Anyone Ever Hard Chrome An Aluminum Alloy Frame?

B

Badfinger

New member
Pretty simple question, have any of you ever had an aluminum alloy framed pistol hard chromed? If so, let us know how it has stood up over the years to regular use? My understanding is that few outfits are capable of doing this procedure, so I am curious as to how durable it has proven for those that had it done. Thanks...
 
The problem with hard chroming aluminum is that aluminum is fairly soft. It will dent, and chrome doesn't flex. That will cause it to flake.

All that is required to hard chrome aluminum is to plate it with electroless nickel first.
 
The problem with hard chroming aluminum is that aluminum is fairly soft. It will dent, and chrome doesn't flex. That will cause it to flake.

All that is required to hard chrome aluminum is to plate it with electroless nickel first.
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Have you had it done? How long before it failed? Why, would a reputable refinishing outfit(APW/Cogan)even perform such a process if its so fragile I wonder?
 
I have not had it done. Being a plater (among other things,) i understand the dynamics. I have electroless nickel plated aluminum handgun frames. The same problems apply.
I did not say it was fragile, or that it "would" fail. It's for sure more rugged than anodizing or gun paint. The specific enemy of nickel or chrome plating on aluminum is denting-and subsequent flaking.
 
We had a Sig 228 frame hard chromed back in the early 90's for a customer. IIRC it was APW in Florida who did it. We had all the steel parts of the receiver done at the same time, and it came out nice. The customer was very happy, and never complained about issue with the plating.
 
I have not had it done. Being a plater (among other things,) i understand the dynamics. I have electroless nickel plated aluminum handgun frames. The same problems apply.
I did not say it was fragile, or that it "would" fail. It's for sure more rugged than anodizing or gun paint. The specific enemy of nickel or chrome plating on aluminum is denting-and subsequent flaking.
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What intrigues me is that the type III hard coat is almost as hard as the chrome, and the industry has been using it for a long time, apparently with great success, or satisfaction. One would think that the same dynamics would apply to it(flaking following an impact). So thats why very few outfits apply hard chrome to an aluminum receiver, thanks Bill...
 
I have a Boberg XR0-s "Platinum. The frame is aluminum and hardchromed. The finish is extremely durable and I haven't had or heard of one problem with it.
 
Anodizing is actually part of the aluminum, so it doesn't flake. I'm not sure if you can plate over anodizing. I never tried it. If you can, hard chrome over hard anodizing might be a real winner.
 
Isn't 7075 aluminum alloy as hard as steel? I've seen some 1911 frames that claim to use it but I don't really know what the most common alloy used for firearms is.
 
http://www.finishing.com/0400-0599/598.shtml

Might make electro plating difficult.

What is Hardcoat?

Hardcoat is a highly abrasion resistant, non-conductive aluminum oxide (Al2O3-xH2O) coating that makes an aluminum surface harder than tool steel due to greater thickness and weight than conventional anodic coatings. Anodic coatings form an excellent base for dry film lubricants, Teflon, paint, and adhesives.

Note: You cannot hardcoat over hardcoat, anodize over anodize, build up hardcoat over anodize, chromic over hardcoat, or just add another 0.0005" to the surface
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Isn't 7075 aluminum alloy as hard as steel?
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There is a wide range of steel alloys. It MIGHT be as hard as some of the softer steels. It certainly is nowhere close to as hard as super duplex or even most gun steels.

Why, would a reputable refinishing outfit(APW/Cogan)even perform such a process if its so fragile I wonder?
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I'm not positive, but if I remember correctly APW Cogan does multiple layers on ALL their hard chrome plated guns. Such as electroless nickel THEN Hard chrome. I think there also might be a layer of copper.
 
A buddy had an alloy commander frame hard chromed, and it flaked in a small spot that doesn't see any rubbing or impact.
 
NO aluminum metal is as hard as steel.
Anodizing produces a thin layer of aluminum oxide that is extremely hard. Aluminum oxide is what they make grinding stones and sandpaper out of. But the layer is so thin that it wears quickly on high spots and scratches easily.

Hard chroming on steel is done with no underplating. Hard chroming aluminum requires an underplate of electroless nickel. Electroless nickel does not require a copper underplate.
 
I do not know the actual mskeup of Metaloy but I had a Star DK done and it has made one heck of a nice carry pistol, looks as nice as the day it was done and the aluminum frame and steel slide are the same color. I have shot many rounds through this pistol with no signs of wear or flaking.
 
Anodizing is actually part of the aluminum, so it doesn't flake. I'm not sure if you can plate over anodizing. I never tried it. If you can, hard chrome over hard anodizing might be a real winner.
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What I am wondering Bill, is if perhaps I inadvertently stripped(type III hard coat)a superior finish whilst ignorantly assuming that I was getting a better one in the hard chrome?
 
Sorry, but they are not hard chrome. It is a Titanium colored Cerakote.

http://www.tristararms.com/products/...t-100-pistols/
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yes, they are all cera-kote now, but when they first came, they had hard chrome models. they switched a couple years ago, probably due to the fact that everything else was flaking off.

had t double check to know I wasn't crazy. TFB
like all of TriStar pistols since mid-2013, come with a Cerakote finish
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