Have a Ruger SR40 with stainless slide and want to turn it black. Need process Advice
I really don't want to paint the thing. I would like to get the same type of finish i have on my stainless S&W M&P stainless slide.
Looks like everything I have read is that the Smith has a melonite type finish.
Locally there is a metal process place that does Gas Nitro carburizing. I have been trying to find out if this process with blacken the slide as well as harden the thing without making the metal brittle.
As far as I can tell the stainless slide is 400 series stainless..
Anyone know if this process will work well on the slide?
I have read that this process may make the stainless less corrosion resistant but my aim is to have a nice hard Black treatment to my shiny SS.
From their website:
Carbonitriding
Carbonitriding is a modified form of gas carburizing in which ammonia is added to the carburizing atmosphere. Thus, both carbon and the nitrogen from the ammonia are diffused into the steel simultaneously. The diffusion of carbon results in a high carbon surface while the nitrogen provides extra hardness. Carbonitriding produces a shallower case and is well suited for plain, low-carbon steels.
Benefits:
Improves fatigue resistance
High surface hardness and tough core with low cost material
Improves wear resistance
The M&P is nitrided, yes... and there are lots of complaints about the lack of corrosion resistance of the resulting surface. Typical nitriding processes are a better choice for carbon steels, not stainless, although there are some specialized variations of nitriding that are in development for stainless steels.
I'd suggest something like Ionbond, Black-T or Cerakote as an alternative for stainless.
There are several methods of chemically blackening stainless.
First, you can now have it blued with a special hot salts bluing chemical. The finish can range from a satin or flat black to a shiny finish, depending on who's doing it and how experienced they are.
This is as wear resistant as standard blued steel, except it won't rust as easily.
There are several places that offer it.
There's also black chrome. This is not intended to be a durable finish, it's about like bright nickel and is easily scratched.
Another option is Coal Creek Armory's QPQ finish that's supposed to be very tough:
http://www.apwcogan.com/
Black Chrome.
http://www.fordsguns.com/
Blued stainless steel and black chrome.
http://www.techplate.com/firearms_pl.htm
They offer several black finishes on stainless, talk to them about what they can do.
http://www.coalcreekarmory.com/custom_finishing.html#Melonite
Isonite QPQ
you can have it black oxided
I like the idea of having it black oxided but I don't like the turn around time and price... Anyone know who does this fairly inexpensively and quickly?
look for local shops. Most have a 24 hour turn around time and they charge by weight.
I live in Iowa.. we have nothing here. I have been looking for a shop around Iowa for a week with zero luck. In fact most places I have called in Iowa have no idea what I am talking about.
There has to be, black oxide and manufacturing go hand in hand. Try searching thomasnet.com for black oxide, plating and anodizing..etc often times many of these shops will offer all of these services. If you still cannot find someone to do it for you, you can always try caswell inc...they offer alot of dyi kits.
another forum where similar question was askedI ordered some of the stainless steel blackener 370 insta-blak 370, but not sure how well it will work as far as I've read anyway. I had the day off and probably called 35 places in my state and surrounding today to no avail for black oxide....
Got the insta blak.. Doesn't work very well.. Going the cerakote route.
