joetsui Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 I am considering getting my next 1911 in hard chrome or stainless. Is there an advantage over the other? Is there a price difference? Is there a weight difference? Will the stainless exceed 43 ounces? I would like to shoot it in USPSA and IDPA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoomy Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Stainless steel is .312 pounds per cubic inch and steel is about .283 pounds per. Hard chrome is harder than prehard 416 stainless. The chrome will wear off eventually in the slide contact areas but most steel guns are 4140 prehard and should not be any different than a stainless gun. Hard chrome will run about $200 to $300 dollars extra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bountyhunter Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 (edited) Do you mean hard chrome as a coating applied to carbon steel (?) The main advantage of stainless is that it doesn't rust as readily as carbon, but stainless can rust. Also, there are hundreds of different formulae for stainless optimized for different characteristics. Some rust quite badly, others not so much. Gun makers generally have to vary the formulae for the stainless used between frame and slide to prevent galling, another problem stainless can have. Of all the finishes for carbon steel, I think hard chrome is the best for durability. Way better than bluing. Edited June 5, 2014 by bountyhunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerTrace Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 In my experience, the HC will much more scratch resistant than the stainless. But, the stainless is easy to refinish. Personally, I prefer stainless or DLC coated stainless so there isn't much of a worry about rust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polymerfeelsweirdman Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Hard chrome is pretty resilient from what I have seen I think it also looks great when you contrast with blue/black... I believe this is black oxide rounds, frame, and accents with hard chrome flats: https://www.barsto.com/barsto_guns.cfm?ID=BS40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theogre Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I get all my 1911 done in hard chrome it lasts much longer and is verry hard. I have some I bought blued and the blueing wears off in about a year for me, and I have 5 years on the hc ones and they look new Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomore606 Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I would get carbon steel and have it coated in hardchrome. Also, look into the ionbond. The grey looks like raw steel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al503 Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 There is the possibility of galling with stainless v. carbon or hard chrome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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