[mambro]

Ok, P99 fans... I'm thinking about having a black slide "glass bead blasted" to change things up a bit. I don't mind the color of the titanium slide, but don't like the billboard effect with "Titanium Coated" laser etched on the thing.

Hard chrome is an option too, but I'm thinking of a "softer" look with the blasted finish. (It's also less expensive to simply blast.) Here's a link to a guy who did it to a Glock 26 (also tenifer) where I got the idea from:

http://www.glocktalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=448797

Has anybody here had this kind of work done on their P99 or SW99?

 

[ShipWreck]

That looks pretty sweet. I doubt anyone here has done that, though

 

[MLB]

I know a guy who did that with a Sig, but the Sig (229) has a stainless slide. The P99 has a carbon steel slide, so you'd need to finish it with something or it would rust. The SW99 on the other hand is stainless, so it should be alright.

 

[MLB]

Another thing is that the Ti slides are no longer available as I understand it. You may be better off selling your slide to get another.

 

[mambro]

Thanks, MLB!
I've got a SW99 .45 coming next week that would be a good candidate, or perhaps the "brushed" or "matte" hard chrome for a P99 flavor.

A local 'smith quoted me $30-35 for the blast work, so it's not a ton of money there.... and Tripp Research will do a slide in hard chrome pretty reasonably too... something like $65 I think.

I have also heard that the TI slides are discontinued (for the most part), due to the TI coated finish not really being all that more durable than the basic black. Both my P99s (OD & Black) have the "black" slide on them now.

 

[ShipWreck]

I think when my Walther gets scratched up from carrying and gets a lot of holster wear, maybe I'll try that.

 

[MLB]

The blast work sounds reasonable, but I'm surprised how little the hard chrome costs. I've never priced it either though.

Fortunatley, my '03 P99 Ti finish is holding up very well.

 

[ShipWreck]

Earl's repair service wants $200 just to hard chrome the slide!

But, since he deals exclusively w/ P99s, I wonder if he would be the better way to go.

Someone who isn't familiar with how to take all the inards or the slide and decocker apart and put them back together might mess things up.

Where is a cheaper place to do it? WOuld Tripp have experience w/ this kinda weapon?

 

[mambro]

I'm sure Earl's would do a fine job but I'd go to Tripp before him in this case. I don't think Earl's is known for "bargain" anything either. My memory is not so good and/or Tripp has updated their prices since I last checked. It's still a bargain at $80, and that is for a 1911 w/slide parts too:

http://www.trippresearch.com/chrome/chrome.htm

Although I have never used Tripp for this kind of work, he has a VERY strong rep for it, especially amongst the 1911 community, and he absolutely knows his way around a firearm. (He was the original "T" in "STI" firearms a while back.) Could Earl take a P99 apart in his sleep? I bet he could, but again, I'd go to Tripp first....but that's just me.

I did ask Tripp back in August about the P99 and got a response back that they have done P99s in hard chrome before and that they have also done a lot of Glocks...so tenifer is not a foreign topic either.

There may be cheaper hard chrome places out there, but I'd be surprised if they had a reputation for quality work and quick turn around times to go with it... plus I'm happy to give a Texas outfit my business.

 

[ShipWreck]

Well, I think after my compact P99 gets torn up over time (it's my carry gun), I may look into going w/ tripp.

I am guesisng that Walther USA won't reblacken the tennofer slide for $45 like Glock will.

 

[madecov]

Tennifer is a metal treatment. It doesn't wear off.
The Black or Ti is a finish on top of the Tennifer.

A bare tennifer slide will have a grayish look to it. It still won't rust if the finish is blasted off the slide as the Tennifer goes a few microns into the metal.

I doubt earl does his own chroming. EPA regs, set up etc. He farms it out and charges for it.

 

[ShipWreck]

Quote[/b] (madecov @ Oct. 22 2005,23:12)]Tennifer is a metal treatment. It doesn't wear off.
The Black or Ti is a finish on top of the Tennifer.

A bare tennifer slide will have a grayish look to it. It still won't rust if the finish is blasted off the slide as the Tennifer goes a few microns into the metal.

I doubt earl does his own chroming. EPA regs, set up etc. He farms it out and charges for it.

I am well aware of what tennifer is. But, as I said before, Glock reblackens their slides for $45.

I had a Glock 26 for 8 years. After a time of taking it in and out of a leather holster, the black coloring on the sldie will wear. For $45, Glock will reblacken the slide so the gun looks like new.