Titanium nitride vs tenifer

snowman748 · April 7, 2017, 12:12 AM

Ok, not sure which part of the forum this belongs in but figured this would probably be a safe bet. I recently picked up a Glock 19 Gen 3 at a pawn shop. I like to do press checks and forward serrations help with that. Obviously the Glock doesn't have them. I found a company that will do very basic slide serrations (Brazen Firearms) and I'm thinking about having this done. However the stock tenifer finish seems really very tough. If I get the gun milled I'll need to get it recoated to keep it from rusting. Brazen offers Titanium Nitride which I know is a VERY hard finish. I have 0 experience with tenifer so my question is which is harder? Is Titanium Nitride significantly harder or just moderately harder then Tenifer?

mete · April 7, 2017, 03:26 AM

While TiN is hard it's a plated coating .Tenifer is a diffusion process not a coating ! the latest diffusion coatings on Glock, HK etc are proven wear resistant , corrosion resistant , treatments !!
I'd take tenifer !
If you are working with either make sure you have it done by a reliable company with gun experience !

gglass · April 20, 2017, 02:08 PM

While Tenifer is a superb finish, there is absolutely no reason that you would be dissatisfied with a TiN coating as well. Besides, if it is tough enough for drill bits, it is tough enough for firearms.

SkunkWorks · July 10, 2018, 05:25 PM

mete, first off, you're way off on what a TiN coating really is. Its a PVD process under a fine vacuum. Titanium is changed from a solid to a gas and reacted with nitrogen in a vacuum, which creates a very thin film on whatever is in the vacuum chamber.
I wont go into the entire process, but i can tell you as a PVD Tech, i see DOD aircraft bearings everyday being coated in my chambers. Along with various gun parts every week or so.

TiN is by far the best option for coating gun parts.

PlatinumCore16 · July 10, 2018, 06:54 PM

So my understanding of most nitrided steels was that it was actually a diffusive surface hardening, and therefore added no "layers" so to speak, just hardened a certain depth into the material. I looked it up and "TiN" (Titanium Nitride) as a specific case is many times a ceramic coating with extreme hardness, and pretty low thickness (a la 0.00020in).

So which is it that is usually applied to firearms?

SkunkWorks · July 10, 2018, 08:22 PM

Phosphate, Nickel, Nitride, and Titanium Nitride are common for AR 15 BCG.
personally, i have my fns 9mm and walther 9mm barrels coated in TiN. depending on how thick the coating is and the finishing afterwards, barrels are proving very easy to clean, very smooth and slick to the touch.

i prefer the gold TiN coating, looks great with a black slide.

Scorch · July 11, 2018, 01:31 AM

As a gunsmith, I usually advise my clients to "keep it simple". Tenifer, Melonite and Nitron (among others) are brand names for ferritic nitrocarburizing. This process surface hardens the metal, making it black and extremely hard. There are a number of companies offering this process to firearms owners at reasonable to ridiculous prices.

So, talk to your smith about which process you would like, then let him choose the vendor who will treat the slide after the serrations are cut. That way, if there are any issues, the smith owns the project and you gain one-stop shopping convenience.

Another option is to buy an aftermarket slide for your Glock and keep the factory slide as-is in case you opt to sell it days/months/years down the road. Cost will be similar to having the smith do a one-off.

zukiphile · July 11, 2018, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scorch

As a gunsmith, I usually advise my clients to "keep it simple". Tenifer, Melonite and Nitron (among others) are brand names for ferritic nitrocarburizing. This process surface hardens the metal, making it black and extremely hard. There are a number of companies offering this process to firearms owners at reasonable to ridiculous prices.

As a hobbyist, someone not in the industry, it's hard to know whether a ridiculous price relates to a better service.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scorch

Another option is to buy an aftermarket slide for your Glock and keep the factory slide as-is in case you opt to sell it days/months/years down the road. Cost will be similar to having the smith do a one-off.

That's solid advice. It's a happy but rare accident when a buyer values our modifications as highly as we did when we did them.

jfruser · July 11, 2018, 09:08 PM

A resurrected post, op likely l9ng gone.

In any case i would not mill serrations in a hlock slide and hork up the finish. Stick the sides of the slide with skateboard tape and call ot a day. Btdt.

April 7, 2017, 12:12 AM	#1
snowman748 Senior Member Join Date: November 3, 2015 Location: Abilene, Tx Posts: 124	Titanium nitride vs tenifer Ok, not sure which part of the forum this belongs in but figured this would probably be a safe bet. I recently picked up a Glock 19 Gen 3 at a pawn shop. I like to do press checks and forward serrations help with that. Obviously the Glock doesn't have them. I found a company that will do very basic slide serrations (Brazen Firearms) and I'm thinking about having this done. However the stock tenifer finish seems really very tough. If I get the gun milled I'll need to get it recoated to keep it from rusting. Brazen offers Titanium Nitride which I know is a VERY hard finish. I have 0 experience with tenifer so my question is which is harder? Is Titanium Nitride significantly harder or just moderately harder then Tenifer?

April 7, 2017, 03:26 AM	#2
mete Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2004 Location: NY State Posts: 6,575	While TiN is hard it's a plated coating .Tenifer is a diffusion process not a coating ! the latest diffusion coatings on Glock, HK etc are proven wear resistant , corrosion resistant , treatments !! I'd take tenifer ! If you are working with either make sure you have it done by a reliable company with gun experience ! __________________ And Watson , bring your revolver !

April 20, 2017, 02:08 PM	#3
gglass Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2008 Location: Indiana Posts: 638	While Tenifer is a superb finish, there is absolutely no reason that you would be dissatisfied with a TiN coating as well. Besides, if it is tough enough for drill bits, it is tough enough for firearms. __________________ "...shall not be infringed." (Must be 18. Void where prohibited. Some restrictions may apply. Not available in all states).

July 10, 2018, 05:25 PM	#4
SkunkWorks Junior Member Join Date: July 10, 2018 Posts: 2	TiN Coating Advantages mete, first off, you're way off on what a TiN coating really is. Its a PVD process under a fine vacuum. Titanium is changed from a solid to a gas and reacted with nitrogen in a vacuum, which creates a very thin film on whatever is in the vacuum chamber. I wont go into the entire process, but i can tell you as a PVD Tech, i see DOD aircraft bearings everyday being coated in my chambers. Along with various gun parts every week or so. TiN is by far the best option for coating gun parts.

July 11, 2018, 01:31 AM	#7
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	As a gunsmith, I usually advise my clients to "keep it simple". Tenifer, Melonite and Nitron (among others) are brand names for ferritic nitrocarburizing. This process surface hardens the metal, making it black and extremely hard. There are a number of companies offering this process to firearms owners at reasonable to ridiculous prices. So, talk to your smith about which process you would like, then let him choose the vendor who will treat the slide after the serrations are cut. That way, if there are any issues, the smith owns the project and you gain one-stop shopping convenience. Another option is to buy an aftermarket slide for your Glock and keep the factory slide as-is in case you opt to sell it days/months/years down the road. Cost will be similar to having the smith do a one-off. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

July 10, 2018, 06:54 PM	#5
PlatinumCore16 Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 424	So my understanding of most nitrided steels was that it was actually a diffusive surface hardening, and therefore added no "layers" so to speak, just hardened a certain depth into the material. I looked it up and "TiN" (Titanium Nitride) as a specific case is many times a ceramic coating with extreme hardness, and pretty low thickness (a la 0.00020in). So which is it that is usually applied to firearms?

July 10, 2018, 08:22 PM	#6
SkunkWorks Junior Member Join Date: July 10, 2018 Posts: 2	Phosphate, Nickel, Nitride, and Titanium Nitride are common for AR 15 BCG. personally, i have my fns 9mm and walther 9mm barrels coated in TiN. depending on how thick the coating is and the finishing afterwards, barrels are proving very easy to clean, very smooth and slick to the touch. i prefer the gold TiN coating, looks great with a black slide.

July 11, 2018, 09:08 PM	#9
jfruser Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 350	A resurrected post, op likely l9ng gone. In any case i would not mill serrations in a hlock slide and hork up the finish. Stick the sides of the slide with skateboard tape and call ot a day. Btdt. __________________ Regards, jfruser "Books and bullets have their own destinies."----Bob Ross