Hard chrome is about the best all-around gun finish, and it's one of the very few that's considered to be a true life-time finish.
Hard chrome is applied directly to the steel, unlike other plated finishes that have an under coat of copper applied.
Since the hard chrome actually "soaks" into the pores of the steel, it bonds to the steel.
Because of this, hard chrome won't crack, chip, or peel.
Since there is no under coat, moisture can't infiltrate under the coats and cause the steel to rust.
If you notice old car bumpers, moisture has worked it's way under the decorative chrome and rusted the steel.
The first sign of this is when the chrome starts bubbling up and peeling off, exposing rusty, pitted steel under it.
Hard chrome is not affected by most solvents and corrosive acids, and is highly resistant to sweat and salt water.
Years ago when hard chrome was first offered to the public a gun writer did a story on it.
In one test, he had a nail plated on one end and left the other bare.
He soaked the nail in hot acid over night.
Next day, the bare end was almost completely gone, but the plated end was untouched.
In another test, he buried a plated gun in wet table salt for 2 weeks, with no corrosion or damage.
Hard chrome is actually harder than a Swiss needle file, and this very hard "slippery" coating actually gives the gun a trigger and action job, making every thing slide and move smoother.
Wear that will quickly break through most other finishes will leave only a shiny mark on the hard chrome without breaking through.
Since hard chrome is super thin, there's no build up to affect parts fit.
Due to the slippery hard chrome, fouling won't stick to it so cleaning is much easier, and fouling is easier to see on the chrome coating.
Hard chrome is applied to everything except springs and the inside of the bore.
Some platers will also plate the bore, but most don't.
Most platers offer masking to mask off parts like black sights so they won't be plated.
There are a number of good gun platers around who offer hard chrome, and each offers different options on final appearance, which depends on how the metal is prepped prior to plating.
The final finishes range from the original satin pearl-gray to a stainless steel look satin finish, to a bright polished finish that looks like bright nickel.
For a hunting gun the original satin gray would be best since it doesn't reflect light.
