Hardchroming a Stainless Pistol?

J

JH

New member
I have a Kahr Mk9 that I really like but I've read numerous postings about the stainless steel easily rusting on Kahr pistols. I'm thinking that hard chrome would increase the rust resistance and lubricity of the parts as well as the overall service life of the pistol. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

JH
 
JH,

I'm in the identical situation you are. Gonna have my MK9 hard chromed by Metaloy in the near future. Daily belly band carry takes its toll, even on stainless steel. I believe it will increase the service life also. I'm certain chroming will end any worries about corrosion with minor maintenance.
 
Hi Jeff,

Some custom pistolsmiths like Dane Burns, I believe, use stainless guns as a base gun, then get them hardchromed to preserve the working fit and prevent any possible galling. Like you, Brian Bilby and Steve Clark recommend going with Metaloy. Take a gander over at 1911forum.com and do a search under "hard chrome" and you'll find what I'm talking about.
BTW, still waiting....
 
I have to ask: How many day's of carry does it take for any sign of oxidation to appear? Assuming that you start with a spotlessly clean gun, will it turn in a day or two? If you get more time than that, perhaps a good wax job would be all they need to go a week or more w/o attention?
 
Make sure you know what the gun is going to look like before you commit. Don't think I'd want a white K9.
Ronin

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NRA/GOA/GOTF
Vote!!
 
I believe in most cases it's good for my (or your) gun to be EXTREMELY visible.......

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"All my ammo is factory ammo"
 
Coming from a LEO backround, I used to feel that way too. Of course, such finishes are frowned on in military use also. But, for CCW it might not be a bad idea. Under low-light conditions, it may allow the BG to SEE the gun that you are challenging him with. Otherwise, he may unwittingly attempt to "call your bluff" on what he perceives as a bogus threat. Still, if forced to surrepticiously draw it to advance on a BG, a 'sheeple' may see YOUR's and take YOU for a BG too. When he/she sees you and screams, "He's got a gun!", ALL element of surprise that you may have had is lost. Tactical dilemna? :(
 
Metaloy does a nice hardchrome job.

A friend of mine has a lightweight Commander (alloy frame, grip safety, and mainspring housing...the balance is stainless). He had Robar NP3 the pistol, primarily to give the disparate materials a homogenous appearance. It came out very nicely.

Rosco
 
Under low light conditions, a gleam from a shiny gun can allow an opponent to find a target. If you want to carry something that shines, maybe a neon sign with an arrow pointing at your midsection would be even better.

Jim
 
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