Thread: To sandblast, blackchrome or not?

Just acquired a hand me down colt combat commander which I think needs to be brought back to life...deciding to either have it blackchromed, sand blasted (but thinking it might affect its value) or just live it as is... opinions anyone?

link to photos:

P1000979.jpg picture by mgtoma - Photobucket

Thanks in advance....

I've got a blast cabinet that I could put glass beads in it if you want to try that out. Of coarse I would have to make sure it still works afterwards.
Mike

a satin bead blasted finish is pretty cool, use fine, or well used glass beads. Personally I would polish the flat sides of the slide and frame to about a 400 grit, to restore a factory look to it.

Not to get off topic, but I was considering hard chroming my hk usp, but I aged looking up black Chrome I think it would stand out amount the rest thanks for posting the thread would never had know it were possible

I sent my Commander up to Mike @ NW Gun Refinishing.
He did an amazing two color job on mine.
The pistol was dropped, and it cracked the frame between the main spring housing and the magazine well.
The previous owner had it Tig welded and the repair ruined the anodizing on the aluminum frame.
I should have had the feed ramp and ejection port worked done before I sent it up to Mike for the Cerakoting, because it's a little fussy with some ammo.

That looks like an easy fix. Start by sanding out any dings or imperfections. Then use a garnet mix to blast down the entire gun. Then you can either brush the flats or take a 80 grit glass bead to the entire gun for that silky look.

ok, thanks for your replies...will now embark on restoring it...hope it all goes well...

Post pics when your done so we can see how it turned out.

Originally Posted by williamcjones1988

Not to get off topic, but I was considering hard chroming my hk usp, but I aged looking up black Chrome I think it would stand out amount the rest thanks for posting the thread would never had know it were possible

Hard chrome is the hardest most durable gun finish there is. If it is tough enough for bearing surfaces of turbines it is plenty tough for guns. BTW when the heck did it become fashionable to paint your guns?

Originally Posted by coop44

Hard chrome is the hardest most durable gun finish there is.

If it is tough enough for bearing surfaces of turbines it is plenty tough for guns.

Howdy, Coop.
For sure hard chrome "plating", also known as industrial chrome is tougher than "paint" like Duracoat, etc. But it is comparing apples to oranges.
Cerakote however, is a thermally bonded ceramic that is sprayed on as it is suspended in a liquid vehicle. It too is not harder than hard chrome, but in coating firearms hardness is not the only issue to be considered. One has to take into consideration the underlying material, i.e. aluminum, and other softer alloys used in gun making, and the various synthetics in modern frames, stocks, and components. As noted, if the metal underlying the hard chrome is softer than the chrome, it will crack, and eventually flake off during use as it gets tossed around or bruised.
And unlike beauty chrome, which is a series of platings, surface defects and roughness are amplified, because hard chrome does not have a leveling effect

BTW when the heck did it become fashionable to paint your guns?

There's a load of answers to that question, and they are varied as there are gun types and makes

Blasting hard chrome? If that Colt is not all stainless steel it will have to be re-coated or it will just rust again not only on those worn through areas but all over.
Those areas of rust is where the hard chrome is not present anymore. (yes, you may already know that)
Nonetheless, when you commence blasting at it with whatever, it will tend to blast away along those edges of where the hard chrome is worn through.
Furthermore when you blast on that hard chrome, by definition you are removing some of the hard chrome plating making the underlying metal even more susceptible to rust bleed-through due to its now compromised thickness. Hard chrome plating is only about 0.0030 to 0.0098 of an inch and even less on edges when it is new.

Have now finished my little project...its not fantastic or anything but I think its better than before...here is the result.

before:
P1000978.jpg picture by mgtoma - Photobucket

P1000978.jpg picture by mgtoma - Photobucket

After:

P1000978.jpg picture by mgtoma - Photobucket

P1000978.jpg picture by mgtoma - Photobucket


Thanks everyone for your suggestions and inputs!

That looks real nice! What did your end up doing to it?

Originally Posted by coltnewbie

Have now finished my little project...its not fantastic or anything but I think its better than before...here is the result.

before:
P1000978.jpg picture by mgtoma - Photobucket

P1000978.jpg picture by mgtoma - Photobucket

After:

P1000978.jpg picture by mgtoma - Photobucket

P1000978.jpg picture by mgtoma - Photobucket


Thanks everyone for your suggestions and inputs!

That looks super nice. Just like a Colt should. It takes so little work to make a stainless Colt look awesome.

Originally Posted by Gunfixx

That looks real nice! What did your end up doing to it?

Thanks. Well, just had it glass beadblasted to retain the deepness of the markings and etchings. Also had the hammer,gripsafety and slidestop emphasized by having it chromed. I didnt replace anything so it wouldnt lose its "coltness"....

Yup, this took little work to bring it back to life...thanks for the compliment.

misconceptions abound here-

Hard chrome is not a series of platimgs, it bonds on a molecular level directly with the steel.

If the underlying metal is plated AFTER it is bead blasted it will retain the blasted look and actually bonds the plating better, more surface area and a better "key" for the plating. I have seen hard chromed guns after 10,000 rounds of competition show no appreciable wear at all.

As far as rust, stainless steel will rust. I have never seen any corrosion on hard chrome.

Originally Posted by coop44

misconceptions abound here-

Hard chrome is not a series of platimgs, it bonds on a molecular level directly with the steel.

Howdy Coop. Nobody stated that "Hard" chrome is a series of platings. What was stated and I quote, "unlike beauty [or decorative] chrome, which is a series of platings..."
Decorative, beauty or show chrome is a series of platings of copper, nickel, and then the chrome. Hard chrome is a single component.

If the underlying metal is plated AFTER it is bead blasted it will retain the blasted look and actually bonds the plating better, more surface area and a better "key" for the plating. I have seen hard chromed guns after 10,000 rounds of competition show no appreciable wear at all.

As far as rust, stainless steel will rust. I have never seen any corrosion on hard chrome.

Yes, you are correct, and as I had stated, and I quote, "surface defects and roughness are amplified, because hard chrome does not have a leveling effect" and as you had noted, that is why a nice uniform blasted profile is advantageous.
And on the matter of stainless rusting, yes, and I believe that is what was apparent on the Colt in the before photo.