<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Oldspeed:
Nick,
I was wondering about Titanium parts like firing pins and strikers as used in Colt 1911's and Glocks. Some have a coating of Gold colored Titanium Nitrite which is supposed to be very hard? I have read that Titanium can only be hardened to a certain point which is less than steel. Will the Gold coating help the part wear better or is it just a good looking finish? I guess that it works well on drill bits though, but this is applied over steel not Titanium
Thanks,
Bob[/quote]
Bob,
Titanium nitride is very, very hard; much harder than hardened steel, and should improve the wear resistance of parts coated with it. One issue, however, is how long this coating will last in impact loading. These coatings (TiN, TiCN, TiAlN, etc.) are very hard and stiff, and have different properties than the material that is coated. It's somewhat like an enamelled pan, or bathtub. The coatings impart rust resistance and wear resistance to the substrate, but if you drop something hard on them and chip them, the metal underneath is exposed. If you actually bend the metal underneath, the coating can crack and flake off easily. The loads for firing pins or strikers may not be severe enough to cause this; I'd want to see someone else spend their money on this first. On the other hand, if the coating flakes off or chips, you still have a titanium striker or firing pin.
I'm not sure I understand the reason for switching to a titanium firing pin or striker. I would think a more massive steel part would have more momentum and provide more reliable ignition. Rust should not be much of a problem, and the weight saved would be small. Is there really much improvement in performance with a switch to Ti?
Nick19