I have a Springfiled Armory Milspec 1911 with a parkerized finish. I know the park finish has it's benefits as far as corrosion resistance, but I just don't like it. I've owned the gun for several years and the look has just never grown on me. What options do I have as far as refinishing a parked gun? I know that the various spray on finishes can go on over a parked finish. But what about a blued finish? Will the parkerizing have to be removed before blueing the steel? And how about hard chrome or nickel finish?
Refinishing options
- Thread starter twhidd
- Start date
Scattergun Bob
New member
You might want to check out ROBAR finishes, their NP-3 and Roguard applied finishes are some of the best in the business. I have two handguns with ROBAR applied finishes and after years of fairly tough service they have survived just fine. Additionally they do chrome and oxide finishes. Here is the website. http://www.robarguns.com/
Good Luck & Stay Safe
Good Luck & Stay Safe
The one of the things about parkerizing is that it is applied on a rough finish. If you want to blue or plate it, the gun will likely need to be smoothed and polished. That can be labor intensive and costly, plus you want someone who knows what they are doing, not just any Joe Gunsmith downtown. There is a matte bluing, but that looks a lot like parkerizing.
Aside from the aesthetics of a nice polished blue or nickel finish, a painted and baked finish like Gunkote applied over parkerizing is very durable and corrosion resistant. You can use a flat or a semi-gloss finish with a painted finish.
Aside from the aesthetics of a nice polished blue or nickel finish, a painted and baked finish like Gunkote applied over parkerizing is very durable and corrosion resistant. You can use a flat or a semi-gloss finish with a painted finish.
I shouldn't have used the term rough. I didn't mean coarse, I meant rough as in not polished.
Take a look at a nice glossy blue handgun some time. Smooth is one thing. Something can be matte and smooth. But except for color, matte bluing looks like parkerizing. A polished blue or nickle plate is a thing of beauty. You can see a reflection in it.
Bill DeShivs
New member
The Parkerizing can be removed chemically-leaving the bead blasted finish.
Or, the gun can be re-blasted to remove the Parkerizing. The gun can then be plated with nickel or hard chrome. It will have a satin finish.
I don't like the fancy painted finishes. They are often touted as state of the art, but they are still just tough paint.
Or, the gun can be re-blasted to remove the Parkerizing. The gun can then be plated with nickel or hard chrome. It will have a satin finish.
I don't like the fancy painted finishes. They are often touted as state of the art, but they are still just tough paint.
Got it now, lack of shine, dull in appearance, zero gloss. I like the dull look of my Mil-Spec. To each there own and why they offer all the different finishes from paint to chrome. I do like the look of Black Chrome on Fords web site and I do believe he no long offers that finish.
His web site, www.fordsguns.com
I haven't ever done this, but have a book that talks of applying one of the spray-on Brownell's finishes over parkerizing, says it makes for a pretty tough finish, as the parkerizing provides good "Teeth," for the finish to stick to. May want to call Brownell's and ask 'em. Its also a cheap way to try out a different finish to see how you like it, and it you don't you can always refinish later. By the way the book I saw this in is, Gunsmithing Pistols and Revolvers, by Patrick Sweeney.
I'd just sell the gun to someone who likes the parkerized finish and buy what you want. It's way too labor intensive and expensive to change the finish on that gun and it won't increase its value any. Could very well decrease it.
Lots of folks like to think that aesthetics aren't important with regard to guns. I'm not in that camp. If there is something that bothers me about a gun - function, or aesthetics - I get rid of it and replace it with something I really want.
Lots of folks like to think that aesthetics aren't important with regard to guns. I'm not in that camp. If there is something that bothers me about a gun - function, or aesthetics - I get rid of it and replace it with something I really want.
IMI used to offer it on the DE and it was BEAUTIFUL.wnycollector
New member
http://www.ccrrefinishing.com/hg.htm is running a special on their Cera-plate and Cera-hide finishes. I'm tempted to get my VERY well worn west german SIG p220 cera-hide house black finish.