BelRiose Posted September 21, 2019 Share Posted September 21, 2019 I've got a custom 2011 that was hard chromed by the previous owner. I've had it for about a year, and have started to notice some minor pitting on the chrome along the slide serrations. There's also slightly more major pitting on the grip safety. Is there a good way to get this issue addressed before it worsens? Can the hard-chrome job be "touched up," or do I just have to live with what I've got? I love the gun, and want it to have a long life. To preemptively defend myself, my guns never go more than about three days after shooting without getting cleaned and oiled, and my safe has desiccant that I charge regularly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mach1soldier Posted September 21, 2019 Share Posted September 21, 2019 (edited) You can remove the hard chrome and hard chrome again. There was likely oil, rust or some other impurity on the slide. Your hands may may be acidic. I can rust / pit anything within 24 hours if I touch it. Clean sooner it sounds like. Are most of the pits where you touch? Edited September 21, 2019 by mach1soldier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BelRiose Posted September 21, 2019 Author Share Posted September 21, 2019 I was thinking that acidic sweat might be the culprit because the pitting is definitely where my hands touch most frequently (particularly the grip safety). That said, I have a hard chrome DVC-L that doesn't have similar issues, so I don't know why this particular gun is worse. Maybe a thinner chrome job? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ming the Merciless Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 Get a can of Birchwood-Casey Barricade or similar anti-corrosion spray. I have extremely acidic sweat and I can rust stainless steel overnight. I have a can of Barricade sitting on my safe along with a couple of large cotton cleaning patches, anytime I handle any firearm, I spray a little Barricade on a patch and run it over the entire gun before it goes back into the safe. Barricade works well against my sweat, has a mild, fairly pleasant smell that doesn't last very long so I can even use it on my carry gun without smelling like a gun store commando. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BelRiose Posted September 23, 2019 Author Share Posted September 23, 2019 I’m going to get the finish removed and re-chrome/refinish it to prevent any further damage. Any recommendations on what coating I should go with? I don’t care about color, I just want it to last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BelRiose Posted September 26, 2019 Author Share Posted September 26, 2019 After some research, WMD’s NiB coating looks interesting. However, since the gun is currently Hard Chromed, I’m a little worried that I’ll need to redo the chrome to maintain the current tolerances/fit. Am I correct in my understanding that the NiB coating is significantly thinner than Hard Chrome? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ltdmstr Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 On 9/22/2019 at 12:36 AM, Ming the Merciless said: Get a can of Birchwood-Casey Barricade or similar anti-corrosion spray. I have extremely acidic sweat and I can rust stainless steel overnight. I have a can of Barricade sitting on my safe along with a couple of large cotton cleaning patches, anytime I handle any firearm, I spray a little Barricade on a patch and run it over the entire gun before it goes back into the safe. Barricade works well against my sweat, has a mild, fairly pleasant smell that doesn't last very long so I can even use it on my carry gun without smelling like a gun store commando. +1 on Barricade (formerly known as Sheath). Pretty much all my new builds I shoot in the white for a while before I send them off for finishing and I always use this stuff on them and have never had an issue with rust. It's a great product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BelRiose Posted October 1, 2019 Author Share Posted October 1, 2019 On 9/29/2019 at 9:38 AM, ltdmstr said: +1 on Barricade (formerly known as Sheath). Pretty much all my new builds I shoot in the white for a while before I send them off for finishing and I always use this stuff on them and have never had an issue with rust. It's a great product. Thanks for the tip. Once I get the finish fixed, I’ll get a can and use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powder Finger Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 On 9/29/2019 at 9:38 AM, ltdmstr said: +1 on Barricade (formerly known as Sheath). Pretty much all my new builds I shoot in the white for a while before I send them off for finishing and I always use this stuff on them and have never had an issue with rust. It's a great product. +2 also doubles as honing oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BelRiose Posted November 23, 2019 Author Share Posted November 23, 2019 I ended up getting the NiB coating, and it looks fantastic. I'm hoping it holds up better than the Hard Chrome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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