[ss+P]

I am having a 2011 built with a caspian slide.
I was thinking about having a duracoat finish put on it until i started reading about all the other types of finishes that are around the same price.

Any input would be great. Please include prices and vendors to use if possible

[Avezorak]

I have durakote sl(self lubricating) on a xd and im not really impressed. Its 4 months and maybe 3k rounds and it has wear from holster and a couple nicks. I run my stuff hard but i thought it would hold up a little better. I have heard cerakote is much better and will be what i try next. Check out www.customizedcreationz.com for cerakote. Have a buddy that just got his back and it looks great.

[Chris Keen]

All I've ever tried is hard-chrome, and all I EVER WILL try is hard-chrome. I've got 2 2011 blasters hard-chromed, and it's been great from the day I got them back. I had very little trouble "breaking them in". Maybe a mag full of bullets, and they were good to go.

My open gun was chromed by Tripp, and my LTD gun was chromed by APW. Costs around $300 each.

Very very happy with the chrome.

[bayoupirate]

Give Daniel a call at Plate-tacular in Louisiana.

Here's a link.

http://www.plate-tacular.com


Great Finish.

[Flexmoney]

A lot of guns get shot for years just "in the white"...no coating at all.

For a permanent and true "hard" coating, chrome and ion-bond are the two choices. But, make sure you are done tinkering and know what you want. You don't want to have your gun chromed and then, after living with it a year, decide you want some more milling done to the slide or something.

A common suggestion is to put on one of the less durable finishes (or just keep it in the white) for the first year or so. Then, once you have lived with it, think about sending it off for chrome or ion-bond.

[Joe4d]

kydex will eat duracoat, but it is in no way similar cost, I can duracoat 3 or 4 pistols for $20 Ion bound or hardchrome is about $250, but way better, you can Duracoat and just look at it as an end of year maintenance thing and recoat, If I knew I didnt wanna change anything I would do Ion bond. Right now my gun is just plain cold blue, uhhh Brownell's brand something or other, it looks like crap but paint dont make a car run.

OK now for the smart a#$ answer to your question,,
Best finish is first place !!!!

[kgunz11]

bayoupirate, on Oct 27 2009, 04:28 PM, said:

Give Daniel a call at Plate-tacular in Louisiana.

Here's a link.

http://www.plate-tacular.com


Great Finish.

+1 on Daniel, he's doing some plating work for us now and will most likely get a lot more of our business in the future.

[Putty]

Ion Bond

[NickJ]

Here's before and after of mine. Hard chrome done by APW. An outstanding job and outstanding service. They did the rib in matte finish, as I asked. The bill was $200.

[NickJ]

It's Brushed Hard Chrome. Couldn't get the "edit" to work...

[G-ManBart]

I've got 2011's in the white, hard chrome and Ion Bond. Derek and I have talked about having the gun he built for me done with this:

http://www.failzero.com/

[Pat Harrison]

This one has been "in the white" since '98

[Aristotle]

also vote to "keep it in the white" till the slide starts to rattle and then have it Hard chromed.

[Aircooled6racer]

Chris: That failzero sounds like the coating I use on engine rod bearings and main bearings. It is also used on Nascar engines as well. You can buy the stuff from Jegs and it is made in Texas. It stands up very well on piston skirts as well. It does need a little oil but not much to make slippery. As for pistols, I like the two tone look with the ION Bond slide and chromed frame although all chrome looks good and all ION Bond on a 1911. Thanks, Eric

[luckylager]

NickJ, on Oct 27 2009, 04:54 PM, said:

Here's before and after of mine. Hard chrome done by APW. An outstanding job and outstanding service. They did the rib in matte finish, as I asked. The bill was $200.

From Zero to hero! Nice finish! I might send some work their way.

[busyhawk]

For some of us that can't keep enough oil on the gun while in the white because of rust/discoloration...I love my Ion-Bond job done by Scott Springer at WWW.SpringerPrecision.com...in Bend OR.

As said before my Dura-Coat is like a disposable coating...looks great and can be had in different colors for cheap but will not last a day on the rails and the holster and wear and tear will make it look like dog dung. Yea, in the northwest I tried to keep in in the white until I got the pistol the way I wanted it but had to fight the weather and rust way to much...what a PITA!

Just my .02 anyhow,

RLTW,

Scott

[STIGUY]

G-ManBart, on Oct 27 2009, 04:07 PM, said:

I've got 2011's in the white, hard chrome and Ion Bond. Derek and I have talked about having the gun he built for me done with this:

http://www.failzero.com/

FYI: I believe they sell a parts kit....not a finish.

[ss+P]

Thanks for everyones response.
My comment about duracoat costing the same price was the price for havning someone else do the dura coat. i know if i do it is a lot cheaper.

I think as someone said i will just blue it (i live in maryland and rust is a big problem with the humidity) until i am sure that i want nothing else done to the gun and then have it iondonded or hard chromed.

thanks a lot to everyone that responded. now i have to go look at the links you all attached

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: You could just leave the rust on it and shoot it that way I did that with my first STI 2011 I built so I could remove areas that hurt my hands. It looked nasty with spots of rust, finger prints etc. I then had it hard chromed and it looks great. There is something primal about a blued 1911 with wear marks and a little rust here and there Thanks, Eric

[G-ManBart]

STIGUY, on Oct 28 2009, 01:50 AM, said:

G-ManBart, on Oct 27 2009, 04:07 PM, said:

I've got 2011's in the white, hard chrome and Ion Bond. Derek and I have talked about having the gun he built for me done with this:

http://www.failzero.com/

FYI: I believe they sell a parts kit....not a finish.

Actually, if you look around the site there is one part that mentions them starting to get into doing parts and complete guns. Derek has a connection there and I guess they've agreed to do some guns for him. Last we spoke he hasn't sent any to them, which is why mine would be something of a test case. R,

[Majja]

I did mine in NP3 and love it because it has a cool gray color to it.

[kgunz11]

ss+P, on Oct 28 2009, 08:00 AM, said:

Thanks for everyones response.
My comment about duracoat costing the same price was the price for havning someone else do the dura coat. i know if i do it is a lot cheaper.

I think as someone said i will just blue it (i live in maryland and rust is a big problem with the humidity) until i am sure that i want nothing else done to the gun and then have it iondonded or hard chromed.

thanks a lot to everyone that responded. now i have to go look at the links you all attached

KG Gunkote is a more durable finish than Duracoat, and you can actually get a gun finished in the KG very affordable. There are other permanent options than just Ion Bond and Hard Chrome. Titanium Aluminum Nitride is a nice new option and favorably priced when compared with HC and IB. It's a nice alternative for those that like black guns.

[JRBean]

Any pics of guns or parts coated in Titanium Aluminum Nitride. I like how well hard chrome holds up, not necessarily for outward appearance but mostly for internal wear. Would love to find a black finish that could hold up to wear like hard chrome. I've considered Ion Bond but I'm just not sure about it.

[kgunz11]

TiAlN is WAY harder than hard chrome. Rich at Canyon Creek has finished some guns it and I plan on doing some in the very near future. It's black with the slightest purple/blue hue to it like traditional bluing, it just never wears off.

[JRBean]

Very cool, that is exactly what I'm looking for. Is it less or more than hard chrome.