What is the best handgun finish for CCW?

[SCARCQB]

I have a Kimber TLE that has a worn oxide finish. I like the gun, but I hate the crappy Oxide finish that Kimber puts on. I think it will rub off with a pencil eraser and it will rust when exposed to sweat. This is the reason why I stopped packing it.

However, New finishes are out in the market.

I'm going to have the gun refinished and de-horned for ccw. It is also getting a new set of Heinie straight 8's/ tactical hook sights.

So which finish will stand up to abuse.

• Duracoat
• Cerakote
• HardChrome
• Melonite/ Ionic bond- tuffrite
  • Fail Zero-Exo Slide, Cerakote frame
• Other;__________

 

[BradMacc82]

Melonite doesn't hold up to holster rub very well, the M&P already shows some wear from holster rub - it's less than 2 years old. Serpa was main culprit, it's been retired now.

 

[SCARCQB]

Isn't Melonite equivalent to Glock's Tenifer?

I just can't deal with smelling like gunoil or rust under the grips when I pack a Kimber.

 

[Name Taken]

Melonite doesn't hold up to holster rub very well, the M&P already shows some wear from holster rub - it's less than 2 years old. Serpa was main culprit, it's been retired now.

After 6 years in mostly a Supertuck mine is starting to show wear on the front slide edges. Not to the point where I'd even consider refinishing however you can see the wear in certain light conditions.

 

[swinokur]

Melonite and Tenmnifer are metal treatments using a nitrate salt bath process. They are not finishes. I think Melonite is used in the US because of EPA requirements that outlawed salt baths. (Tennfier used by Glock)

SS resists sweat pretty well. It is very durable but it will scratch. All my all steel pistols are SS, I have 3 Glocks and don't really worry about them.

YMMV

 

[-Z/28-]

Parkerized finish maybe? I have no ccw experience, but I know it seems to hold up well and looks good on 1911's.

 

[BradMacc82]

After 6 years in mostly a Supertuck mine is starting to show wear on the front slide edges. Not to the point where I'd even consider refinishing however you can see the wear in certain light conditions.

Front serrations is where mine is starting to show as well. Also have one area on the top of the slide that's nearly worn down to the stainless. Crappy holsters, should've known better.

I believe it's supposed to be equivalent to Glock's Tenifer, but I couldn't say for sure, gun finishes aren't really a specialty for me...



ETA: The whole reason your Kimber is rusting in the first place..., letting Al handle/fondle/drool on it.

 

[SCARCQB]

Some places offer Melonite as a refinish option. I know it hardens the steel and makes it more resistant to rust.

I have a scotchbrite polished G26.. That is polished tenifer..No rust after three years of being that way. But we cant refinish with tenifer in the US.. Melonite or Ionic bonding may be the next best option.

 

[swinokur]

Front serrations is where mine is starting to show as well. Also have one area on the top of the slide that's nearly worn down to the stainless. Crappy holsters, should've known better.

I believe it's supposed to be equivalent to Glock's Tenifer, but I couldn't say for sure, gun finishes aren't really a specialty for me...

correct.

 

[Name Taken]

Front serrations is where mine is starting to show as well. Also have one area on the top of the slide that's nearly worn down to the stainless. Crappy holsters, should've known better.

I believe it's supposed to be equivalent to Glock's Tenifer, but I couldn't say for sure, gun finishes aren't really a specialty for me...



ETA: The whole reason your Kimber is rusting in the first place..., letting Al handle/fondle/drool on it.

I think if I wiped my down once a week with a good coating and cleaned the kydex/leather once a week in the holster mine would be prestine.

Mine also gets drawn fairly often from holster going in and out of the safe and in and out of my Desanti's snap holster.

 

[BradMacc82]

I'm pretty bad about constantly drawing/reholstering - it's almost become an obsession. I'm sure that's not helping me any, at least in the finish dept., definitely kept my draw speed sharp though.

 

[SCARCQB]

This nighthawk custom ( Costa- Recon) has a melonite finish. I'm going to be copying this set-up using a Kimber TLE RL2 as a base gun. This gun looks awesome.

I hope it is also Drool resistant ( thinking about crazyal)

 

[BradMacc82]

Only one way to find out...


View attachment 67014

Sadly, the M60 pictured, is now a pile of rust - even the linked ammo rusted/corroded away, that was after just a few minutes with crazyal.

 

[clandestine]

Hard Chrome and Ceracote will be the most durable from what I see. What I mean is that it wont allow visible wear easy and it dosent rust easy. It can change tolerances though.

Nitride/Tennifer/Ion Bond/Nickle Boron is a good metal treatment and does make the metal hard but it will still allow visible wear. It does not change tolerances but you do have to take apart press or screw fit parts before treating them. I often explain this process with Steel to the process of Anodizing to aluminum. It increases hardness and reduces chances of corrosion.

Parkerizing, Bluing, Duracote, Gunkote, Alumahyde, and Powdercoat are not very durable finishes, just something to make a gun look pretty, is simple, or a finish to match other parts.

 

[lx1x]

just do the same polish you did w/ the glock..

 

[SCARCQB]

How about Teflon? is this the same stuff they put on non- stick frying pans? That stuff is durable.

I'm trying to pick between Melonite and Cerakote. hard chrome is nice but I really dont like bling guns that much.....( Lx1x and Flipz will haved a matching pair of bling guns soon)

Another option would be Ferritic-nitocarburizing or Isonite , a process similar to tenifer/melonite but produces a black color.

Isonite and Cerakote cost about the same and melonite is about 100 bucks more.


(Sorry.. crazyal ruined chrome guns for me.)

 

[SCARCQB]

just do the same polish you did w/ the glock..

I did that with my other kimber ( barrel and controls).... Al touched it.. three hours later..It had rusted. At least the Glock has a tenifer slide.. The Kimber.. steel in the white.

 

[BradMacc82]

I'd say melonite, have no experience with cerakote - Al's shot my M&P plenty, no signs of rust anywhere.

 

[Indiana Jones]

Melonite doesn't hold up to holster rub very well, the M&P already shows some wear from holster rub - it's less than 2 years old. Serpa was main culprit, it's been retired now.

my SERPAs dont mess with my finish. but my safariland leather holsters wreak havoc

 

[SCARCQB]

Tenifer is still King.... but we want what we can not have...bummer