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What's your favorite handgun finish

1821 Views 38 Replies 21 Participants Last post by  crc4
What's the handgun finish you like on your pistols?
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Dan Wesson "Duty Finish" is real nice, but the "Hot Salt" bluing on my Garrison is my favorite.
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Something that looks a little "used" and doesn't look like a safe queen.
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For Durability, both H&K and Glock get it right. Never owned an H&K but I do like the Glock Gen 3 finish. Don't know about Gen 4 and 5 finish durability.
Something that looks a little "used" and doesn't look like a safe queen.
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Man, I like that! Did you have that done, or was that some kind of factory option?
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Man, I like that! Did you have that done, or was that some kind of factory option?
Scotchbright?
To me there is nothing like a smith and Wesson blue revolver
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Parkrised
Stainless or hard chrome :)
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Man, I like that! Did you have that done, or was that some kind of factory option?
Plain, off-the-shelf sandpaper that is used for metal. Different grits and some elbow grease. Paying particular attention to the "detail" of long-term wear. Don't just grab some abrasive paper and go wild on it and mess it up. (And I really don't recommend a ScotchBrite pad - it leaves undesireable scratches). It's still a "work in progress" (and a work of art) and it's still brand new, (Springfield Armory Mil-Spec) never been fired. Deep-cupped beaver tail and bobbed hammer. I built it as a replica of the ones that I carried in the Navy for over 20 years. Standing watch, Shore Patrol, Pay Master, and the best of all, US Navy Honor Guard for official ceremonies.
It will probably never be fired by me - the grandkids can do whatever they want with it when they get it. Here is a snippit of finishing it after the build.
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All stainless steel. Although not a finish it's the most durable. Scratches, nicks, dings and holster wear can be easily polished out. You can keep these guns looking new for a lifetime. You don't have to worry about rust from sweat or sweaty hands. Not only that I just love the look of highly polished stainless steel it's nicer than chrome.

Air gun Wood Trigger Gun barrel Gun accessory


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Wood Rectangle Gun barrel Material property Everyday carry

Trigger Air gun Wood Gun barrel Everyday carry

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All stainless steel. Although not a finish it's the most durable. Scratches, nicks, dings and holster wear can be easily polished out. You can keep these guns looking new for a lifetime. You don't have to worry about rust from sweat or sweaty hands. Not only that I just love the look of highly polished stainless steel it's nicer than chrome.
Hey Arizona Desertman what do you use to polish your stainless
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Glock’s Tennifer treatment is hard to beat for utility. Basically a carburizing heat treatment to the metal itself to prevent corrosion. Then they have gone trough different variations of top coating that, from old school parkerizing to parkerizing, and then applying a baked phenolic resin coating to the metal parts. even if the coating wears off the exposed metal is still protected by the Tennifer process. It ain’t purdy but it works.

As much as I like Berettas their Bruniton coating has proven to be pretty soft And show wear pretty rapidly.

For pretty, a DEEP high polished blue like the old S&W revolvers is probably one of my favorites.

But, in general, I enjoy a handgun that shows some patina from honest use.

My Glock 17 is an old 2nd Gen that had most of the parkerizing worn off. So, I applied a Teflon-Moly coat from Brownells. It is showing significant wear from use now, it has digested well over 10k rounds since I have owned it.

Air gun Trigger Grey Line Gun barrel


My Beretta Px4 Compact showed pretty significant wear after the first 3k rounds.

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Yes, I miss the old Glock tennifer coating. Realize that Glock no longer uses that old finish. I think they use DLC now, if I remember right. I miss that old tennifer.

Walther was using tennifer on their P99s too. I think they still do, as the finish looks the same. But, it's possible they stopped.

Supposedly, there are environmental issues with the chemicals involved in making the tennifer finish. The same reason is why hard chrome is going away. Because of EPA rules, many hard chrome places have given up the business.

I have found the Beretta finish does wear fairly easily. The finish on HKs is pretty tough, though.
All stainless steel. Although not a finish it's the most durable. Scratches, nicks, dings and holster wear can be easily polished out. You can keep these guns looking new for a lifetime. You don't have to worry about rust from sweat or sweaty hands. Not only that I just love the look of highly polished stainless steel it's nicer than chrome.

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Those are sharp!
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Plain, off-the-shelf sandpaper that is used for metal. Different grits and some elbow grease. Paying particular attention to the "detail" of long-term wear. Don't just grab some abrasive paper and go wild on it and mess it up. (And I really don't recommend a ScotchBrite pad - it leaves undesireable scratches). It's still a "work in progress" (and a work of art) and it's still brand new, (Springfield Armory Mil-Spec) never been fired. Deep-cupped beaver tail and bobbed hammer. I built it as a replica of the ones that I carried in the Navy for over 20 years. Standing watch, Shore Patrol, Pay Master, and the best of all, US Navy Honor Guard for official ceremonies.
It will probably never be fired by me - the grandkids can do whatever they want with it when they get it. Here is a snippit of finishing it after the build.
Well, you did a masterful job. Nice video too.
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Well, you did a masterful job. Nice video too.
I age my guns too.
I use quality holsters, ammo, and lots of TLC.
My guns wear is earned.
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