Matte Hard Chrome vs. Matte Teflon

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jwong

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What do you think is the better handgun finish, in terms of rust/stain resistance and durability.. Pros and cons... Thanks in advance...

Personally, it would seem to me that a teflon finish would offer a better rust/stain resistance, but be more susceptable to scratching through... And I believe that a hard chrome finish is more expensive... What are your thoughts?
 
I'm sorry, but when I think chrome, I just automatically think "pimp gun". If you don't want a blued or matte-type finish, drop the extra few bucks and go with stainless. Some matte finishes are there only to dull the reflection of the gun, while others like the Glock's tennifer finish and the HK's nitro-carburized finish offer an excellent degree of protection from the elements and ordinary wear and tear. As far as scratching goes, I don't know about the Glock, but shortly after I picked up my USP, I pitched it (unloaded) across a gravel driveway to see what would happen. Not a single scratch or mark on either the slide or the polymer frame. In truth, I did this on a bet and found myself 100 bones richer :)
 
Forgot to add...

Whatever finish you choose, the most important thing is to take proper care of it. Any gun, regardless of finish, will rust over time if you treat it like poop. Likewise, any finish you choose will most likely give you years of enjoyment if you do a decent job at keeping it clean internally and externally.
 
A matte hard chrome finish and stainless steel will probably be about equally rust resistant for all practical purposes. (They'll both rust, but care is much less demanding that other finishes.) Hard chrome will probably be more scratch resistant than either Teflon coated finishes or Stainless Steel.

A hard chrome finish, when it includes the internals of the gun, will likely give you a very smooth slick action that will almost never wear, over many years of service. Its much longer wearing than Teflon.

You should also consider Electro-less Nickle finishes. Properly applied, they are a match for hard chrome, and if you're put off by shiny hard chrome, you make like the subdued gray color of EL Nickle better.

(Hard chrome can be had in black from some vendors.)
 
I have a remington Marine 870 shotgun in EL Nickle. From what I have seen it IS impervious to the elements... even salt water. Very hard, and a nice dull finish. Like it better that the blasted finish on my stainless 45acp.

Ben
 
Hardchrome is EXTREMELY durable, and has a natural lubricity of its own, which contributes to smooth slide/frame action. If you get the satin beadblasted finish, it's more subtle.

Stainless has several disadvantages: as 1911 builders will tell you, it is much harder to work than high carbon steel, and you cannot get the same precise fit with stainless. Some stainless "galls", although there have been improvements in it.

The teflon finishes are durable, but not nearly as durable as chrome. You'll get holster wear, and they can scratch. A nice combo is satin hard chrome on the frame, and Black-T/Robar/etc teflon finish on the slide for a dark slide. Or blue.

Too bad Glock's Tenifer process is proprietary. It's incredibly durable. Oh well.
 
Gee, I thought Tennifer was just a variant of Titanium Nitride with a phosphate (Parkerized) finish on top. ?
 
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