[Out West]

Finally got my top end back from Coal Creek Armory. This P5 was one of the SOG surplus pistols. It had virtually no finish on the top end when I recieved it. Most of you guys probably know that Melonite is a metal treatment that increases the surface hardness, provides increased wear resistance over moving parts, and imparts protection against rust. The pistol came back with the white dot gone - it was removed as part of the surface prep for the Melonite. I replaced the white front dot with a yellow front dot. I have used yellow before and it seems to work better for me under most circumstances.

Anyway, I think it came out nice. This P5 now has a durable finish and I would not hesitate to take it into the field under any weather condition.

Cheers!

Out West

 

[uncut]

That looks nice..... and sure is a good way to refinish any slide.....
There is another place that does this kind of finish.... Drakes gunworks and he did a few of these P7 imports that recently came to the market .... It looks great....

 

[searcher451]

Out West: I'd be curious to know what the work set you back, and whether you had the entire gun done or just the slide. It's hard to tell from the photos (or maybe it's just my old eyes ). I've been thinking about a hard chrome job on my P5, slide only, and have talked with a couple of shops, but this looks awfully nice. Thanks.

 

[Out West]

Searcher,

Thanks. It was reasonable: $100 + shipping home for the top end. I think they charge $200 for the complete pistol. The alloy frame can not be Melonited, but all the other parts can be. Most of the wear on my piece was on the slide. Since my goal was a durable shooter, I went with the top end only.

I like Melonite over the various plating options. Mostly because its not a plate and can not chip or peel. Also, there isn't any possibility of moisture getting through a fault in the plating and setting up something nasty. The black color is the same that you see on the P99 (also Melonited) or on the Glocks (Glock calls their process "Tennifer" but its the same carbon salt nitrating bath process). Another bonus is that the Melonite penetrates into the steel to several microns of depth. An option that I didn't take was to media blast the black melonite surface off, blue the slide, and have a blued top end with the same benefits of the Melonite. Just didn't want to spend the money.

If you want to learn more about Melonite, here is a link:
http://www.burlingtoneng.com/melonite.html

BTW, I talked with a gunsmith that is using this process on custom S&W M&P's. He said the surface hardness is definitely there. His files and bits all wear out much faster when working on metal that has undergone the process.

Take care.

Out West

 

[searcher451]

OW: Thanks for the information. I'll most definitely take a look at it. It appears to be an excellent alternative to hard chrome, and much better than a simple reblueing job. The idea of added protection for the slide is reason enough to look hard at the Melonite process, especially if you plan to carry the piece in a holster.

 

[uncut]

Here is another link for you guys to look at....

http://www.drakesgunworks.com/

He has gotten a lot of good reviews from the guys on PCT