Good, rust-free finish?

[hoytinak]

I traded my Kahr P9 for a Kahr K9 a while back and have since been carrying it. I carry IWB and with the sweat if I don't wipe it down/oil it every night when I take it off the left side (the side against my skin) starts to rust pretty good. I'm not going to change my mode/means of carry and I know I've still got to keep it maintained just wanting a good finish, long lasting finish for a daily carry gun. Also, where to send it?

[wnycollector]

I have bee toying of sending my Ex-LEO (read LOTS of holster wear) SIG P220 to http://www.mahovskysmetalife.com/Met...20Page%202.htm for a metalife chrome plating after seeing the job he did on one of my fellow club members revolvers.

[AK103K]

I had my last Commander hard chromed after it rusted pretty bad. I carry the same way as you, and I sweat like a pig. The hard chrome, and switching to a kydex holster knocked 99% of the rust down.

A good kydex holster with a sweat guard does work wonders too.

I had EGW do mine, but I dont know who they sent it to (they didnt do it themselves).

Another alternative, get a Glock. Other than a worn slide stop, that had the finish removed, I've never seen a speck of rust anywhere else on the ones I have.

[TylerD45ACP]

IWB kydex is not uncomfortable? I can not imagine it being as nice as a good leather holster.

[AK103K]

I've never found them to be uncomfortable.

A lot will depend on your lifestyle, and how often you carry. If you work and live in places with heat/air conditioning, leather is fine most of the time.

If you work and play outdoors, especially in climates that get warm and steamy in the summer, kydex is the better choice. Wet leather is hard on you, and hard on your gun.

[jhco50]

Nu-finish or 2000 washes. Much cheaper than buying a new finish.

[ClydeFrog]

Hi;
I'd look into Robar's NP3+, the well respected Black T or Green T, the Cerakote/NIC. You can get the slide, barrel(s) and maybe magazines plated. Delivery time may vary but could be 12-16 weeks depending on the services.
You may want to look into carry rigs with bodyshield type designs. High Noon Holsters sells models with Skin-Tite man made material & El Paso Saddlery makes concealment holsters with shields too.

[HoraceHogsnort]

There's nothing better against rust and corrosion than hard chrome. I've got a Ruger Vaquero in hard chrome and it looks great, never rusts.

[midlandwalther]

Ion-Bond for a dark finish and hard chrome for a light finish.

[FishEngineer]

I had the same problem with my PM9.

Now, I give it a coat of EEZOX once a month and no more problem.

http://www.eezox.com/

[AK103K]

Eezox is great stuff. I've been using it for a few years now, and havent had a speck of rust on anything I've used it on, even guns and tools in a damp basement, that hadnt been touched for more than a year.

[Single Six]

What wnycollector said +1. I have had great success with their Metalife finish. The noted gun writer Chuck Taylor has sent several of his guns to Mahovsky's and had their proprietary finish applied to them. He has left them submerged in both streams and snowbanks,plus multiple hundreds of presentations from the holster, with neither rust nor wear marks to be seen.

[WESHOOT2]

I own a hardchromed gun; it rusts.
Friend owns a hardchromed gun (done elsewhere); his rusts.
We are not alone.

I own one gun (my 'best' gun) finished in NP3 for now over thirteen years. When not used it sits in the safe with other guns, four of them made of 'stainless' steel.
The other guns ALL rust.
But not the NP3 gun.

I have one other with its frame finished in an electroless nickel/boron carbide combination that for now two years shows no rust.
But I still prefer NP3.

[AK103K]

I own a hardchromed gun; it rusts.
Friend owns a hardchromed gun (done elsewhere); his rusts.
We are not alone.

Yup they rust. If you look close, you can see it here along the back edge of the grip panel. While you dont normally get rust like you do with other finishes, you will still get it. The rust you do get, is more like a light powder or dust, as opposed to the type that causes heavy pits. Still, you need to take care of it. I was told when I had this one done, that if I were to clean/degrease with something like Gun Scrubber, I would have to wipe it down with an oily rag or some similar product afterward.

[old bear]

I currently have both blued and S/S revolvers never owned a nickel or chromed finished one. I’ve never had problems with rust on any of them, but I’m over the top about keeping them clean and a thin coat of quality car wax, (NOT Polish) on them. I use a 100% cotton towel to wipe them down with every time I handle them.

I guess the moral of my long winded story is, keep em cleaned, oiled, and waxed and you should not have any problems with rust.

[AK103K]

A lot of it is what youre doing with them. If youre not wearing and sweating on one every waking minute, you will likely have a different experience than those who do.

I've tried pretty much anything you can think of as far as "trying" to rust proof a gun, and other than custom finishes, had little luck.

I will say that simple paint (Testors in this case), often does very well with hunting guns, and I have removed paint that was on a couple guns that were painted 15+ years, and there was no rust underneath what was painted. Areas where it had worn off would rust if not attended to though, but thats a simple fix too, just re paint it. Cant say how well it would work with a working handgun though, and especially one thats constantly drawn and reholstered. Even some of the custom finishes are affected from that wear.

Once I went to Hard Chrome, the rusting issue went way down to almost nil. I also own and have carried SS guns, and they too will rust, but again, not like or as bad as the blued/parked, carbon steel guns. Glocks Tennifer finish works very well, and actually better I think, than the Hard Chrome.

[chris in va]

Which model K9 did you get? Mine is the cheaper 'special edition' with the carbon steel slide and stainless frame. If yours is the all stainless version, I'd be wondering why it's got rust on it.

[AK103K]

SS guns will rust, just not as hard and fast as carbon. If you are getting rust, then its telling you you need to attend to them more, or make some changes.

[Historyedguru]

Maybe Hard Chrome or use a thermosetting resin paint (fancy for baked on), on a stainless steel gun ...

[michael t]

A good wax job Don't use wax with the abrasive in them
I use a paste way that made for wood floors Works fine on all my long guns and pistols . Hunters have waxed their shotguns and rifles for years.

[publius]

NP3

[cwok]

Instead of working on the finish: Consider buying a duplicate weapon and holster.

When you come home, clear the weapon and hold it under very hot running water at the sink.
Set it somewhere safe to dry, prerably over a low heat source such as a small standard incandesent bult (40-60 watts) - along with the sweaty holster.
Switch to the second rig while the first drys.

Depending upon your weapon you may need to lube the second one before using; some solid lubes may function through two or three cleaning cycles.
.

[AK103K]

Dont bet on that first holster drying anytime soon. I used to rotate two "good" leather holsters in the summer, and never had any luck. They were always at some level of being wet, and the one I was wearing was usually soaked. Kydex solved the holster issue, Hard Chrome the gun issue. Rust went WAY down, and the holster was a lot more comfortable to boot.

[ubang2]

Buy a Glock.

[hoytinak]

Buy a Glock.

Just got rid of my last Glock a couple days ago...man was that a great day.

I think I'm going with the NP3, thanks for the ideas.