All right, some explanations below:
1) At first, I wanted to do my slide only, so I sent it to Tripp (
www.trippresearch.com ) He did an excellent job for $56, matte finish with the flat sides brushed shiny.
2) Tripp will not do aluminum hard chrome (it is a two step job). So when I decided I wanted to do the frame also, I had to find someone who would do aluminum. Metalife (
www.metalifeind.com ) did it for $105 including frame, barrel, 2 magazines, and recoil rod. I like the job Metalife did, and they can do a whole pistol also for about $145 + shipping. Tripp has the better overall quality though (a whole pistol will be about $175 plus shipping, no aluminum). Tripp will do aluminum in a different finish which I have not tried.
3) The two hard chrome finishes (Tripp and Metalife) match, although Metalife is a dull-matte and Tripp is a brighter matte. Tripp's finish is flawless, while Metalife looks more "industrial" meaning that it has some minor discoloration (particularly on the magazines). Again, I find that Tripp does the best overall work and is really a pleasure to work with.
4) Tripp's turnaround is 3-5 days, Metalife takes about 30 days. Another vote for Tripp on the turnaround time.
5) I have heard that Ford's Guns (
www.fordsguns.com ) will also do a total chrome job including the aluminum frame. They have never answered my e-mails, so I think they suck. Others can speak about their work.
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