D.Hayden Posted July 30, 2004 Share Posted July 30, 2004 As soon as my new gun is ready.. I'm sending off my Kimber to get hard chromed, except for a recent failure to eject, it runs great (about 8-10K rounds through it), and it's beat to #### from the Kydex holster I use. I searched though posts, I could find alot of where/why, but not what to get hard chromed. I'm sending it to Tripp, talked with Virgil about it, but I didn't ask him what parts should be done (didn't think about it). Should I just send the whole gun? Or leave out the barrell? Or just not have him do some parts (someone told me to leave a few parts un-done). Thanks in advance.. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uscbigdawg Posted July 30, 2004 Share Posted July 30, 2004 Frame (BTW, get the front strap and under the trigger guard checkered too) Mainspring Housing Thumb Safety Grip Safety Hammer (if it's not already silver in color) Mag catch Slide Extractor (maybe. But there are SS extractors out there) Barrel Bushing (if you have one and it's not SS) However, I'd talk with Virgil and discuss what you want the gun to look like after it's done. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Run n Gun Posted July 30, 2004 Share Posted July 30, 2004 Dave, When I talked to Virgil I asked the same thing and he told me to send in the entire gun. As per his site; he won't chrome the hammer or sear and the barrel is an extra charge. Any questions, just call him. He's a cool guy. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eerw Posted July 30, 2004 Share Posted July 30, 2004 I would not chrome the barrel, hammer or sear...oh yeah..and don't do the sights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 I've got a hard chromed barrel. The outside, not the inside. I had d#mn near everything on that gun chromed, including the extractor. The list of what not to chrome is probably shorter than the list of parts to chrome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.Hayden Posted July 31, 2004 Author Share Posted July 31, 2004 Cool.. this place rocks... I've heard getting the inside of the barrel is ok too?... since the coating is so thin? Any opinions? Is it worth it for a a cheap factory Kimber barrel? Ok, I'm not above asking dumb questions: On the Tripp site: Complete 1911 (stainless barrel/no plate) Complete 1911 (carbon steel barrel/plate) How do I know I have a stainless or carbon steel barrel? Kimber catalog lists it as "Steel" vs. the better "Stainless Steel", but can you tell by looking? Ed... did you have yours done yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Kline Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 Now that Virgil is doing finishes again, just call him and discuss it with him on the phone. He has a few options and does EXCELLENT work. He's done 3 of my guns and all look AWESOME and work 100% afterward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoNsTeR Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 On my gun, Tripp didn't plate the hammer, sear, or barrel, and only plated the back of the extractor (Aftec) for cosmetics. He did plate the disconnector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpspeed Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 Everything that you will see from the outside except the hammer. None of the internals such as sear & disconnector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Run n Gun Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 Ed... did you have yours done yet? No, I'm not done “whittling” on it yet. I’m going to have the trigger guard undercut, install an Ed Brown grip safety (Virgil say’s that’s a virtual “drop in” in my Kimber Gold Match II… we’ll see) and trade the HUGE ambi thumb safety for a USGI-like single sided one. And yes, I’ve thought the thumb safety thing all the way through so no one needs to jump in and “save me”! Besides, I’ve only one IPSC pistol and though I know Virgil’s fast, I don’t want to be without it until this winter. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterLefty Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 The only time I took the time to send a gun off for plating was in the mid 80's. I sent my Browning Competition to Metalloy. (Since then everything has been shot in the white, except for the new SX Pro that Bob is building for me.) When I had the Browning plated, we did everything except the springs, guide rod plug (ball spring inside) and the inside of the barrel. Browning are slightly softer than 1911 and even the Cylinder & Slide hammer was only around 38-42 R.C. Metalloy provided a R.C. 70 hardeness and extremely low coefficent of friction and a bath temperature of 135° F. Times and processes change, I would talk with your plater. Kenny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooter Grrl Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 Don't bother plating it at all. Mine has not run since it's been chromed - blech! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 <placing hands over mouth> MMmmph, mmm, mmph! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidwiz Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 It is possible, as Shooter Grrrrl (did I put enough rrrrrs in there?) said, if the plating isn't done properly, the clearances that the gun had will not be there and the gun won't run. If you are going to have your gun plated, take it to someone who has a good rep and, if it isn't done right, they will do it again. Quite a few of the bigger shops use Accurate Plating in FLA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooter Grrl Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 <placing hands over mouth> MMmmph, mmm, mmph! Thank you for your control Mr. Warren - but the damn thing DID run before it was plated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eye Cutter Posted August 4, 2004 Share Posted August 4, 2004 how thick does the hard chrome plating add to the metal? i suppose a pistol with an already very tight slide to frame fit will freeze up after a trip to the platers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eye Cutter Posted August 4, 2004 Share Posted August 4, 2004 is the black chrome process the same as "ordinary" hard chrome? is it true that black chrome is a separate or another plating job over the hard chrome and if done incorrectly, the black finish will peel off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reneet Posted August 4, 2004 Share Posted August 4, 2004 is the black chrome process the same as "ordinary" hard chrome?is it true that black chrome is a separate or another plating job over the hard chrome and if done incorrectly, the black finish will peel off? I've talked to Accurate Plating who is our primary refinishing company concerning the method of application. They apply a nickel or chrome base coat then the black goes on top. I've personally seen this finish on many guns. It wears like bluing. The only advantage that I can see is that you still have the base coat for protection when the black top coat wears off. One of our local shooters had this process done against our recommendation on a stainless 1911 Officer Model. The holster wear alone was fast and ugly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eye Cutter Posted August 5, 2004 Share Posted August 5, 2004 thanks reneet! another concern i always hear are for pistols that have been refinished several times already is that the metal becomes brittle from the heating process that cracks eventually develop. any truth to this? i'd surmise, the cracks will be from it being shot with several thousands of rounds rather than from the plating process... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Run n Gun Posted August 5, 2004 Share Posted August 5, 2004 There's some interesting reading on the finishes at Virgil's site Tripp Research. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.Hayden Posted August 10, 2004 Author Share Posted August 10, 2004 I sent my Kimber to Tripp Tuesday 8/3. The site says 7 days... I'm thinking 7 business days, that he's in the shop, shipping, etc.. so I'm hoping 3-4 weeks to have it back in my hands.. Got it today! Amazing. Pistol looks great. The feed ramp is like a mirror! A little slide glide #1, it's feels good to go. I'll find out tomorrow how it shoots. Just wanted to say thanks for the recommendations for Tripp Research, and thanks to Virgil for the amazing turn-around, and great workmanship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BismarckC Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 Do not get the mags chromed. I made the mistake of getting my mags chromed (they were blue originally not stainless) when I got my pistol chromed and ended up having to replace several tubes because the tolerences were too tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric nielsen Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 don't send apw/cogan your hammer, sear or trigger their finish does last a LONG time - my caspian is almost 9 years old insides of the magazines look a little rough other than that - works really well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 Do not get the mags chromed. No, do get your mags chromed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 Do not get the mags chromed. No, do get your mags chromed. Ditto a la Erik. My Para tubes are a lot slicker now that Beven Grams had them chromed as part of his tune up. Got three, waiting on the other six. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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