January 9th, 2022
5minute read
Rust, wear and tear are four-letter words to gun owners.
As a group, we are always looking for a way to achieve greater corrosion and wear resistance.
There are many suitable options to protect the internal and external components of firearms.
This leaves many gun owners to question whether any of these coatings and finishes make a significant difference.
The process is simple, inexpensive and does not change the size of the component.
Bluing of steel is synonymous with oxidizing, with the process providing a rust-resistant finish.
Bluing is achieved by converting the iron in the steel to black oxide through an electrochemical reaction.
Bluing will provide rust protection in conjunction with frequent, light oiling.
In addition to corrosion resistance, a component that is blued will offer less glare.
Parkerizing
Parkerizing, often referred to as phosphating, is an excellent alternative to bluing.
It still requires frequent oiling, but it provides a little more corrosion resistance than bluing.
A Parkerized surface will increase a steel components resistance to corrosion, nicks and scratches.
Anodizing
Anodized aluminum offers a hard finish with excellent lubricity.
The process does increase the dimensions of the component by increasing the thickness of the naturally occurring oxidative layer.
One of the best attributes of anodized aluminum is its hardness.
The hardness of anodized aluminum makes it extremely popular, especially with a hardcoat finish.
The completed process will produce a finish that will withstand the most extreme conditions.
Cerakote
Cerakote is becoming extremely popular in todays gun market and for good reason.
The coating is easily applied to metal, composite and plastic surfaces.
It is a chemically applied gun coating that creates a uniform surface coating on parts with tight tolerances.
A NiB finish does require a little lubrication from time to time and provides a silvery metallic appearance.
Well, not much.
These are all variations of a surface treatment known as ferritic nitrocarburizing, a modified form of nitriding.
This is not an applied coating, it is a barrier formed by a chemical reaction.
The only thing that is certain is that all the finishes on modern-day firearms are effective to varying degrees.
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