. That'll take care of it

they are basically saying that is what they are doing, but I find that hard to believe

The nitriding it's self may be fine, but how the compound layer has it's pores filled makes a big difference.

It's like they aren't even trying.

there is some scuttlebut that since police replace their firearms every four years or so, they decided they didn't need a finish that would last five times longer than the weapon would be in use

If they don't change back to the orange peel finish, I'm not buying any new glocks.

 

[amoebicmagician]

Still rhymes better than other semi-auto pistols.

wait, what?

 

[Doctor_M]

Perfection stopped at Gen 2. Accessory rail?? We don't need no stinkin' accessory rail.

 

[outrider58]

Okay, so I tend to be the guy to give help to my friends when they need it cleaning or caring for their weapons- I try to teach them to fish rather than just handing them a salmon, but I do end up with my hands on many of my friend's guns.

In the past two weeks I've seen 4 glocks test fired after July 2013 that have the worst finish I've ever seen on a glock ever

It scratches literally WITH A FINGERNAIL, and is rough to the touch, completely different than the orange peel smooth texture on all of my personally owned glocks, which have held up to wear better than nearly any other gun finish I can name.

What is going on?

I've seen US produced glocks that are in fine shape, and have good finishes- why has the quality suddenly gone to crap

In addition to this, there appears to be some kind of flaking or machining problem on the slide rails of one of the guns.

WTH is going on?

You're lucky I'm in my truck right now....

 

[amoebicmagician]

You're lucky I'm in my truck right now....

that's just the kind of guy I am, I see a guy's gun, I want to handle it

Clean it, wipe it, stroke it, whatever

 

[TheGunnyRet]

Never liked Glocks anyway, just another reason not to get one...

 

[outrider58]

that's just the kind of guy I am, I see a guy's gun, I want to handle it

Clean it, wipe it, stroke it, whatever

 

[amoebicmagician]

but seriously, is this just a bad batch, has anyone gotten the new finish that has held up well? All the ones I've seen have been USA produced between july 2013 and now

 

[Boom Boom]

See what I wrote in post #5. That's the deal now. The slides are still treated with nitration, but now a second flat-black coating is applied on top to aid in gripping/racking the slide. That second coating isn't very durable but it does what it's intended to do. The nitration treatment underneath is still tough as nails.

 

[alucard0822]

There are 3 finishes I've seen. The old slippery orangepeel gloss black Tennifer up to around 2010, a slightly smoother, duller and lighter dark grey on newer gen 3s, and the new gen4 smooth matte dark grey. I know thanks to the EPA the original tennifer finish can't be done in the US, although I think they went with the same finish on all their pistols US or Austrian. I can't stand the original finish, so slick it almost feels slimy despite looking really grainy, the slide and barrel are really glossy too. The grey gen 3 finish is my favorite, a little smoother than the original, but still grainy enough to hide scratches or holster wear, it is slightly duller, and doesn't feel anywhere near as slippery, unlike the earlier pistols polished glossy barrel hood, both newer finishes have barrels finished closer to the slides finish. The new smooth matte feels the best, it's the smoothest, dullest, and grippiest, it looks like it scratches, but almost always it is just something that rubbed onto it, all but a couple small blemishes wipe right off, older models don't seem to scratch or wear quite as easily, and if they do, the grainy texture hides them better, but the improved feel is worth the tradeoff IMO. In any case it looks and seems to perform similar to the finish on my M&Ps and XD/M/S pistols.

All 3 finishes, early Gen3 30SF, late 20SF and 27G4, all have spent plenty of time in holsters

 

[protegeV]

Never liked Glocks anyway, just another reason not to get one...