The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Handguns: The Semi-automatic Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old September 3, 2013, 01:38 PM   #26
Jaywalker
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 16, 2001
Location: Texas
Posts: 330
"Tenifer" and "Melonite" are trademark terms for "ferretic nitrocarburizing," as is "Tuftride," which is the same as "Tenifer" in countries where the company (Degussa of Germany) couldn't get a trademark for the word "Tenifer." I understand Glock is no longer using it, but whether it was 2010 or some other time, I don't know. (For instance, there could have been left over slides, or slides from a country that has different environmental regs from that of the US or Germany, or essentially the same process with different salts used.)

I did see an email in a forum purportedly from Glock technical services stating that Glock was now using "gas nitriding" as a surface treatment. So, at the very least, Glock did not stop the Tenifer process and start with the same ferretic nitrocarburizing, but they might have chosen different salts. I imagine there are multiple surface hardening processes to choose from, so they may change at any time.

Edited to clarify the differences among some of the processes.

Last edited by Jaywalker; September 3, 2013 at 03:56 PM.
Jaywalker is offline  
Old September 3, 2013, 07:30 PM   #27
Bart Noir
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 5, 2000
Location: Puget Sound, USA
Posts: 2,215
For the info from Wikipedia, which contains a lot of the subjects being discussed here:

Tenifer et. al.

Notice that there is only one "n" in Tenifer

And the US-made versus Austrian-made slides are confusing some people, as in there is no EPA influence in Austria.

I think it is quite likely that early Gen 4 frames could have been matched up with the last of the Tenifer processed (notice I did not say "finished") slides.

Bart Noir
__________________
Be of good cheer and mindful of your gun muzzle!
Bart Noir is offline  
Old September 3, 2013, 07:49 PM   #28
DPris
Member Emeritus
 
Join Date: August 19, 2004
Posts: 7,133
Unless anybody can come up with anything more definitive FROM GLOCK, I'll stick to 2010 as the end of the Tenifer process, as they said.
Denis
DPris is offline  
Old September 3, 2013, 09:05 PM   #29
Jaywalker
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 16, 2001
Location: Texas
Posts: 330
FWIW, I've yet to see anything that says the EPA prevents Tenifer. A search for metal treatment shops shows a good number of them offering to provide ferric nitrocarburizing, i.e., Tenifer. It appears to me Glock's movement to gas nitriding might well have been a choice to move to a more up-to-date treatment process.

Here's a quote from http://www.rowantechnology.com/wp-co...oom=auto,0,254
Quote:
The most widely used surface modifications are nitriding, carburizing and nitrocarburizing. Older processes used to involve the use of molten salt baths (frequently cyanides) or packed beds, but these methods have been largely displaced by gas methods of nitriding, carburizing and nitrocarburizing, and by plasma nitriding.
It appears to be progress, so I'm not concerned about its quality. One uses salt baths and leaves a toxic residue while the other gas to harden the surface.
Jaywalker is offline  
Old September 7, 2013, 08:57 AM   #30
chrisintexas
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 11, 2012
Posts: 388
One online company that sells firearms told me glock 19 4th generation made in Austria have tennifer finish and they are still selling them in USA and that they are brand new. he also said glock 19 4th generation made in USA have gas nitride finish..
chrisintexas is offline  
Old September 7, 2013, 09:46 AM   #31
DPris
Member Emeritus
 
Join Date: August 19, 2004
Posts: 7,133
Y'know, you can email Glock through their website & ask.
Denis
DPris is offline  
Old September 8, 2013, 10:14 AM   #32
ClydeFrog
Junior member
 
Join Date: May 1, 2010
Posts: 5,797
EPA? Glock factory....

I'm confused by the large amount of posts about the EPA & the Tenifer process.
If the Glock USA company changed the design then so be it.
I'm not a Glocker but there does seem to be a slight color change with the newer Gen04 series. I highly doubt any TFL member who owns a newer Glock pistol will wear it out to the point that a gas nitride or Melonite or tenifer application will be a major issue.

There are reports worldwide of Glock owners who packed the same pistol for 15-20 years with 0 problems. Glocks are in service with many military units too.

If the metal surface or condition is such a major issue, I'd get it treated with Robar NP3+, Metalife SS C, Duracoat or Black-T.
ClydeFrog is offline  
Old September 8, 2013, 05:10 PM   #33
745SW
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 25, 2011
Location: California
Posts: 776
I don’t think it’s a question of the Tennifer being banned or not. It’s a question of overall cost. Don’t know the specifics of Tennifer but I do know trichloroethane.

Trichloroethane, aka triclear by its users in the electronics industry, is not in popular use as yesteryear because of disposal costs. It is an outstanding unmatched clearer of PCB’s (printed circuit boards). While there are perhaps a number of alternatives, alcohol is commonly used at least on a low volume basis like an individual PCB. Alcohol is comparatively terrible, I’m not allowed to use the appropriate words to describe it. Alcohol traps moisture and can drive electronics crazy and it smears all over the place.

Trichloroethane disposal was by people with face mask in the past. Since the 90’s they appear to wear space suit looking HAZMAT clothing/equipment.
745SW is offline  
Old September 10, 2013, 05:50 PM   #34
tristar viper
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 8, 2009
Location: Ohio
Posts: 889
Well all I can contribute to this is that I have had a gen 3 for years now, and it looks like the day I bought it. It's been through everything with me but you'd never know it after over 9000 rounds.. On the other hand, awhile ago I bought a brand new G23 Gen 4. In a matter of weeks it had marks (including a scratch) all over the slide, and I began to realize it was just a cheap gun with a cheap finish that I didn't like very much anyway. Traded it in on an HK USP, had contemplated the HK before the Glock and wish I had went with my gut but I chose to shop by price. Never again, and I'll never buy another gen 4 Glock.
tristar viper is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:13 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.05152 seconds with 9 queries